Team Dynamics Matt Neal was angry with the Donington Park race officials after he was not allowed to take the restart for Race 3, after receiving outside assistance.

The Honda driver had taken the lead at the start of the race, which began in very wet conditions, but slid off the track at McLean’s with his Civic Type-R buried in the gravel.

The car was extricated from the gravel trap, but the race was red flagged with a full restart ordered.

Neal returned to his front row grid spot alongside Dave Newsham’s Chevrolet, but the organisers then ordered Neal’s car to be taken off the grid.

The argued against the officials’ interpretation of the MSA bluebook regulations, but to no avail.

“They won’t admit they’re wrong,” said Neal to TouringCarTimes.

“The MSA bluebook regulation 5.4.1 says that if a race leader does no more than two laps, the race is declared a no contest, so every car can retake its grid position. But they’re saying the session had started, calling the race a session, and that I received mechanical assistance so I’m not allowed to take part in that session; but the session hasn’t happened, the bluebook clearly says it’s a ‘no contest’.

“If I had done over two laps and they then stop the race, then I hear it. But if the race is a no contest, it should be a full restart. They won’t admit they’re wrong. But what’s the point in appealing? It won’t change the fact we weren’t allowed in the race.”

With no points in the final race, Neal finds himself joint-seventh in the championship standings with Team BMW’s Andrew Jordan on 44 points.