POLE POSITION FOR PLATO AT OULTON PARK
SEAT Sport UK’s Jason Plato says he will “take
great pleasure” in defeating the Team Halfords Hondas
of Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship leaders Matt
Neal and Dan Eaves at Oulton Park tomorrow (Sunday) after
beating them to pole position in today’s qualifying
session.
Plato, the 2001 champion, set a best time of one minute,
28.958 seconds to take top spot on the starting grid for the
first of tomorrow’s three BTCC races that will receive
live coverage on ITV1. He is the fourth different driver to
qualify on pole position in as many race meetings.
Close behind Plato’s yellow SEAT Toledo Cupra in second
and third in qualifying were current championship leaders
Neal and Eaves in their bright orange Hondas. Their cars are
carrying more success ballast than their rivals due to their
championship positions. Gavin Smith was the fastest of the
Vauxhall drivers in fourth in his Astra Sport Hatch, one spot
ahead of team-mate Yvan Muller.
Plato said: “We’re back. Our push for the title
begins properly here. After the last meeting at Brands Hatch
the atmosphere in the team was quite down, but this is much
better and I’ll take great pleasure in beating the orange
cars tomorrow.”
Plato admitted that his pole position performance came as
a timely boost for his SEAT team which had struggled for pace
at Brands Hatch two weeks ago. He added: “If you’re
getting your head kicked in every weekend then your head drops.
But I’ve been in this game long enough to know the score
and this is the first time this year I feel 100 per cent at
one with the car. I had been hoping for rain tomorrow because
I know our car is good in wet conditions, but given how things
are going I don’t mind if it stays dry.”
Eaves, meanwhile, is hoping to steal back the championship
lead he lost to Neal when he crashed out at Brands. “I’m
feeling very confident and I think Plato will struggle with
his tyres towards the end of the race,” said Eaves.
Muller, third in the points table behind Neal and Eaves and
the winner of the previous race at Brands Hatch, was not so
upbeat. “I’m quite satisfied with my position
because we didn’t concentrate on a qualifying set-up
during the practice sessions. I think I could have been maybe
as high as third, but I’m not too confident about my
chances in the race.”
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