Thrilling BTCC quali at Knockhill 23 | 08 | 2014
UNDER THREATENING LEADEN-GREY SKIES, the British Touring Car Championship again served up a thrilling qualifying session as the 31-cars careered round the demanding 1.3-miles of Knockhill.
Early-on in today's 30-minute session — which was punctuated by a short red-flag stoppage after Chris Stockton went off at the foot of Duffus Dip in his Chevrolet — the top order shuffled faster than a groupier in a casino.
Ominously quiet, championship leader Colin Turkington — who entered the weekend with a 23-point advantage over the Honda Civic Tourer (pictured in action today) of his nearest rival, Fife's Gordon Shedden — kept a watching brief.
But by the midpoint of the session, the 32-year-old from Portadown had eased his BMW into provisional pole with a lap of 52.076secs.
Thereafter the 2009 champ — already a six-time winner this year and who has been on the podium in nine of the last 10 races — simply got quicker and quicker.
With less than three minutes of the session remaining, he became the only driver to dip below the 52s barrier with a 51.936s. On the next lap he was even faster, stopping the clock at 51.705s.
When the session finished, he was a clear 0.464s ahead of the second-fastest man, the MG driven by Sam Tordoff: but it's Tordoff who will start the first of tomorrow's three races from pole position, with Turkington ninth.
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He had headed across the Irish Sea knowing he was carrying an eight-place grid penalty in his baggage after a mid-race altercation with — ironically — Shedden's Honda team-mate Matt Neal last time out at Snetterton.
As he wrapped up against the unseasonal Knockhill chill, the Irishman — who won two races in the corresponding triple-header 12 months ago — remained positive.
"We've shown today that we've the fastest car," Turkington, who worked as a race instructor at Knockhill during his time at Stirling University — stated firmly, "and those ahead on the grid know I'll be hunting them down.
"It'll be tough, but it should produce great action for the spectators and everyone watching the live TV coverage."
Shedden meanwhile, the 35-year-old from Dalgety Bay, moved up from fifth to fourth on the grid as a result of Turkington's demotion.
"Ideally I'd have liked to have started on the front row," the 2012 champ, who clocked 52.294s, admitted, "but I'm starting five places ahead of Colin and that's the main thing.
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"Hopefully I can get at least a podium finish in the opener, then build on that for the second race. If I can achieve that, I'm confident I'll close the gap on Colin.
"But we all know how competitive BTCC is — the top 16 cars today were covered by less than a second — so it's going to be a real ding-dong tomorrow."
Rob Austin lines up in second place after a barnstorming final lap in his Audi A4, ahead of the Honda of defending champ Andrew Jordan and Shedden.
There were strong performances too from the three other Scots. Aberdeen's Glynn Geddie starts 10th in his Toyota, while Dave Newsham — racing his Ford in memory of his mum who died on Thursday — 15th.
Seventeen-year-old Aiden Moffat from Dalkeith, who made his BTCC debut in the corresponding race 12 months ago, lines up 20th in his Chevrolet.
In the Porsche Carrera Cup, Alloa 27-year-old Carol Brown — making her debut in the high-powered championship — qualified in pole position in her class.
The multiple Scottish karting and Legend champion clocked a fastest time on 55.851s, just 2.187s behind the overall pole position of multiple Porsche champ Michael Meadows.
"It really has been a whirlwind few weeks trying to put everything together to make this opportunity happen," Brown, who only sat in the Porsche for the first time on Friday, said.
"I actually got a call on my birthday to see if I was interested and it all snowballed from there. I can't thank all of my sponsors enough for giving me this opportunity, and I will do everything I can to repay their faith in me in tomorrow's two races."
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Jim McGill