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Julie B
21st August 2010, 17:34
QUALIFYING
Fords dominate qualifying
Team Aon drivers Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton made it an all-Ford front-row in Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship qualifying at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire.

The pair put the extra torque generated by the LPG turbo engines in their Ford Focuses to good use on Silverstone’s long straights and were some half a second clear of the rest of the field, headed by the normally-aspirated Silverline Chevrolet Cruze of Alex MacDowall.

Championship leaders Jason Plato and Matt Neal were fourth and fifth. Plato’s Silverline Cruze and Neal’s Honda Racing Team Honda Civic, it should be noted, qualified with 45kgs and 36kgs of success ballast respectively due to their current championship positions.

Onslow-Cole shattered the BTCC’s qualifying record around Silverstone’s short National circuit with a best lap of 59.659s to achieve the fourth pole position of his career. Chilton was 0.222s behind with a time of 59.881s. It means they will line up first and second on the starting grid for the first of tomorrow’s three BTCC races at Silverstone – the first Ford 1-2 in a BTCC qualifying session since 2000.

New Malden-based Onslow-Cole, currently fourth in the standings and who overcame 18kgs of ballast to take pole, said: “I’m really pleased with that one. We knew this would be a good circuit for us but maybe we’re both a bit surprised by the margin. I need three strong results here to keep up the pressure in the title race and pole for race one gives me a great chance of achieving that.”

Surrey’s Chilton, seventh in the table, added: “A really great result for the team in qualifying but I’m slightly gutted Tom got a bit of a tow off me which helped him. Then when I went out again for a final run at the end the circuit seemed to have lost a bit of grip so that was that.”

Oxford-based Plato, who is now just three race wins short of Andy Rouse’s all-time record of 60 in the BTCC, commented: “The Fords seem to be in a class of their own here so I’m looking to be best of the rest. Ideally I’ll at least maintain the 20-point gap I’ve got on Matt as the last three circuits on the calendar will be better for his car.”

Sixth fastest, underlining his strong form in earlier practice, was Andrew Jordan in his NGTC turbocharged Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra. Next up was Paul O'Neill in his Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport Honda Integra in seventh - just 1/1000th ahead of eighth-fastest Robert Collard's WSR BMW.

Elsewhere, Mat Jackson - twice a race-winner here last year - was a frustrated 13th. He had his best lap times disallowed mid-way through the session when his Airwaves BMW failed a ride-height check and the best he could muster thereafter was a seventh row starting slot - ironically the same position he started from in 2008 when he came through to finish second.

Meanwhile, Philip Glew's return to the series suffered a blow when his Special Tuning UK SEAT broke a driveshaft, limiting him to just two laps. Martin Depper was unable to participate in the qualifying session due to the damage inflicted on his Forster Motorsport BMW in a crash in second practice. It will be Martin Johnson's Boulevard Vauxhall Astra, however, that brings up the rear on tomorrow's starting grid - the driver unable to be here set a time due to attending a family wedding.

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Tom Onslow-Cole Ford 59.659s
2. Tom Chilton Ford 59.881s + 0.222s
3. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet 1m00.354s + 0.695s
4. Jason Plato Chevrolet 1m00.491s + 0.832s
5. Matt Neal Honda 1m00.528s + 0.869s
6. Andrew Jordan Vauxhall 1m00.636s + 0.977s
7. Paul O'Neill Honda 1m00.661s + 1.002s
8. Rob Collard BMW 1m00.662s + 1.003s
9. James Nash Vauxhall 1m00.863s + 1.204s
10. Gordon Shedden Honda 1m00.922s + 1.263s
11. Steven Kane BMW 1m01.010s + 1.351s
12. Tom Boardman SEAT 1m01.038s + 1.379s
13. Mat Jackson BMW 1m01.191s + 1.532s
14. David Pinkney Vauxhall 1m01.221s + 1.562s
15. John George Honda 1m01.352s + 1.693s
16. Andy Neate BMW 1m01.590s + 1.931s
17. Lea Wood Honda 1m02.056s + 2.397s
18. Arthur Forster BMW 1m02.220s + 2.561s
19. Shaun Hollamby Volkswagen 1m02.369s + 2.710s
20. Philip Glew SEAT

Julie B
21st August 2010, 17:35
British Touring Car Championship organiser TOCA has reduced with immediate effect the performance of Team Aon’s LPG turbo engines.

The team's Ford Focuses were some half a second a lap quicker than the rest of the field as they took the top two spots today in qualifying at Silverstone, with Tom Onslow-Cole beating team-mate Tom Chilton to pole position.

However, this evening TOCA has announced the cars’ turbo boost pressure will be reduced from 0.8 to 0.7 bar as will the size of their engines’ inlet restrictors from 36mm to 35mm ahead of tomorrow’s first Dunlop BTCC race at the Northants track.

