Jason Plato believes the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship is heading for one of its most exciting title showdowns this year after a strong pair of events, at Oulton Park and Croft, brought him right back into title contention just in time for the mid-season break.

Plato, who lives in Oxford, has been the top-scoring front-wheel-drive competitor at those two circuits closely followed by Fabrizio Giovanardi, while Matt Neal – the man everyone was chasing – has now lost his series lead after two difficult events.

Plato and Giovanardi have netted 55 and 53 points respectively at Oulton and Croft compared to Neal’s 35.

While none has been able to stop Colin Turkington marching to four wins in six races to take over the championship lead – and comfortably so – in his Team RAC BMW, Plato believes the work he has done in recent weeks could pay dividends come the season’s end.

“I’m pretty chuffed with how the last two have gone,” he said.

“I’ve taken points out of everyone who was above me after round three at Donington with the exception of Colin and that missile he’s driving.

“A second, three thirds and two fifths are pretty good going – that’s just about on course with the average number of points required per meeting to end the season and they’ve been achieved on what are not the strongest circuits in my Chevrolet.

“I’m not saying the BMWs are going to be easy to beat – they’ve got them working whatever the lay-out, whatever the conditions and clearly Colin in particular is driving extremely well.

“But Oulton Park and Croft, in the hot conditions we’ve had, make for classic BMW territory.

“ I think all four of us could be going to Finals Day in October still in with a chance and I don't think that's something that will have happened before.”

Plato also believes the mid-season break could not have come at a better time.

His Silverline Chevrolet Lacetti is still very new to the BTCC compared to Turkington’s BMW and the VX Racing Vectras of Neal and Giovanardi which have had two seasons of being fine-tuned to suit the unique nature of the British circuits.

Plato added: “Now it’s the mid-season break and there are two tests which are Godsends for us.

“I’ve not had a proper test yet in this car, other than during the pressures of free practice in race weekends.”