BTCC: Knockhill: Turner Turns Record Lap for Pole + Grid

[Plex]

Darren Turner has achieved his second pole position of the season in Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship qualifying at the Knockhill circuit in Scotland.

SEAT driver Turner (Leamington Spa) took pole with a record lap around the spectacular Fife track in a time of 53.007s. Second and third, having both briefly held pole, were Colin Turkington (Portadown) in his Team RAC BMW and local hero Gordon Shedden (Dalgety Bay) in his Team Halfords Honda.

Turner�s team-mate, the championship leader Jason Plato (Oxford) was fourth fastest with title rival, Vauxhall�s Italian driver Fabrizio Giovanardi right behind in fifth. Plato goes into tomorrow�s penultimate three rounds only four points ahead of Giovanardi.

Tomorrow�s three races will each be shown in full by television network ITV. On ITV4 at 12.30pm there will be a re-run of race 1 followed by live coverage of race 2. Then on ITV1 at 2.45pm there will be highlights of the opening two races followed by live coverage of race 3.

However, there was trouble for Giovanardi�s team-mate Tom Chilton whose session came to an abrupt halt when his Vectra collided with newcomer Alan Taylor�s Roberthsaw Racing Honda Integra at the first bend and both cars came to a halt. Chilton, though, still ended up a competitive seventh thanks to his earlier time.

Elsewhere, John George�s TH Motorsport/JAG Honda and Chris Stockton�s BTC Racing Lexus also failed to see out the session when both hit mechanical problems. Fiona Leggate, meanwhile, needed to come to a quick stop in the pit lane when here one of her Kartworld MG�s wheels fell off although her mechanics were able to re-fit it before she took to the track.

Turner will be hoping to convert pole position for race one into three strong results tomorrow as he seeks to improve on his seventh place in the championship. He said: �Provided I make the most of my start, it all looks extremely promising as we were also fastest in the two earlier practice sessions. I�ll be going to sleep in a very good mood tonight.�

Shedden, third in the championship and still in with a mathematical chance of winning the title, said: �I gave it everything but Darren�s time was really good. Obviously, there�s a lot of talk about can I win in front of my home crowd. Nothing would give me greater pleasure, of course, but the only thing I can predict is that tomorrow�s races will be fantastic for those watching at the track and on television.�

Plato, beaten by Giovanardi in the last six races and who trails the Italian 8-6 on race wins so far this season, added: �I�m really chuffed with that time considering my car is carrying maximum ballast (45kgs). I couldn�t have wrung any more out of it and I�m also two-tenths up on Fabrizio who has less ballast. It will be very important to keep in front of him at the first corner tomorrow.�

Giovanardi added: �I have struggled with the set-up of the car and really had to push to the limit to achieve my best time. I can�t drive every lap like that tomorrow. We need to find something overnight to stay in touch with the others.�

The Grid
P/ Driver/ Car/ Time/ Gap/
1 Darren Turner SEAT Leon 53.007s --
2 Colin Turkington BMW 320si E90 53.181s +0.174s
3 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 53.224s +0.217s
4 Jason Plato SEAT Leon 53.385s +0.378s
5 Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra 53.600s +0.593s

6 Mike Jordan Honda Integra 53.665s +0.658s
7 Tom Chilton Vauxhall Vectra 53.730s +0.723s
8 Tom Onslow-Cole BMW 320si E90 53.775s +0.768s
9 Matt Neal Honda Civic 53.806s +0.799s
10 Gavin Smith SEAT Leon 53.855s +0.848s

11 Adam Jones SEAT Toledo 53.868s +0.861s
12 Mat Jackson BMW 320si E90 54.209s +1.202s
13 Jason Hughes MG ZS 54.925s +1.918s
14 Chris Stockton Lexus IS200 55.143s +2.136s
15 Martyn Bell BMW 320i E46 55.456s +2.449s

16 Fiona Leggate MG ZS 55.772s +2.765s
17 John George Honda Integra 1m01.519s +8.512s
18 Alan Taylor Honda Integra 1m02.791s +9.784s

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