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| Monday, 23 September, 2002, 10:19 GMT 11:19 UK Thompson, Kerr take British titles ![]() Robbie Kerr wins the British Formula Three Championship in the penultimate race at Donington Park. Johnny Herbert closes the gap on championship leader Tom Kristensen in the American Le Mans Series. Nascar rookie Jimmie Johnson holds off points leader Mark Martin to win his third race of the season on Sunday. Robbie Kerr won the British Formula 3 Championship in the penultimate race at Donington Park. Kerr finished third, and crucially in front of James Courtney, to clinch the title. In the second race, Bruce Jouanny started from pole and held on, despite the introduction of the safety car, for the win ahead of with Heikki Kovalainen in third. James Thompson captured the Green Flag British Touring Car Championship for the first time at Donington Park on Sunday. The Yorkshireman won the sprint race to put himself within touching distance of the title. And Thompson then had victory confirmed when his closest rival in the standings, his Vauxhall team-mate Yvan Muller, retired early from the feature event.
Muller started the weekend one point ahead after Thompson was penalised five points when he had to have his seventh engine of the year installed. However, the positions were reversed again when Thompson recovered from a sluggish start from pole position to claim his sixth success of the campaign in the sprint. Muller's fifth place meant Thompson only needed to take fourth in the feature regardless of Muller's position. And, although Thompson ended up third, Muller was already out after colliding with Matt Neal and being forced to retire. "It feels fantastic. I've driven more than 200 races in the championship and it means so much to me," said Thompson. "This is the pinnacle of my career." Britain's Johnny Herbert has closed the gap on championship leader Tom Kristensen in the American Le Mans Series after finishing second at Laguna Seca. The ex-Formula One driver, along with team-mate Stefan Johanson, profited from a dire pitstop from Kristensen's Audi team during Sunday's race. Kristensen had started on the front row of the grid but slipped back from second to eighth overall an hour into the race following suspension repairs. Herbert moved into second place as a result and steadily broke down the lead of Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela. Eventually the Briton had to make do with second spot in California, 25.7 seconds behind Pirro and Biela. "To finish second and close the gap in the title race on Tom is a bonus," said Herbert. Nascar rookie Jimmie Johnson held off points leader Mark Martin to win his third race of the season on Sunday. The victory was also Johnson's second at the Dover Downs circuit this season. Johnson led more than 170 laps before being put under pressure by Martin in the closing stages. However, the points leader was held up trying to lap former championship leader Sterling Marlin and had to settle for second. Johnson is now just 30 points behind Martin in the overall standings. | See also: 28 Jul 02 | Motorsport Top Motorsport stories now: Links to more Motorsport stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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