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British Touring Car Championship
Brands Hatch - Qualifying - 1/10/11

By MJP Media | 1 October 2011

Jason Plato secures pole position for the first race tomorrow from Brands Hatch. Andrew Jordan and James Nash qualify 2nd and 3rd as championship leaders Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal struggle in 5th and 6th.

Qualifying for this weekend's round of the British Touring Car Championship from Brands Hatch started in intense heat which was described by championship leader Matt Neal as an "unknown quantity for car performance and handling". Track temperature was an unbelievable 37.2 degrees.

First of the quick laps was a 1.32.9 seconds by Jason Plato in the Silverline Chevrolet Cruze but that was soon pipped by Matt Neal in the Honda Racing Civic with a 1.32.8. Neal's team-mate Gordon Shedden then put in a 1.32.5 to top the time sheet. His lead lasted barely 5 minutes before Jason Plato fired in a mighty 1.32.2 and his Silverline Chevrolet team-mate Alex MacDowall went 2nd with a 1.32.4. The session was then red flagged as Chris James was left stranded after his offside front wheel fell off his Chevrolet Lacetti.

On the restart, Matt Neal was able to go into 2nd, still a fifth of a second behind Jason Plato before the red flag came out again when Frank Wrathall put his Dynojet Toyota Avensis in the gravel at Clearways whilst running 10th. The session restarted and Alex MacDowall was able to reclaim 2nd, leaving the 2 Chevrolets ahead of the two Hondas. Plato then set a sensational 1.31.8 with 7 minutes of the session left and Andrew Jordan in the Pirtek Racing Vectra moved up into 2nd.

As the session drew to a close, there was no matching either Jason Plato or Andrew Jordan's times in 1st and 2nd. James Nash's last lap catapulted him and his Vauxhall Vectra into 3rd, with Alex MacDowall 4th. In an unexpected turn-up, the two Honda Racing Team Civics were only on the third row with Gordon Shedden in 5th and Matt Neal 6th.

With Jason Plato on pole, the work is cut out for his title rivals Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal further back on the grid. The spice of not only the two quick Vectras, but also Plato's team-mate Alex MacDowall between Plato and the Hondas means that the action is sure to be fantastic right from the start, with the championship still to be decided. Don't miss the best of the action here tomorrow.

 

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