Howell on pole, Neal nears title

Neal, who will line up behind fellow Team Dynamics ace Gareth Howell and WSR's Colin Turkington, currently leads SEAT's Jason Plato by 35 points. With the 2001 champion managing only 13th place, Neal is well-placed to clinch the title tomorrow (Sunday).

"I feel like we're in a steeplechase with the championship as the target and we've just gone over the first hurdle," said Neal.

"With Gareth on pole, it's good news so far. It's not a disappointment for me to see Jason further down the order because it makes my job easier.

"There's a lot of pressure on the guys, so it's going to be a big day tomorrow whether it goes our way or not."

Turkington, who lines up second on the grid alongside pole man and former team-mate Howell, still retains a slender outside chance of the title.

"We really are delighted," said Turkington. "Before this meeting I thought maybe sixth place was where we were going.

"The chassis is working so well around the corners that our lack of top speed isn't such a problem."

Former McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Darren Turner is the best-placed of the SEATs in fourth on the grid. World Touring Car Championship ace James Thompson, who is carrying a full allocation of ballast as his car - his regular WTCC mount - is new to the championship, took seventh.

Tom Chilton put in a strong lap in the closing stages to line up as the best of the Vauxhalls in fifth ahead of the third Dynamics Honda Integra-R of Gordon Shedden.

Former European Touring Car Championship Fabrizio Giovanardi will line up eighth alongside Mike Jordan, with the second WSR MG of Rob Collard 10th after being dogged by electrical problems during the session.

Gavin Smith did well to qualify 11th despite struggling with broken ribs. He will start ahead of Eoin Murray, in the Quest Racing Alfa Romeo 156, and Plato.

Tom Ferrier, making his BTCC comeback in Motorbase Performance's SEAT Cupra Toledo, will start down in 16th. Ferrier had shown strongly in practice, only for a driveshaft problem to cut short his qualifying session.

Adam Jones will not start tomorrow's races after he crashed his Xero Competition Lexus IS200 heavily in second practice after contact with Howell.

Qualifying times:

Pos  Driver               Make                Time
 1.  Gareth Howell        Honda Integra   1:00.411      
 2.  Colin Turkington     MG ZS           1:00.587  + 0.176
 3.  Matt Neal            Honda Integra   1:00.622  + 0.211
 4.  Darren Turner        SEAT Leon       1:00.650  + 0.239
 5.  Tom Chilton          Vauxhall Astra  1:00.723  + 0.312
 6.  Gordon Shedden       Honda Integra   1:00.736  + 0.325
 7.  James Thompson       SEAT Leon       1:00.744  + 0.333
 8.  Fabrizio Giovanardi  Vauxhall Astra  1:00.757  + 0.346
 9.  Mike Jordan          Honda Integra   1:00.834  + 0.423
10.  Robert Collard       MG ZS           1:00.840  + 0.429
11.  Gavin Smith          Vauxhall Astra  1:00.932  + 0.521
12.  Eoin Murray          Alfa Romeo 156  1:01.067  + 0.656
13.  Jason Plato          SEAT Leon       1:01.073  + 0.662
14.  James Kaye           Honda Civic     1:01.240  + 0.829
15.  Paul O'Neill         Vauxhall Astra  1:01.429  + 1.018
16.  Tom Ferrier          SEAT Cupra      1:01.923  + 1.512
17.  Jason Hughes         MG ZS           1:02.109  + 1.698
18.  David Pinkney        Honda Integra   1:02.285  + 1.874
19.  Martyn Bell          BMW 320i E46    1:02.676  + 2.265
20.  Richard Marsh        Peugeot 307     1:02.965  + 2.554
21.  Mark Smith           Alfa Romeo 156  1:03.046  + 2.635
22.  Chris Stockton       Lexus IS200     1:03.279  + 2.868
23.  Nick Leason          Vauxhall Astra  1:03.728  + 3.317
24.  Darren Dowling       Lexus IS200     1:04.056  + 3.645
25.  Mark Jones           Lexus IS200     1:05.060  + 4.649