Butcher fends off Cook after thrilling final lap duel

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Rory Butcher secured his second British Touring Car Championship race victory of the day after holding off Josh Cook following a thrilling final-lap during race two at Silverstone.

Despite carrying full success ballast and having to contend with two safety car periods, Butcher led every lap from pole position, but came under severe pressure from BTC Racing's Cook during the final few laps of the race.

Once Cook had dispatched the Excler8 Motorsport Hyundai of Tom Ingram for second position at the end of lap 17, the Honda Civic Type-R driver rapidly closed to the race leading Toyota Corolla.

By the end of the penultimate lap, Cook found himself right on the rear of Butcher. However, Butcher held his nerve despite an audacious last-lap lunge from Cook at Brooklands.

Cook dived on the inside of Butcher, but carried far too much speed to maintain the line of the corner, which allowed the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver to scythe his way back underneath the Honda.

Butcher's 11th career BTCC race victory has moved him up to seventh in the drivers' standings.

Cook settled for second following his last lap heroics, while Ingram clung onto third ahead of fellow title challengers Colin Turkington and Ash Sutton.

Team BMW's Turkington spent the majority of the race perilously nestled between the two Laser Tools Racing Infinitis before making a crucial pass on Aiden Moffat for fourth position on lap 23.

Moffat fell to sixth by the end of the race with Dan Rowbottom following up in seventh.

Chris Smiley scored further points in eighth position, while Stephen Jelley and Jake Hill completed the remainder of the top-ten in ninth and tenth.

Despite just missing out on the top-ten, two-time champion Jason Plato has been drawn to start the reverse grid race from pole position after finishing race two in eleventh.