Drama at Thruxton for MG.

The first race of the day proved to be very short for two MG drivers and full of battle for the third today at Hampshire's Thruxton race circuit.

Neither Warren Hughes or Anthony Reid was able to complete the first lap of round five of the British Touring Car Championship after they tried to avoid an incident involving local favourite Rob Collard at the Allard corner at the circuit. Collard's Astra Coupe was clipped and sent sideways and both Warren and Anthony were forced to take evasive action.

"I thought I'd missed it all, but the car ricocheted off and hit me with a mighty impact" said Warren who emerged unscathed from the incident, although the same cannot be said of his car. Though the impact was heavy and the panel damage comprehensive, the strength of the roll cage structure mean that Warren had nothing to worry about and the car will be back in action for the second race of the day this afternoon.

Anthony Reid had a good view of the impact. "Both Warren and myself made pretty good starts and we were coming up through Allards and Rob Collard was just up in front of me," said Anthony as his own MG ZS was being repaired. "He got tagged by a fast starting Peugeot and was hit at the exit of Allards so Warren and I went to get through on the right when suddenly he shoots at ninety degrees across the circuit and goes back across to the right.

"He scuffed the front of my car which turned me sideways and put me into the tyre wall and Warren took the full force of Collard's T-bone; it looked like a heavy impact for Warren," said Anthony.

The early departure for Warren and Anthony meant that Colin Turkington was the sole MG in action for the race. Whilst the cars were cleared from the first lap incident Colin circulated in sixth place behind the Safety Car after having made a strong start from the lights.

The Safety Car remained out until the end of the fifth lap when action resumed. Colin then had to live with a set of tyres that were not all he hoped they might be, but when he came in to the pits for his compulsory pitstop on of the wheels proved troublesome delaying Colin at the most crucial of times.

Back into the race Colin drove solidly and ultimately came home in eighth place. "It was a bad pitstop and it lost me a lot of time," Colin said afterwards.

Extensive changes had been made to the MG ZS after yesterday's qualifying session. Neither Warren Hughes or Anthony Reid had chance to sample them in race one but race two at Thruxton should provide an ideal opportunity to be in the thick of the action once more.

"All the weight off, that's good," said Anthony. "We've got 34 kg off and I think we can have a very good race in the second race, but first of all the guys have got to get the car back together, they've got a bit of work to do!"

Race results

1. Yvan Muller
2. Matt Neal
3. Paul O'Neill
4. James Thompson
5. Alan Morrison
6. Gavin Pyper
7. Tom Chilton
8.Colin Turkington MG ZS
9. Dan Eaves
10. Carl Breeze

Did not finish

Warren Hughes MG ZS
Anthony Reid MG ZS