DROITWICH'S Matt Neal is third in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship standings after one podium place at Croft, North Yorkshire.

But Neal is 46 points off leader Jason Plato who saw second-placed Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi close the gap at the top.

VX Racing Vauxhall driver Giovanardi won the final race but SEAT's Plato failed to take any victories.

Northern Ireland's Colin Turkington won race one in the Team RAC BMW after leading from the front and setting the fastest lap.

Team Halfords Honda finished second and third as pole position man Gordon Shedden edged out the second Civic of team-mate Neal.

Reigning champion Neal had been second but collided with Turkington's team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole while lapping him and dropped back.

SEAT's Darren Turner won an incident-packed second race after overtaking team-mate Plato in the final corner. Turner secured his first BTCC race win ahead of Plato.

Giovanardi had been in contention earlier in the race when he collided with leader Turkington's BMW.

Shedden also led the race before his Honda Civic was retired with a steering problem, with Mike Jordan eventually finishing third in the Team Eurotech Honda.

Giovanardi took the win in race three ahead of Onslow-Cole and Henley-in-Arden's Mat Jackson's BMW.

Shedden was next in the Honda from Turner's SEAT, Neal in the Honda and Giovanardi's team-mate Tom Chilton.

Giovanardi, who now has five wins this season to Plato's four, said: "This was probably the hardest day of the season so far - there were so many things happening on the circuit - so to come away with two sixth places and a win is excellent.

"As a team we've achieved our aim of out-scoring Plato and keeping up the pressure on him.

"This is a very exciting championship for the fans and I'm delighted to be part of the fight at the front."

Plato said: "I'd hoped for more and in race three in particular I probably lost six points or so because our strategy wasn't right and that cost me several positions on the track.

"Sure, Fabrizio is very close now but I think Oulton Park will suit our car more - it's a more flowing circuit and I don't think carrying maximum success ballast will hurt my car as much there as it did here in qualifying and race one."

Vauxhall and its VX Racing squad continue to lead the manufacturers' and teams' championships.

Drivers: Plato 127 points, Giovanardi 125, Neal 81, Chilton 75, Turner 71, Turkington 64, Jackson, Jordon 55, Shedden 54, Onslow-Cole 51.

Manufacturers: Vauxhall 264, SEAT, 236.

Teams: VX Racing 190, SEAT Sport UK 187, Team Halfords 131, Team RAC 109.