BTCC @ ROCKINGHAM // NEIL TOZER'S QUALIFYING REPORT

With the 2009 British Touring Car Championship culminating in its last two race weekends of the year, ColdTrackDays correspondent, Neil Tozer reports from the penultimate meeting at Rockingham in the UK on the battle for this years crown and a day of qualifying ahead of Sunday's three races at the Northamptonshire venue... [read more]

Saturday afternoons qualifying session saw Jason Plato's distant championship hopes suddenly come back into focus. With both his rivals enduring a challenging session Plato (above) secured pole for tomorrow's first race in his Team RML Chevrolet Lacetti.

Although he still claims that the title is out of reach, with Championship leader Colin Turkington starting back in a lowly fourteenth and Fabrizio Giovanardi lining up seventh he is most definatly not out of the running yet. Plato could well go into Brands Hatch's title decider next month with a decent shot at taking his second title should he be able to repeat his dominance during Sunday's three races.
 
Championship leader Colin Turkington (above) suffered a day of woes at the 1.94mile venue, as along with carrying 45kg of success ballast the Team RAC BMW suddenly began to suffer from crippling understeer. Colin who will line up for the first race on the seventh row said " I don't want to complain about the ballast as I really think we are just struggling today to find any front end grip." He went on to say that hopefully come raceday the BMW will be able to preserve its tyres better than the front wheel drive cars and he maybe able to challenge late on. 

Lining up second on the grid will be Johnathan Adam (above) in his Motorbase Team Airwaves 320si after leaving it very late in qualifying before putting in a storming last minute lap to end the session just over a tenth shy of the RML Lacetti.

For much of the session, topping the time-sheets was Turkington's team mate Stephen Jelley before he dropped back to fourth as the flag came out. Jelley may well have a big part to play on Sunday as he tries to assist Turkington either by taking points from his rivals or by helping him to come through the field.
 
Series returnee Gordan Shedden (above) surprised much of the paddock by managing to out qualify all three works Vaukhall's in his Seat Leon and will start tomorrow from the outside of the third row alongside Paul O'Neill's Honda Integra.

In only his second ever Touring Car meeting Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert (above) now behind the wheel of the Team Dynamics Honda Civic certainly showed that he is up to speed with front wheel drive and lines up in ninth. For Johnny Rockingham is completely new and given the experience of the drivers ahead a top ten is very encouraging.


HIQ MSA British Touring Car Championship 2009
 
Complete Results // Qualifying Round 25 Rockingham:
  
01  Jason Plato             Chevrolet Lacetti   1.24.087
02  Johnathan Adam      BMW 320SI             +.107
03  Mat Jackson            Chevrolet Lacetti      +.213
04  Stephen Jelley         BMW 320SI             +.266
05  Paul O'Neill             Honda Integra           +.418
06  Gordon Shedden     Seat Leon                 +.466
07  Fabrizio Giovanardi  Vauxhall Vectra        +.481
08. Robert Collard         BMW 320SI              +.539
09. Johnny Herbert        Honda Civic              +.569
10. Tom Chilton            Ford Focus ST          +.613

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Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer