Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish became the 17th different race winner in the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after the Honda rookie got the better of pole-sitter Brett Smith in the opening contest at Brands Hatch.

Cammish's Honda team-mate Matt Neal also nipped by Smith shortly after mid-distance to complete a one-two for the manufacturer-backed squad. Smith held on for a first BTCC podium, albeit under pressure from his WIX Racing with Eurotech team-mate Jack Goff.

In a race that simmered without reaching boiling point it was the overall championship battle that many had their eyes on. Both Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram made steady progress from relatively low grid positions, but it was the BMW man that extended his points advantage to 36 with a 12th place finish. 

Tom Chilton's title challenge is now mathematically over but his ninth place result boosted his and Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's chances of Independents' laurels.

With Honda machinary dominating the top four positions it was Power Maxed TAG Racing's Senna Proctor who proved to be the best of the rest. Young talent Proctor performed well during qualifying yesterday and the Vauxhall man saw off Daniel Lloyd early in this encounter before latching onto the back of the Hondas. He was never quite close enough to make an attack but fifth place was still a decent reward for the Yorkshireman.

BTC Norlin Racing's Lloyd took sixth ahead of the charging Aiden Moffat in the Laser Tools Racing Mercedes. BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan was eighth after he made a stellar move by Sam Tordoff's Ford, whilst Chilton headed his Motorbase team-mate James Cole to complete the top ten positions. 

There were a couple of minor incidents on the opening lap – one involving two Team HARD VWs – with the most notable however, being that for reigning champion Ash Sutton. It's not yet clear what happened but the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing star ran wide and into the gravel through Druids on the first tour and he retired in the pits soon after.

Back to the title battle and it is all still to play for with just two races remaining in the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Turkington's 34 point advantage over Ingram however, means the latter must make some serious inroads in the next race, which will take place at 1440.