York driver James Thompson was fuming at Oulton Park - despite having driven his best race of the season.

He had trounced the two Nissan drivers, who have dominated the Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship.

But his comprehensive victory in the works Honda Accord in the demanding 36-lap Feature Race, was overshadowed by a decision by race marshals that his third place earned earlier in the 18 lap Sprint Race was not to be allowed.

He was disqualified, and that the 10 points he had been awarded and so desperately needed to keep his own championship third-place title hopes alive would not count.

It had been claimed by the Renault Williams team that their Laguna driver, Jason Plato, had been barged off the circuit by Thompson during the Sprint Race. To many spectators it looked as if Plato had made a desperate bid to squeeze past Thompson and Nissan Primera driver, David Leslie, and ran out of track.

Although Thompson did not say it out loud, the decision by Honda not to appeal against the disqualification, which they could have done, must have hurt him. The decision clearly implied that Thompson had indeed caused some infringement.

However, he made it clear at the press conference that he had always driven fairly, that he had during the season been "taken out" by the competition on more than one occasion, but that those responsible had never been disqualified.

"My win was good for Honda," he said. "I am delighted with the car. Everything has started to come together, but I am very disappointed with the Sprint decision."

The last two rounds of the championship will be played out at Silverstone on Sunday.

The championship is still open in as much as the two Nissan drivers, Laurent Aiello, with 241 points, and Leslie, 215 points, have their own title-chasing fight to sort out.

Now Thompson needs points to get ahead of reigning champion, Rickard Rydell who, in the Volvo S40, is just one point ahead with 161. Thompson will go to Silverstone knowing that without that disqualification he would have been building on a nine-point cushion.

Former Stamford Bridge rally driver, Jonny Milner finished seventh overall in the last round of the Mobil I British Rally Championship played out on the Isle of Man. He also won his class in the Toyota Celica.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.