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Brits target Silverstone glory

Local heroes James Walker and Craig Dolby both believe they have a chance of recording a home success for their respective Premier League clubs, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, in the Superleague Formula season opener at Silverstone on Sunday

They will line up alongside each other on the second row, behind FC Basel's Max Wissel and Porto's Alvaro Parente, after qualifying at the British GP venue. Although Dolby outpaced Walker by 0.399s in the group qualifying phase, run in dry conditions, Walker will start ahead of him thanks to the way the knock-out system played out.

"I was relieved to get through to the knock-out phase of qualifying, because I hadn't got much time in the car in dry conditions," said Walker, who was outpaced by Parente in his semi-final. "It's taken me time to get used to the weight of the car, especially through Maggotts and Becketts, and the new section of track at Club, which they've done for F1, was really slippery when it was wet.

"I think if it stays dry tomorrow, I've got a chance of winning."

Dolby, who was knocked out by eventual pole-winner Wissel in his semi, was equally upbeat about his chances in Sunday's race.

"Qualifying hasn't been the strongest part of my game, so fourth is good," he said. "I'm used to having about 10 cars in front of me, not just three! Max was just too quick for me, but we've worked out where the weakness is and we're going to learn from it.

"I was praying for rain today, because I've never driven around here in the dry, but we were quick in both conditions."

The third British driver, Flamengo's Duncan Tappy, will start a creditworthy fifth despite a very late call-up to drive and two spectacular moments in practice on Friday - a high-speed right-rear blow-out on the Hangar Straight and, later, his front-right wheel fell off.

Tappy went out in the quarter-final stage of the knock-out system, when he was defeated by Dolby, but was classified as the best of the losers from that round.

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