Butcher bags first Porsche poleposted in POR23 | 06 | 2012

FIFER RORY BUTCHER bagged the first Porsche Carrera Cup pole position of his career, then instantly followed it up with his second for the double-header at Croft, near Darlington.

The 24-year-old from Kirkcaldy, and Celtic Speed team leader, was in imperious form during toay'squalifying session.

Butcher, in only his second full season in the UK's most competitive sportscar championship, clocked a fastest lap of 1min 22.252secs to grab pole for the first race.

He followed it up immediately by clocking 1:22.440s, to clinch pole for the second race. Championship leader Michael Meadows lines up alongside him on the front row of the grid in the second race.

"Hats off to all the guts in Celtic Speed," Butcher said afterwards. "It's my name which is on the car, but the car's performance was all down to the way the guys in the team had prepared the car

"Now I have to concentrate on turning pole position into a win, and at least a couple of podium finishes. But I know it's going to be tough."

At the same circuit, British Touring Car Championship leader, Dalgety Bay's Gordon Shedden, starts the first of tomorrow's triple-headers from this on the grid.

The 33-year-old Scot's Honda Racing team-mate, and defending champ, Matt Neal, starts from pole alongside Andrew Jordan.

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Jim McGill