No one has gone on holiday early in the BTCC
Stephen Jelley has achieved the first HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship pole position of his career for the first of tomorrow’s final three rounds of 2008 at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.
Jelley, driving a Team RAC BMW, set the pole time in 49.297s around Brands’ short Indy circuit. Second was rival BMW driver Mat Jackson (49.359s) and third in SEAT’s diesel-powered Leon TDI, Darren Turner (49.401s). Less than a second covered the 17 fastest drivers.
Jelley said: “I knew on the lap out of the pits that pole was possible – the car felt that good. Then it was a case of stringing together the perfect lap. What a way to start the final race weekend of my debut season in the championship. I’m delighted.”
Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi, who is a clear favourite to win his second consecutive BTCC title tomorrow, qualified 11th fastest in a Vauxhall Vectra VXR handicapped by 45kgs of success ballast. His only title rival Jason Plato was one position ahead in tenth in his SEAT Leon, which is laden with 36kgs of ballast. If their positions remain the same in tomorrow’s first race then Giovanardi will be Champion.
BMW Dealer Team UK driver Jackson’s second position, meanwhile, puts him in a position to keep up the pressure on Team RAC’s Colin Turkington in their battle for the for the Independent Drivers’ title. Turkington currently leads the standings by 22 points with a possible 45 available from tomorrow’s three races.
Tomorrow’s final three rounds of 2008 will all be shown live on ITV4 as the channel shows six hours of non-stop coverage from Brands Hatch from 11.30am to 5.30pm.
Leading positions, BTCC qualifying Brands Hatch (provisional):
1. Stephen Jelley (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, 49.297s
2. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK/BMW 320si, +0.062s
3. Darren Turner (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, +0.104s
4. Matt Neal (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +0.127s
5. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +0.130s
6. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, +0.168s
7. Robert Collard (GBR), Motorbase/BMW 320si, +0.201s
8. Adam Jones (GBR), Team Air Cool/SEAT Leon, +0.207s
9. Steven Kane (GBR), Motorbase/BMW 320si, +0.273s
10. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, +0.275s
11. Fabrizio Giovanardi, VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +0.281s