Team BMR’s Ashley Sutton smashed the qualifying lap record at Donington Park on his way to taking a sensational pole position. The Adrian Flux Subaru racing team had been off the pace during the opening round of the season two weeks ago as well as showing signs of struggling during this morning’s practice sessions. Sutton looked to be taking the spoils in only his second round piloting the Subaru after having one of his fast laps removed for exceeding track limits early in the session but coming back with an even quicker lap time.
Rob Austin backed up the pace he had shown in the earlier practice sessions aboard his Handy Motorsport run Toyota Avensis when he qualified in second place, just 0.102 seconds off of Sutton’s pole time.
Eurotech Racing’s Jack Goff managed to set the third fastest time during the busy session followed by Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram in fourth, Laser Tools Racing’s Aiden Moffat in fifth and TAG Racing’s Jake Hill in sixth. All four showed promising pace during the two practice sessions and went on to deliver the quick times during the qualifying session to complete the top six.
The Halfords Yuasa Racing duo of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden will line up in seventh and eighth respectively.
Michael Epps brought the Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing Volkswagen CC home to take ninth ahead of Ciceley Motorsport’s Adam Morgan.
The session was disrupted with just six and a half minutes remaining after Colin Turkington’s BMW 125i suffered a water leak which forced some drivers to run off circuit at the bottom of the Craner Curves as they head into the Old Hairpin after the fluid had been dropped.
Post qualifying Ashley Sutton was excluded for an overboost technical infringement. Sutton was not the only exclusion as TAG Racing’s Jake Hill was also excluded but his was for his rear wing being out of the permitted tolerance. Ashley Sutton also loses the qualifying lap record after being excluded so Jason Plato still holds the record. Due to this happening it promotes Rob Austin on to pole position with Jack Goff alongside. Tom Ingram will start in third ahead of Aiden Moffat in fourth, Matt Neal in fifth, Gordon Shedden in sixth, Michael Epps in seventh and Adam Morgan in eighth.
Eurotech’s Jeff Smith is promoted into the top ten where he will start in ninth ahead of Colin Turkington in tenth.
MG Racing RCIB Insurance’s Aron Taylor-Smith will start the race from eleventh ahead of Power Maxed Racing’s Tom Chilton in twelfth, Rob Collard in thirteenth, Andrew Jordan in fourteenth and Jason Plato in fifteenth.
- Rob Austin – Handy Motorsport
- Jack Goff – Eurotech Racing
- Tom Ingram – Speedworks Motorsport
- Aiden Moffat – Laser Tools Racing
- Matt Neal – Halfords Yuasa Racing
- Gordon Shedden – Halfords Yuasa Racing
- Michael Epps – Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing
- Adam Morgan – Ciceley Motorsport
- Jeff Smith – Eurotech Racing
- Colin Turkington – Team BMW
- Aron Taylor-Smith – MG Racing RCIB Insurance
- Tom Chilton – Power Maxed Racing
- Rob Collard – Team BMW
- Andrew Jordan – BMW Pirtek Racing
- Jason Plato – Adrian Flux Subaru Racing
- Daniel Lloyd – MG Racing RCIB Insurance
- Josh Cook – Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport
- Mat Jackson – Team Shredded Wheat with Duo
- Senna Proctor – Power Maxed Racing
- Chris Smiley – BTC Norlin Racing
- Matt Simpson – Simpson Racing
- Dave Newsham – BTC Norlin Racing
- James Cole – Adrian Flux Subaru Racing
- Will Burns – Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing
- Ollie Jackson – AmDTuning.com with Cobra Exhausts
- Martin Depper – Team Shredded Wheat with Duo
- Luke Davenport – Team Shredded Wheat with Duo
- Josh Price – Adrian Flux Subaru Racing
- Ant Whorton-Eales – AmDTuning.com with Cobra Exhausts
- Stephen Jelley – Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport
- Ashley Sutton – Adrian Flux Subaru Racing
- Jake Hill – TAG Racing
Photo Credit: Tilley Photography.
©Fay Tilley 15th April 2017
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