UK: Series qualifying notes

GRADUATES SHINE AS CALADO AND STONEMAN TAKE POLE

Fortec Motorsport's James Calado (Cropthorne) and Alpine Motorsport's Dean Stoneman (Southampton) took pole position for this weekend's Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship races at Snetterton during qualifying on Saturday, 12th July. The drivers, both eligible for the Graduate Cup for young and inexperienced racers, each secured their first pole of the season in the single-seater series.

In session one, which set the grid for round 13, Calado left it late to claim pole position with his time of 1min 04.546s (108.85mph) coming on his final flying lap. He took over top spot from his Fortec team-mate Riki Christodoulou (Sutton Coldfield) by 0.190s with Stoneman in third.

Fortec's Adriano Buzaid (Oxford) edged out championship leader Adam Christodoulou (Lichfield) in fourth and fifth, while CR Scuderia Formula Renault's Scott Jenkins (Bristol) had his best qualifying performance since the opening round in sixth. Row four sees Manor Competition's Alexander Sims (Peterborough) alongside Eurotek Motorsport's Jordan Oakes (Hopton) with Manor's Kris Loane (Kesh) and CR Scuderia's Jesse Krohn (Sunningdale) on row five.

Session two set the grid for tomorrow's round 14 and saw Stoneman, who was consistently fast during a two-day official test at Snetterton last week, top the times with a lap of 1min 04.636s (108.71mph). Calado ended his superb day with a second front-row slot ahead of Fortec team-mates Riki Christodoulou and Buzaid.

Sims improved on his morning performance to take fifth and relegate Adam Christodoulou to sixth, with Loane and Oakes on row four. Fortec's Oli Webb (Knutsford) broke into the top 10 with ninth place, only half a second off Stoneman's time, with Jenkins in 10th.

Commenting on his pole performance, James Calado said: "This is my first race meeting at Snetterton so to start from pole position is fantastic. It's a great result for Fortec and it felt like the nicest car I've ever driven. It was quite windy at a couple of corners but I managed to get the lap together and I'm really happy."

Stoneman, vice-champion in the 2007 Formula Renault BARC Championship, was equally thrilled with his efforts in securing a maiden Formula Renault UK pole position. He said: "I knew I had the time in me but didn't quite get the best from the tyres in session one. Although we were quick in testing it's always hard to know everyone's true pace so I just concentrated on my own thing. My team were actually showing me P2 on my lap board to make me go faster and only changed it at the end of the session so I was quite relieved!"

The postponed round 10, originally scheduled to be held at Croft circuit, begins at 17.40 this afternoon. Round 13 is scheduled for 09.40 on Sunday, 13th July with round 14 following at 15.35.

-credit: renaultsport.co.uk