Honda's Gordon Shedden has given the new 2015 Civic Type-R it's ever BTCC vict🔯ory after fending off BMW's Andy Priaulx by the slenderest of margins following a nail-bi🎐ting climax to the second race.

With four-laps to go, itℱ didn't look like either Shedden or Priaulx would take the race two victory as pole-man Jason Plato was in a hugely commanding position with an 89th victory for the BMR driver looking to be a full-gone conclusion.

Senꦉsationally, however - when enjoying a near four-second lead at the front - Plato's Volkswagen dramatically careered into the gravel trap at Paddock Hill bend after a suspected front left puncture cruelly denied the double-champion an easy first win of 2015.

Ironically, right as Plato's race came to an abrupt end, Priaulx launched a hefty attack on Shedden's Type-R into the final corner for what was second position. The WSR driver looked to have successfully barged his way through but the 2012-champion fought back to unde🅰rcut the 1-Series heading back up to Druids.

That looked to have been that. But as the leading pair came across lapped traffic♐ on the final lap, Priaulx once again cl൩osed in on Shedden and unleashed another robust attempt on the final corner - setting up an incredible drag-race to the line with the Honda prevailing by just 0.040 seconds.

Shedden's victory incidentally hands the Scot an early championship lead afte✅r two races.

Defending champion Colin Turkington took his first podium of the year in third as the BMR man could only watch the staggering battle for the win unfold ahead♌ of him. Turkington had looked dangerous in the opening stages but couldn't prolong a sustai🎃ned challenge.

Mercedes' Adam Morgan was fourth in the A-Class after he spent most of the💧 opening third of the race glued behind the success ballast laden Rob Collard. Morgan's move on the soft tyre running Collard, paved the way for the rest of an i📖npatient multi-car queue to demote the race one winner down to an eventual 16th position.

Completing ⛄the top-five in fifth was MG's Andrew Jordan quickly followed by the Speedwor🍷ks Avensis of Tom Ingram.

Sam Tordoff recovered from his race one tyℱre woes to score a solid seventh place finish after fending Matt Neal off in eighth.

Jack Goff had a messy second encounter in ninth when an early altercation with BMR's Aron Smith h♛amper👍ed his second race.

Rob Austin completed the top-ten i🔥n his Audi A4 and will start the reversed race three grid on 🦂pole-position.