Andrew Jordan claimed the final British Touring Car Championship race of the weekend after a sublime late-race defensive display to fend off BMW team-mate Colin Turkington.
Jordan, who made an electric start from the second row to relieve Tom Chilton of the lead on the outside into Paddock Hill bend, went on to establish a comfortable margin which Turkington, though he cut it to within three tenths of a second, was ultimately unable to overturn.
Chilton eventually came home third to score a podium on his maiden weekend for Power Maxed Racing’s new Vauxhall outfit, with Matt Neal fourth after scything through the field in his Honda Civic Type R.
Adam Morgan rounded out a strong opening weekend of the season in fifth, whilst Rob Collard claimed sixth having released Turkington earlier in the race.
The race, in truth, became a tale of Turkington’s progress, as the largely ballast-free BMW 125i M Sport. Once unleashed from behind Chilton’s valiant defence, he was able to erode Jordan’s two-second gap within a few laps and began to pile pressure on his new team-mate.
The two made contact at the final corner as the Ulsterman sought a way to nose ahead through Clearways but sensibly backed out when Jordan’s BMW in front began to wiggle under the opposing forces and came home second.
Jason Plato was absent from proceedings after his damaged Subaru Levorg GT could not be repaired in time to join the grid.
Gordon Shedden will leave the opening meeting of the season as the championship leader and finished seventh, with Jack Goff making a return to the top eight. Team.HARD rounded out the top ten with Michael Epps heading Jake Hill.
Rob Austin was unable to make significant progress following his exclusion from the second race and duly came home 18th.
The championship heads next to Donington Park in a fortnight for the next three rounds.
Race result
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME/GAP | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 77 | M | Andrew JORDAN |  |
BMW Pirtek Racing | BMW 125i M Sport | 24 | 19:53.418 | 49.123 | 3 |
| 2 | 4 | M | Colin TURKINGTON | |
Team BMW | BMW 125i M Sport | 24 | 0.315 | 48.713 | 9 |
| 3 | 2 | M | Tom CHILTON | |
Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 24 | 4.692 | 49.117 | 1 |
| 4 | 25 | M | Matt NEAL | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 24 | 7.558 | 48.989 | 11 |
| 5 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | |
Ciceley Motorsport | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 24 | 10.205 | 49.037 | 5 | |
| 6 | 5 | M | Rob COLLARD | |
Team BMW | BMW 125i M Sport | 24 | 10.812 | 49.190 | 7 |
| 7 | 52 | M | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 24 | 11.719 | 49.212 | 8 |
| 8 | 31 | Jack GOFF | |
Eurotech Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 24 | 12.141 | 49.102 | 12 | |
| 9 | 12 | Mike EPPS | |
Autoaid / RCIB Insurance Racing | Volkswagen CC | 24 | 12.970 | 49.244 | 10 | |
| 10 | 24 | Jake HILL | |
TAG Racing | Volkswagen CC | 24 | 14.367 | 49.182 | 19 | |
| 11 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | |
Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota Avensis | 24 | 18.859 | 49.268 | 6 | |
| 12 | 40 | M | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH |  |
MG Racing RCIB Insurance | MG6GT | 24 | 21.500 | 49.434 | 15 |
| 13 | 3 | Mat JACKSON | |
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo | Ford Focus | 24 | 21.648 | 49.272 | 4 | |
| 14 | 17 | Dave NEWSHAM | |
BTC Norlin Racing | Chevrolet Cruze | 24 | 22.117 | 49.294 | 17 | |
| 15 | 23 | M | Daniel LLOYD | |
MG Racing RCIB Insurance | MG6GT | 24 | 22.587 | 49.457 | 23 |
| 16 | 48 | Ollie JACKSON | |
AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts | Audi S3 | 24 | 23.653 | 49.519 | 14 | |
| 17 | 55 | Jeff SMITH | |
Eurotech Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 24 | 25.070 | 49.156 | 16 | |
| 18 | 11 | Rob AUSTIN | |
Handy Motorsport | Toyota Avensis | 24 | 25.546 | 49.671 | 32 | |
| 19 | 18 | M | Senna PROCTOR | |
Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 24 | 25.942 | 49.469 | 13 |
| 20 | 300 | Luke DAVENPORT | |
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo | Ford Focus | 24 | 26.183 | 49.462 | 28 | |
| 21 | 116 | M | Ashley SUTTON | |
Adrian Flux Subaru Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 24 | 26.54 | 49.232 | 26 |
| 22 | 30 | Martin DEPPER | |
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo | Ford Focus | 24 | 26.932 | 49.600 | 30 | |
| 23 | 10 | Ant WHORTON-EALES | |
AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts | Audi S3 | 24 | 29.636 | 49.479 | 29 | |
| 24 | 28 | M | Josh PRICE | |
BMR Racing Academy | Subaru Levorg GT | 24 | 30.355 | 49.697 | 24 |
| 25 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | |
BTC Norlin Racing | Chevrolet Cruze | 24 | 33.244 | 49.894 | 27 | |
| 26 | 66 | Josh COOK | |
Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport | Ford Focus | 23 | 1 Lap | 49.585 | 2 | |
| 27 | 7 | Stephen JELLEY | |
Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport | Ford Focus | 22 | 2 Laps | 49.165 | 18 | |
| 28 | 61 | Will BURNS | |
Autoaid / RCIB Insurance Racing | Volkswagen CC | 21 | 3 Laps | 50.152 | 22 | |
| R | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | |
Laser Tools Racing | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 20 | 4 Laps | 49.324 | 25 | |
| R | 303 | M | Matt SIMPSON | |
Simpson Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 0 | DNF | N/A | 20 |
| R | 20 | M | James COLE | |
Adrian Flux Subaru Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 0 | DNF | N/A | 21 |
| NS | 99 | M | Jason PLATO | |
Adrian Flux Subaru Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | – | DNS | N/A | 31 |