Fifer Gordon Shedden had to make do with qualifying his Team Halfords Honda fifth for the first of tomorrow’s (Sun) British Touring Car Championship triple-header at Donington.
The Dalgety Bay racer, who won last time out at Rockingham, lapped the 1.95-mile Leicestershire track in 1min 12.601secs just missing out on the fourth-place held by the Seat of Darren Turner by 0.002s.
“We’ve a bit of work to do ahead of tomorrow’s opening race,” Shedden said today, “but I know we already have a car which is very fast in race trim. I’m confident we can bag another podium.”
Vauxhall’s Tom Onslow-Cole will start from pole position after lapping in 1:12.140s to edge out the Seat of former champ Jason Plato by 0.079s. Former Knockhill race instructor Colin Turkington starts third in his BMW.
Meanwhile defending Seat Cupra champ, Jonathan Adam from Kirkcaldy, starts both tomorrow’s Donington races from fourth on the grid behind double polesitter Robert Lawson. The Fifer was 0.262secs and just 0.069s behind Lawson.
In the Renault Clio Cup, former BTCC runner Gavin Pyper from Blairgowrie qualified his Mardi Gras Motorsport car sixth, just 0.296s behind pole man Ben Winrow.
JM