REID ON POLE POSITION AT CROFT
Anthony Reid has taken pole position – his first of
the season – for the first of tomorrow’s three
Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at
Croft.
Reid, driving WSR’s MG ZS, was inside the race lap
record as he set pole position in one minute, 25.494 seconds
– an average speed of 89.56mph. Just 0.063 of a second
behind was Matt Neal, in Computeach Racing with Halfords’
Honda Civic.
The two drivers have not talked to one another since their
bitter row in the pit lane at Silverstone over two months
ago after a bust-up on the track.
Reid said: “Maybe now would be a good time to go and
have a chat with Matt. Anything can happen in British Touring
Cars and I want to make sure I get round the first bend.”
Neal said: “I could really do with getting in front
of Reid at the first bend because he’s obviously got
very good pace around here.”
Reid - seeking his first win of 2004 - currently lies third
in the points standings, just ahead of Neal. The two drivers
also lead the HarrierZeuros Independents Trophy for privateer
competitors and shared the race wins at Croft 12 months ago.
Third and fourth fastest in qualifying were Vauxhall team-mates
and championship leaders Yvan Muller and James Thompson. Just
four points separate the two drivers heading into tomorrow’s
three rounds and Yorkshireman Thompson will be keen to make
inroads on his home circuit.
SEAT Sport UK’s Robert Huff and Team Honda’s
Tom Chilton completed the top six. Huff’s team-mate
Jason Plato was ninth fastest. Plato, for whom Croft is also
his local circuit – he hails from Newcastle-upon-Tyne
– said: “We need to take a good look at the data.
For some reason, we just don’t quite have the pace.”
Plato qualified just ahead of Harrogate’s James Kaye
who qualified his Synchro Motorsport team’s Honda Civic
tenth fastest for his home race.
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