LAST GASP SHEDDEN ON DONINGTON POLE POSITION
Gordon Shedden has qualified on pole position for the first
of tomorrow's (Sunday) three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car
Championship rounds at the Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire.
Scottish driver Shedden, in Team Halfords' Honda Integra,
achieved his second pole of the 2006 season in a time of 1m12.548s.
Colin Turkington, in Team RAC's MG, qualified second fastest
with a time of 1m12.661s. Third was Tom Chilton, in Vauxhall's
Astra Sport Hatch and a shock fourth local driver, Sutton
Coldfield's Mike Jordan in his Team Eurotech Racing with John
Guest Honda.
Turkington, second in the championship, will hope his starting
grid position can help him close the 37-point gap to series
leader Matt Neal who qualified sixth fastest. Jason Plato,
third in the standings and just three points behind Turkington,
will line up on the grid back in ninth in his SEAT Leon.
Northern Irishman Turkington had looked to be on course for
his first pole of 2006 - he'd just set the fastest time when
it started to drizzle with rain. But the rain was only brief
and with five minutes to go the track had dried again, allowing
Shedden one last shot at regaining pole.
"I thought I'd lost it," said Shedden, aged 27.
"I was on pole, but then Colin got ahead and it started
to rain. But the track dried out just in time for me to give
it one big final effort. It was big pressure so to deliver
in those circumstances is very rewarding. I am delighted."
Turkington, his car carrying considerable success ballast
(36kgs) due to his championship position, was still pleased
with the second fastest time. The 24-year-old said: "It's
a great reward for my team. The car had already felt good
in first practice but we've kept improving it. Bring on the
race."
Reigning champion Neal had no complaints with his performance.
He actually qualified seventh fastest but was promoted a spot
as Team RAC driver Robert Collard, sixth fastest in the session,
was docked six positions as punishment for an incident in
the previous meeting at Croft. Neal, his car carrying maximum
success ballast (45kgs), said: "I just wasn't fast enough.
The car felt good and my laps were clean, but I guess the
maximum ballast doesn't help. Then again, Colin's dispelled
that theory!"
Jordan was elated with fourth, his best qualifying position
of the season. He has already sprayed the victory champagne
this year and is a potential winner tomorrow. The 48-year-old
joked: "Not bad for an old bloke! I put an awful lot
into that session. I actually got in Matt Neal's slipstream
on my final run and that gained me the extra time. I'm over
the moon."
Tomorrow's three races, all 16 laps in length, will take
place at 11.20, 13.40 and 15.50. As at all BTCC meetings,
race three will receive live national television coverage
on the ITV1 channel
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