Team BMR have taken the top three spots on the grid for tomorrow’s first BTCC race with Turkington taking pole ahead of Aron Smith and Jason Plato. Just 0.071 separated them.
In an incredibly competitive and fast qualifying session, the top seventeen were separated by less than a second with the whole top eight all breaking the qualifying lap record from last season.
The first non BMR car was Pirtek racing’s Andrew Jordan in fourth, he had pole early in the session and always looked in contention, as did his team mate Jack Goff. He looked set for a much higher spot on his final lap but ran wide at the complex leaving him in seventh although even then he was just three tenths off pole. Matt Neal in fifth was again the fastest Honda with Shedden his team mate down in sixteenth after having steering issues.
Andy Priaulx took sixth in his IHG BMW. Having been fastest at the start of the day he was in contention for pole but with the time so close just a tiny loss of time sends a driver down the order and Priaulx’s deficit to pole is just two tenths.
Behind seventh placed Goff came Sam Tordoff who has been on pole here in the past. His time today would have been fast enough for pole in any other year but such was the pace he starts eighth.
Tom Ingram took an excellent ninth for Speedworks, yet again the young driver proved he is a consistent front runner, he just needs some luck on race day now.
Rob Collard in tenth meant all three WSR BMWs made the top ten with Collard less than half a second off pole.
Dave Newsham was the best Power Maxed Chevrolet in eleventh with Adam Morgan of Wix Racing unusually out of the top ten, the team are short of tyres this weekend and this has slowed Morgan’s pace. Hunter Abbott out qualified his team mate Rob Austin by some considerable margin in thirteenth with Rob down in twenty first.
Mat Jackson, returning with Motorbase for the first time this season could only manage fourteenth this time. The “Fans” choice for pole had been quick in testing but when it came to qualifying he had issues with rear grip. A perfect illustration of why testing times aren’t always an indicator of true pace!
Nic Hamilton starts his second ever BTCC race day in twenty sixth place with twenty eight cars starting tomorrow after Aiden Moffat’s withdrawal.
Aiden has returned to the circuit after a hospital visit and although he isn’t seriously hurt, the concussion he suffered as a result of the accident will keep him from racing on Sunday.
The first race on Sunday gets underway at just after 12pm. Tickets are available on the gate still or you can watch, as always live on ITV4.
The full qualifying results are available from TSL Timing By Marc Waller
