Silverstone: Zytek qualifying report

Champion On Pole At Silverstone

Olivier Pla again dominates in his Ginetta-Zytek

For the third consecutive round of the Le Mans Series, Olivier Pla has claimed pole position in the LMP2 class with his Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S. With a lap time over a second ahead of its nearest competitor, the Quifel-ASM Team must be favourite to crown its championship winning year with yet another victory. "It is looking good for another win," said the Frenchman as he stepped from the car that he shares with Miguel Amaral.

"The GZ09S is still basically the same that we tested at Paul Ricard at the beginning of the season. It has been a great car all year."

No fewer than four of the top six qualifiers in the LMP2 class are powered by Zytek's rapid 3.4-litre ZG348 engine, underlying that this is the power unit to use. During the morning's practice session they finished in first, second, fourth and fifth places. Olivier was fifth overall in this earlier session, again ahead of many of the LMP1 cars.

LMP1 class runner, Greg Mansell claimed fifth overall position in the 4.5-litre Team LNT Ginetta-Zytek that he will share tomorrow with his father, former World Champion, Nigel and team owner Lawrence Tomlinson. It was a great performance from the young Englishman who is making his prototype race debut this weekend.

The Strakka Racing Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S, the pole sitter at Barcelona, was unable to take part in the qualifying session and will start from the back of the grid for tomorrow's race.

The 195-lap Autosport 1,000km of Silverstone, fifth and final round of the Le Mans Series, starts at 11.35am tomorrow, Sunday September 13.

-credit: zytek