A frustrating qualifying session at Croft for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw five red flag stoppages, a huge crash, light rain and pole position for BMW Pirtek Racing driver Andrew Jordan.
Andrew Jordan can count himself lucky that his second best time was enough to keep him on pole position after he was the cause of the fifth and final stoppage. The front right tyre of his BMW 330i M Sport got damaged and he speared off the circuit at the complex.
The first stoppage was caused by a barrier at the Jim Clark Esses being moved and having to be resited. The second stoppage was due to Nicolas Hamilton clattering a futile barrier on the exit of the chicane after Clervaux.
With red flags breeding red flags, the third stoppage occurred due to a barrier at the Jim Clark Esses again being moved after being hit by Tom Ingram and then hit head on by Bobby Thompson.
Slightly frustrated and with no time set, Rory Butcher set off in order to get himself a time. But with cold tyres he may have pushed his Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing Honda Civic Type R too hard and a huge impact with the barriers at the exit of the chicane brought his session to an end. Thankfully the Scotsman walked away unscathed.
In an incredibly truncated session, most of the fastest times were set within the first fifteen minutes. However, in the last ten minutes after the fourth extended stoppage to fix the barriers after Butcher’s incident, several drivers improved considerably.
Chris Smiley and Tom Chilton were two drivers to do this and they will line-up second and third on the grid. Just ahead of the Team BMW duo of Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant.
Ashley Sutton took sixth ahead of practice two pace setter Dan Cammish and Ollie Jackson in eighth. Ollie’s best qualifying performance of the year so far.
Jake Hill took ninth ahead of Jason Plato rounding out the top ten.
Elsewhere down the grid, it was a mix of drivers who were unable to get a clean laptime in and those who were just off the pace for one reason or another.
Josh Cook will line-up twelfth ahead of Matt Neal, Daniel Rowbottom outqualified Tom Ingram and Stephen Jelley has to make do with eighteenth after having his fastest time deleted.
Adam Morgan was unable to set a laptime and he will therefore join Butcher and Hamilton at the back of the grid come race day.
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