BTCC: Howell claims Silverstone win

As my boss tells it, a few years ago he was sitting in the owners' box overlooking the Start / Finish line at Brands with his son as guest of the one of his mates. Martin Howell, proud father of Gareth was one of a room full of people jumping up and down, shouting and yelling as Gareth's underpowered Ford Fiesta was forced to battle up at the front of one of the BTCC support races. In the next box were the Honda team, implacably looking on.

Last Saturday, Gareth Howell won his first full BTCC pole - in a Honda. And on Sunday, he took the Honda Integra sponsored by Halfords to his first win in the top class of UK tin-top racing.

A year in an MG sponsored by pop band Atomic Kitten was something of a learning curve both on and off the track and then came Howell's break - but not the sort he wanted. Two years without a BTCC drive. Then this year he secured a drive in a car with the potential to be up at the pointy end.

It's taken most of the season for Howell to settle in and according to Honda Racing, Howell didn't get it right in the first race and went backwards from pole to seventh, but still ahead of veteran campaigners Matt Neal and James Kaye also in Hondas. In his second race he was punted off and in the third race started somewhere in the midfield.

Part way through the race Howell had worked his way up to second when the safety car came out. And one crucial piece of Howell's history came into play. He grew up around karts: his father owns a track and Club 100 a national arrive and drive race series. And in karting every start is a rolling start. So karters are good at getting going after a safety car period.

Come the restart, he hassled the MG that was leading, whipped past and strode of into the sunset.

Martin and Gareth have put a lot into Gareth's motorsport career and this first win is the beginning of what we all hope is a long term vindication of that investment.