York driver James Thompson lost ground in the British Touring Car Championship after rounds 19 and 20 at Oulton Park at the weekend.

He really needed a victory to make an impact on the leading pair Yvan Muller and Jason Plato.

But the Team eggsport Vauxhall driver could only manage fourth and second in his races while Muller won the sprint race and Plato edged him out by 2.312 seconds in the feature race.

That victory saw Plato regain the overall championship lead with 260 points, followed by Muller on 250 and Thompson on 231.

Surprise package of the day was Thompson's team-mate Andy Priaulx, who was making his BTCC debut as a replacement for the suspended Phil Bennett.

He produced some dynamic driving to finish second in the first race to Muller, who slid off into the gravel in the next race to lose vital points.

Updated: 11:32 Monday, August 27, 2001