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British Touring Car Championship
Snetterton - Qualifying - 11/8/12

By MJP Media / Pictures: Andrew Hartley | 11 August 2012

Frank Wrathall claims pole position for the first race from Snetterton tomorrow in the Dynojet Toyota Avensis. Gordon Shedden makes qualifying after a serious fire in his Honda Civic but fails to set a time.

Frank Wrathall takes his first BTCC pole position at Snetterton

Following a major fire in Shedden's Honda Yuasa Racing Team Civic, the result of a fuel injection coupling failure, the Team Dynamics mechanics did an amazing job to get the badly damaged car back out on track for the start of qualifying. With track temperatures at 34 degrees it was a scorching session in every way.

All eyes were on Mat Jackson in the brand new Redstone Racing NGTC Ford Focus that the team finished building at midnight last night and which arrived at Snetterton at 5:00 this morning! The first time the car turned a wheel in anger was during the free practice sessions earlier today.

Dave Newsham qualified on the 2nd row of the grid for Team ES Racing.com

The early qualifying pace-setter was Tom Onslow-Cole in the eBay Motors BMW 320si with a 1:58.88 lap, but he was soon relegated by Matt Neal in the Honda Yuasa Racing Team Honda Civic with a 1:58.73 and then by Jason Plato in the MG KX Momentum Racing MG6 with a 1:58.1. Unfortunately for Gordon Shedden, he ground to a halt on track after 10 minutes of the session. The Scot managed to get going again but not before the session had been red-flagged.

When the session restarted it was Frank Wrathall who took over at the top of the time sheet with a 1:58.039 whilst Jason Plato was still in second with his earlier lap time and Daniel Welch was in third in the Welch Motorsport Proton Persona. Dave Newsham in the Team ES Racing.com Vauxhall Vectra reclaimed third from Welch then Plato smashed the times with a sensational 1:57.610.

Daniel Welch in the Proton Persona qualified on the 3rd row of the grid

With 5 minutes to go it was Jason Plato ahead of Frank Wrathall with Dave Newsham 3rd, Adam Morgan 4th and Daniel Welch 5th. As the clock ticked down, Wrathall in the Dynojet Toyota Avensis took provisional pole back with a 1:57.595.

As the flag dropped to end the session, it was a first BTCC pole position for Frank Wrathall with Jason Plato 2nd, Dave Newsham 3rd, Andrew Jordan 4th Adam Morgan in 5th and Daniel Welch in 6th. Reigning champion Matt Neal was down in 7th whilst his Honda Yuasa Racing team-mate Gordon Shedden will start the first race tomorrow from the back of the grid, having not posted a qualifying time.

Pictures courtesy of Andrew Hartley

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