A DOUBLE race win for Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi at Brands Hatch opened up the race for the British Touring Car Championship.

Those wins saw the Vauxhall driver close the gap between himself and series leader Jason Plato to four points ahead of next month's penultimate round at Knockhill.

Plato finished the opening two races behind Giovanardi and ended the final race in a disappointing fourth. Race three went to Team RAC driver Colin Turkington.

A rain-sodden circuit made for treacherous conditions and the opening race saw an 11-car pile-up on the first lap, following a smash between Mat Jackson and Matt Neal.

The race was re-started but Jackson received a fine and an endorsement.

Giovanardi saw race leader Turkington throw away the win after spinning and he held off Plato to take the chequered flag.

The Italian cruised to a second win in race two, but hopes of a hat-trick ended after he tangled with Mike Jordan. Turkington evaded the two cars and drove on to the flag with Giovanardi finishing fourth.

The day's tricky conditions were costly for Kent's Motorbase Performance team after Matt Allison and Tom Ferrier crashed out.

Allison had finished ninth during race one for the Wrotham-based team, but team-mate Ferrier was caught up in the 11-car pile-up on the opening lap.

Race two saw Allison crash out on lap seven. He spun but despite the rest of the field avoiding the SEAT Toledo his race was over.

Results: Race 1: 1 F Giovanardi, 2 J Plato, 3 D Turner. Race 2: 1 F Giovanardi, 2 J Plato, 3 G Shedden. Race 3: 1 C Turkington, 2 G Shedden, 3 M Jackson.

Championship standings: J Plato 239pts, F Giovanardi 235, G Shedden 161, M Neal 154, C Turkington 142.