Pole Then A Crash For Turkington On Vauxhall Debut
Britain’s Colin Turkington set the pole position time but then crashed
in qualifying for tomorrow’s (Sunday) opening Dunlop
MSA British Touring Car round at Donington Park.
Turkington, who has just signed for reigning champion manufacturer
Vauxhall’s team VX Racing, set a best lap time of one
minute, 12.092 seconds to beat fellow Briton Matt Neal’s
1m12.149s in Team Halfords new Honda Integra.
Turkington’s lap time is the fastest ever for a current-era
BTCC car around Donington. But after setting it, the Northern
Irishman slid off the track in his Astra Sport Hatch and had
to watch as his rivals attacked his time.
“Luckily, there’s no real damage to the car as
I didn’t quite hit the barriers,” said 23-year-old
Turkington. “It’s frustrating, but at least I
got the pole – it’s a great way to start my career
with Vauxhall. I’m really chuffed.” Provided he
takes up his place on the starting grid, Turkington will earn
a bonus point.
Neal, nicknamed the ‘people’s champion’,
will start second on the starting grid. Neal is still chasing
his first BTCC title in what will be his 15th year in the
championship.
Former BTCC champions Yvan Muller and Jason Plato –
for many the pre-season title favourites – will start
third and sixth. Between them will be Halfords’ Dan
Eaves and Rob Collard, in WSR’s MG ZS.
Muller, who won the title in 2003 with Vauxhall and missed
out on last year’s second crown by a point to team-mate
James Thompson, said he was disappointed with his qualifying
performance. “I lost track time in the morning practice
with an exhaust problem and then in qualifying I think maybe
we got our tyre strategy wrong,” said Frenchman Muller.
Plato, the 2001 champion with Vauxhall but now driving rival
team SEAT Sport UK's Toledo Cupra, was even more despondent.
Plato said: “That’s it – there is nothing
more to come from our car and with the way things stand I
can’t see any way of turning it around. Our best hope
tomorrow is rain, otherwise we can’t win.”
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