Power Maxed TAG Racing driver Josh Cook has taken pole position at Donington Park following tricky conditions which affected the whole of qualifying. It is his first pole position in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Cook continued the great start to the season for the Power Maxed team by keeping up his momentum from practice where he finished second in the first session before leading final practice heading into qualifying.
Times tumbled as the the track got more grip and it looked like it was to be Team GardX with Motorbase driver Sam Tordoff on pole as his time was quickest for most of the session.
However with just over five minutes to go, the Laser Tools Racing Mercedes-Benz A-Class of Aiden Moffat damaged its suspension going through the final chicane, pitching the Scot into the gravel trap. This brought out the red flag and when the session resumed, a mad dash to get back out on track.
With only five minutes to go, both Cook and BTC Norlin Racing driver Chris Smiley managed to raise their cars up to the sharp end of the grid with Cook setting the fastest first and final sectors to deny the Honda man a dream pole position.
Tordoff dropped to third at the flag, but can be pleased with the pace that the Ford Focus RS has shown so far this weekend, while he will be joined on the second row by Dan Cammish from the Halfords Yuasa Racing team, with Moffat and Jack Goff on row three.
It was a tough session for former and reigning champion Andrew Jordan and Ashley Sutton, both suffering mechanical issues which curtailed their running. Jordan belching huge plumes of flame and smoke from his BMW Pirtek Racing 125i M-Sport.
Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing driver Jake Hill had his times deleted following ride-height check irregularities.
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