BTCC
Brands Hatch: Series qualifying report
NEAL ON BRANDS HATCH POLE POSITION WITH RECORD LAP Matt Neal has qualified on pole position for tomorrow's first round of the new HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent - a result that he said was ...
Published: Jun 19, 2009, 7:49 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
NEAL ON BRANDS HATCH POLE POSITION WITH RECORD LAP
Matt Neal has qualified on pole position for tomorrow's first round of the new HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent - a result that he said was "totally unexpected".
Worcestershire-based Neal (pictured) set a qualifying lap record of 48.857 seconds to beat Vauxhall team-mate and reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi into second spot by just 0.020s. Airwaves' Robert Collard and Team RAC's Colin Turkington - both in BMWs - qualified third and fourth fastest behind them.
Completing the top six were, on his first appearance for VXR, Andrew Jordan and, for his BTCC debut, Airwaves' Jonathan Adam. Former champion Jason Plato, making a late appearance in the RML team's Chevrolet Lacetti, was ninth fastest.
The scene therefore is set for three action-packed races tomorrow that will all be broadcast live on ITV4 during a mammoth broadcast that runs from 11.45am-6.00pm.
Neal, the 2005 and 2006 BTCC champion, commented: "I'm thrilled but it's totally unexpected. I really thought Fabrizio and the BMWs would maybe be ahead. We all know the BMWs, with their rear-wheel-drive, are much better off the start so my strategy tomorrow will be to stay in front of them into the first corner. If not, then to get them back as soon as possible or I think they've got it."
Italian Giovanardi, this year aiming for three titles in a row, added: "I did two fast laps and thought there was no real point in fighting too hard with Matt. It was more important to save our tyres for tomorrow. And I'm happy for him - he is my friend! I think what he says about the BMWs is correct, but I won't go crazy to stop them. It is only the first race, after all..."
Collard, from Hook, Hants was similarly reserved, even though he knows that his BMW should have an advantage off the line. He said: "It'd take a brave man to overtake Fabrizio and Matt into the first corner. I'm not one for theories like that. You can only really call it when the lights go out and you set off so let's see what happens. Right now, I'm delighted for the team. We're top BMW and we've proved our times in testing last week and practice this morning were no fluke."
-credit: btcc.net
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Road Atlanta: Series Saturday summary
Next article UK: Dean Smith Brands Hatch race one report
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Adam
Garage 59 announces drivers for Blancpain Endurance campaign
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
Garage 59 announces drivers for Blancpain Endurance campaign
Spa 24 Hours: Ferrari’s Calado grabs pole by 0.057s
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
24 Hours of Spa
Spa 24 Hours: Ferrari’s Calado grabs pole by 0.057s
Aston chief says GTE-Pro decider was “do or die” moment
WEC
WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
Aston chief says GTE-Pro decider was “do or die” moment
Latest news
Brennan Poole joins Jordan Anderson Racing for 2027 NASCAR O'Reilly season
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
21 min
Brennan Poole joins Jordan Anderson Racing for 2027 NASCAR O'Reilly season
Kaden Honeycutt wins incident-free Phoenix NASCAR Truck race, extends points lead
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Phoenix
4 h
Kaden Honeycutt wins incident-free Phoenix NASCAR Truck race, extends points lead
GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
9 h
GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend
Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 10 h
Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe