THOMPSON ON POLE POSITION AT SNETTERTON
Vauxhall’s James Thompson has taken pole position for
the first of tomorrow’s (Sunday) three Green Flag British
Touring Car rounds at Snetterton by setting the fastest ever
lap for current BTCC cars around the Norfolk circuit. Provided
he takes up his pole position on tomorrow’s grid, Thompson
will earn a bonus point to move to within two points of team-mate
and championship leader Yvan Muller, who qualified second
fastest.
Thompson set his third pole position of 2004 with a lap time
of one minute, 11.588 seconds. Having also been fastest in
both free practice sessions earlier in the day, Thompson said:
“It’s very satisfying to be unbeaten all day and
this is just the sort of pressure I need to start applying
at this time of year. The car feels the best it has since
the opening round. The last few meetings have been difficult,
so hopefully I can lead all the way tomorrow and move back
ahead of Yvan.”
The session ended in a rush of cars taking to the circuit
after most drivers had opted to sit in the pit lane as they
waited to see if conditions improved. This was after marshals
had cleared up a major oil slick on the track laid by Stefan
Hodgetts’ GA Motorsports Alfa Romeo on its third lap.
Frenchman Muller and Computeach Racing with Halfords Honda
driver Matt Neal – the leading HarrierZeuros Independents
Trophy qualifier – both improved, as they set the second
and third fastest times. Muller set a best time of 1m11.924s,
Neal 1m11.993s. No other driver was able to break the 1m12s
barrier. However, Muller’s Vauxhall crew has been left
with repair work to do after he slid off the track at the
fast Riches corner later in the session and damaged his Astra.
Team Honda’s Tom Chilton jumped to fourth overall,
just ahead of the WSR MG ZSs of Anthony Reid and Colin Turkington.
Neal’s team-mate Dan Eaves, Vauxhall’s Luke Hines
and SEAT Sport UK’s Jason Plato were next up. Independent
runner Rob Collard, the last driver to get within a second
of pole, pipped rival GA Motorsport Vauxhall Astra driver
Carl Breeze for tenth on the grid – a fortnight ago
at Brands Hatch the pair were involved in a series of scrapes
with each other.
SEAT’s Robert Huff, his Toledo carrying maximum success
ballast following his dramatic, maiden BTCC win at Brands
Hatch, was 14th fastest overall
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