Plato's tactical game thrives as leaders face new threat

Former Champion Jason Plato bagged two wins for SEAT and Anthony Reid one for MG here in North Yorkshire as a long period of BTCC dominance by Vauxhall's Astra Coupé appears to be at an end.

Plato played a now familiar tactical game to finish in ninth place in race one to guarantee a front-row start in race two - for which the top 10 in race one are reversed on the grid. He led race two all the way, his tail guarded for much of the distance by team-mate Rob Huff.

Huff then led pole man Plato away from the race three grid - determined by the finishing order of race two - before letting his team leader by, and then again playing tail-gunner as SEAT took another one-two.

Reid now appears to have the fastest car - the privately run WSR MG. He was quickest in qualifying, won race one and set the fastest lap in each of the three races.

Vauxhall's Yvan Muller and James Thompson are still well clear at the top of the points table, but they were left wondering where the speed of their Astra Coupés - which have swept all before them since the current rules were introduced in 2001 - has gone. Muller took a second, fifth and sixth place yesterday, and Thompson three fourths.