BTCC 2010 - Croft
Qualifying
Tom Chilton achieved a record qualifying time at Croft to set pole position for the first of tomorrow’s three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship races at the North Yorkshire circuit.
Chilton (pictured) set pole in a time of 1m24.629s in his Team Aon Ford Focus and later described the session as “the luckiest of my life” after he’d earlier run off the track into a barrier – necessitating urgent repairs in the pit lane to the front of his car.
It is his third pole position from the five qualifying sessions held so far in 2010.
Chilton, aged 25 from Poole, said: “I only just got back out of the gravel trap when I'd been off. My mechanics did a great job with the gaffer tape! Then on my second run, when I set the time, I hit a kerb really hard and thought I’d punctured a tyre but it all held together. But I knew it was my last chance so gave it my all. It was the perfect lap but I admit I was very lucky.”
Just a fraction behind, Gordon Shedden qualified second fastest in his Honda Racing Team Honda Civic ahead of WSR BMW driver Robert Collard in third.
Fourth on his home track was impressive 19-year-old Cumbrian Alex MacDowall in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze. Championship leaders Matt Neal and Jason Plato – respective team-mates to Shedden and MacDowall – were fifth and sixth, their cars laden with success ballast.
Worcestershire’s Neal, BTCC Champion in 2005 and 2006 and who goes into tomorrow’s three races with an eight-point advantage over Plato, commented: “I initially set a 25.5s and thought about parking it – I didn’t think any more was possible with the success ballast in the car. But I gave it another go and it’s important I did or I’d have ended up in ninth. Initially, Jason was three or four places behind me but when I looked at the times at the end he’s right there with me! That’s going to be a very busy first corner tomorrow…”
Oxford-based Plato, chasing a second BTCC crown to add to that which he won in 2001, added: “This is the sort of circuit where success ballast does give you a bit of a kick in the teeth. I’ve got it again for race one tomorrow and don’t expect to be able to make any progress. I think the best I can hope for is sixth and then for the weight to come off for race two. Then we’ll have a car that can move forward.”
MacDowall aside, of the other local drivers, 18-year-old newcomer Daniel Lloyd from Huddersfield was an impressive 11th fastest in his first-ever BTCC qualifying session in his Triple Eight-run Vauxhall Vectra and Morpeth’s Arthur Forster was 20th in his Forster Motorsport BMW.
Elsewhere, there was frustration for Airwaves BMW pair Steven Kane and Mat Jackson - third and fifth in the championship arriving at Croft but back in 15th and 12th in qualifying.
Lea Wood was unable to set a lap time when his Central Group Racing Honda Integra broke a driveshaft on its 'out lap', but he will not start from last on tomorrow's grid. Instead, Andy Neate will take up that position - the WSR driver qualified 16th fastest but must now serve a six-place grid penalty as punishment for a driving misdemeanour in the previous round at Oulton Park.
Pos Driver Car Time
1. Tom Chilton Ford Focus 1m24.629s
2. Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 1m24.706s
3. Rob Collard BMW 320si 1m25.105s
4. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 1m25.157s
5. Matt Neal Honda Civic 1m25.234s
6. Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 1m25.317s
7. Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus 1m25.337s
8. James Nash Vauxhall Vectra 1m25.339s
9. Paul O'Neill Honda Integra 1m25.480s
10. Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 1m25.593s
11. Daniel Lloyd Vauxhall Vectra 1m25.858s
12. Mat Jackson BMW 320si 1m25.884s
13. Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 1m25.915s
14. Dave Pinkney Vauxhall Vectra 1m25.925s
15. Steven Kane BMW 320si 1m25.948s
16. Andy Neate BMW 320si 1m26.484s
17. Martin Depper BMW 320si 1m27.123s
18. Martin Johnson Vauxhall Astra Coupe 1m27.528s
19. John George Honda Integra 1m27.538s
20. Arthur Forster BMW 320si 1m28.311s
21. Shaun Hollamby VW Golf no time
22. Lea Wood Honda Integra no time
"I don't want to be treated as special because I'm not. I just drive a racing car round in circles a bit faster than everyone else." Michael Schumacher
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