MATT Neal kept himself and Pershore's Halfords Yuasa Racing at the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title standings.

The Worcestershire driver secured a fourth podium finish of the 2016 campaign at the end of a rollercoaster meeting at super-fast Thruxton.

After qualifying third on maximum success ballast, Neal rapidly moved to the front of the field in a chaotic curtain-raiser.

But the three-time champion suffered a puncture as he exited the final chicane, damaging his steering and sending cars darting in attempted avoidance.

Team-mate Gordon Shedden was collected in the melee, having climbed into the top six from 11th on the grid.

The race was red-flagged and their crew set swiftly to work to repair the two battered cars.

Their heroic effort was richly repaid as reigning champion Shedden stormed through the order from 23rd on the grid in a shortened second encounter in the Honda Civic Type R, pinching fourth position on the last lap.

Neal wound up 11th before starring in race three.

By staying out of trouble and picking up places, Neal finished on a positive note with the runner-up spoils to retain the championship lead, nearly snatching victory at the chequered flag.

Shedden was challenging for second when he found himself sent sideways by a tag from a BMW and was later struck by a second BMW, spelling a premature end to his race.

Heading next to Oulton Park on June 4 and 5, Neal tops the drivers’ table with Shedden in fifth.

Halfords Yuasa Racing continue to lead the teams’ classification with Honda second in the manufacturers’ chase.

Neal said: “It was certainly good to finish on a high — it made the journey home a lot more enjoyable — although, in truth, it was a weekend that had promised so much more and I was staring down the barrel of a gun until the last race.

"Thruxton has always been a Honda circuit and we proved that again with the ballast on board in qualifying.

"I was surprised by just how strong we were carrying so much weight in race one and the puncture was nobody’s fault.

"I was being super careful over the kerbs and the car was running like a dream.

"The Halfords Yuasa Racing boys did a stellar job to get us out again for race two in the nick of time — they had to deal with not just one but two cars in a million pieces.

"Then I was able to open the Civic Type R up again in race three and was flying at the end.

"I would never have thought I’d leave here still leading the championship after the first two races, so all’s well that ends well, as they say.”

WIX Racing’s Adam Morgan took a win and two further podiums, while Motorbase Performance duo Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson claimed a victory apiece.

The top eight drivers are now covered by just 21 points in the overall standings.

Evesham driver Rob Austin managed 10th place in race two for Handy Motorsport and then improved to seventh in the finale.