Colin Turkington will be on pole for the first time since Donington Park on Sunday at the penultimate British Touring Car Championship meeting of the season at Snetterton after claiming top spot in the Top Ten Showdown.
A new one-off format for Qualifying, it saw drivers head out into a reduced 25 minute session aiming to set a time which would put them into the top ten. From there, the top ten battle it out for pole position and it was Turkington who came out on top.
In the initial session, it was Rory Butcher who claimed it. The Motorbase Performance driver claimed the best time of the day with the main talking point being championship leader, Ashley Sutton who lost an initial time which put him up to 11th due to track limits. This meant he had to go again with under five minutes to go.
He set a time which saw him into ninth but he was under constant pressure from Josh Cook in particular but on the final lap, he secured third behind Butcher and Adam Morgan.
Tom Ingram set the early pace in the showdown going top of the timesheets five minutes in but Jake Hill began to gain a head of steam and went into top spot with the former, Morgan, Sutton and Turkington made up the top five.
With a little over a minute to go, Hill drove his MB Motorsport Honda into provisional pole but with the chequered flag out, Turkington snatched pole with the former having to settle for second place for the third time this season.
Ingram finished third in the end with Butcher fourth ahead of Cammish and Sutton. Tom Oliphant, Ollie Jackson, Aiden Moffat and Adam Morgan completed the top ten. Outside the top ten, Senna Proctor was the best of the rest finishing 11th ahead of Josh Cook.
In terms of the newcomers this weekend, it was Paul Rivett back in 20th who set the top time ahead of Jess Hawkins in 22nd. Returnees Glynn Geddie and Ethan Hammerton were back in 24th and 25th.
