Turkington leads all-BMW front row
Colin Turkington has taken pole position for the first of tomorrow's three British Touring Car Championship races at Snetterton
The Team RAC driver will line up alongside his teammate, rookie Tom Onslow-Cole, as the BMW pair secured the front row. Behind them will start the Team Dynamics Honda Civic of Gordon Shedden in third, with Vauxhall's Tom Chilton, in the Vectra, taking fourth.
Turkington, recording his third pole position of the season, had dominated the session and set a fastest time of 1:12.290 in his BMW 320si.
"It's a fantastic result for Team RAC, at our adopted home circuit," he said. "The car is strong everywhere on the track. We've been competitive all day and just made a few little improvements and they've all come together for qualifying."
The Northern Irishman, who has won twice already this year, said he was hoping for a strong performance tomorrow.
"I'd like to be able to win," he said. "We've got good pace in the car and it's there over the full race distance."
Onslow-Cole set a time just 0.190 seconds off his teammate to record his best qualifying result in the BTCC - his previous highest having been seventh in the first two rounds.
"It's a fantastic result," said Onlsow-Cole. "Me and Colin are on different set-ups but his is just a fraction better. I'll be at work here in the office tonight and then have a long debrief."
Current drivers' title leader Jason Plato could only manage eighth fastest in his heavily-ballasted SEAT Leon, while his title rival Fabrizio Giovanardi put his Vauxhall Vectra into fifth place.
Turkington's and Onslow-Cole's performances couldn't have been better for RAC, which has its head office in nearby Norwich and is sponsoring this weekend's event.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Colin Turkington BMW 1:12.290 2. Tom Onslow-Cole BMW 1:12.480 + 0.190 3. Gordon Shedden Honda 1:12.598 + 0.308 4. Tom Chilton Vauxhall 1:12.650 + 0.360 5. Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall 1:12.695 + 0.405 6. Darren Turner SEAT 1:12.698 + 0.408 7. Matt Neal Honda 1:12.827 + 0.537 8. Jason Plato SEAT 1:12.840 + 0.550 9. Mat Jackson BMW 1:12.988 + 0.698 10. Mike Jordan Honda 1:12.988 + 0.698 11. Matt Allison SEAT 1:13.134 + 0.844 12. Jason Hughes MG 1:13.309 + 1.019 13. Eoin Murray Alfa Romeo 1:13.339 + 1.049 14. Tom Ferrier SEAT 1:13.345 + 1.055 15. David Pinkney Alfa Romeo 1:13.717 + 1.427 16. John George Honda 1:13.767 + 1.477 17. Erkut Kizilirmak Vauxhall 1:14.292 + 2.002 18. Richard Marsh Alfa Romeo 1:14.503 + 2.213 19. Simon Blanckley Honda 1:14.739 + 2.449 20. Fiona Leggate MG 1:14.892 + 2.602 21. Martyn Bell BMW 1:15.878 + 3.588 22. Rick Kerry BMW 1:23.094 + 10.804 23. Chris Stockton Lexus
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