An official TOCA bulletin, entitled ‘Alternative Fuelled Cars Technical Regulations Amendment', read: In accordance with CR 5.3, the Administrator has mandated that any cars running to those regulations are now required to run at a maximum boost pressure of 0.7 bar (1.7 bar absolute) and fit a 35mm turbo inlet restrictor with effect from, and including, round 19 of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.”

Greig
21st August 2010, 17:36
And we complain the FIA make it up as they go along :-D

Tifoso
21st August 2010, 18:02
Forza Ford :love

Rob
21st August 2010, 19:33
Earle understanding of ruling
Team Aon principal Mike Earle says he understands why British Touring Car Championship organiser TOCA has cut his cars’ engine performance.

Both Team Aon Ford Focuses will need to reduce the boost pressure (0.8 bar to 0.7) and inlet restrictor (36mm to 35mm) on their LPG turbo engines before they line up on tomorrow’s race on starting grid.

They’ll do so first and second having qualified some half a second clear of the field this afternoon, with Tom Onslow-Cole just ahead of Tom Chilton.

The reduction in performance follows an amendment this evening by BTCC organiser TOCA to its technical regulations concerning alternative fuelled cars (see separate story on btcc.net its the post julie has put up :thumb)

Earle commented: “Tonight's regulation amendment will obviously severely hamper our two cars’ progress. However, given the disparity between our qualifying performance today and the rest of the field and bearing in mind the fact that we are still on a learning curve with the Calor-powered car, I fully understand TOCA's viewpoint.

“We'll take it on the chin and continue to do the best job we can and, should these new restrictions impede our cars performance as severely as we believe they will, then hopefully TOCA will look at reversing some of their decisions.”

Julie B
22nd August 2010, 11:45
RACE 1 - RESULTS
Tom Chilton has won the first of today’s three Dunlop MSA British Touring car Championship races at Silverstone from team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole.

Onslow-Cole started from pole position and led until half distance when Chilton overtook him along the pits straight and from there he was never headed, their LPG turbo Team Aon Ford Focuses running nose to tail to the chequered flag.

Onslow-Cole, who set a new lap record during the race, insisted there had been no team orders, saying: "I had one wrong gearchange and that was enough for Tom to sail by."

Jason Plato and Alex MacDowall were two seconds behind in their Silverline Chevrolet Cruzes having seen off a challenging Andrew Jordan who took fifth in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra.

Behind, Honda Racing Team duo Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden could only manage eighth and tenth after both suffered a poor opening lap.

As a result, Plato has now extended his championship lead over Neal to some 27 points ahead of this afternoon's second race. Neal is now six points clear of Shedden who is tied for third suddenly with Onslow-Cole. Chilton has moved past Mat Jackson up to sixth.

Jackson had been in the battle for sixth - won eventually by Robert Collard in his WSR BMW - but finished a distant 13th after running off the track in a tangle with Neal.

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Tom Chilton Ford 22m35.870s
2. Tom Onslow-Cole Ford + 0.282s
3. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 2.895s
4. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 3.071s
5. Andrew Jordan Vauxhall + 3.764s
6. Rob Collard BMW + 6.473s
7. Paul O'Neill Honda + 7.598s
8. Matt Neal Honda + 8.773s
9. Steven Kane BMW + 9.936s
10. Gordon Shedden Honda + 10.386s
11. James Nash Vauxhall + 10.940s
12. Tom Boardman SEAT + 11.764s
13. Mat Jackson BMW + 15.222s
14. Philip Glew SEAT + 19.144s
15. Andy Neate BMW + 23.721s
16. Lea Wood Honda + 26.819s
17. John George Honda + 40.784s
18. Martin Johnson Vauxhall + 44.893s
19. Arthur Forster BMW + 47.047s
20. Martin Depper BMW + 53.210s

Retirements:

David Pinkney Vauxhall 8 laps
Shaun Hollamby Volkswagen 0 laps

Julie B
22nd August 2010, 15:11
RACE 2 - RESULTS
Tom Chilton has won Silverstone’s second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race as Robert Collard got between the Fords to finish runner-up.

As in race one, Tom Onslow-Cole led initially – this time until lap 16 of the 22 – before relinquishing the lead to Team Aon Ford team-mate Chilton who stayed in front thereafter to add to his win from the day’s first race.

This time, though, it was not to be a Team Aon 1-2 as WSR BMW Robert Collard driver muscled his way past Onslow-Cole at the final corner to grab second place. Collard had already overtaken Onslow-Cole on lap 17 only to be re-passed by the Ford driver shortly after along the pits straight.

But starting the final lap, the leading trio were nose-to-tail and through the Brooklands-Luffield complex in front of Silverstone’s busy grandstands Collard robustly scraped his way past Onslow-Cole. The Ford, with the extra torque from its LPG turbo engine, came back at the BMW as they exited Luffield but Collard just had enough in hand to stay ahead to the line.

Onslow-Cole, who set the race's fastest lap, thus finished third ahead of Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato and Honda Team Racing’s Matt Neal. As a result, Plato has extended his championship lead to 29 points – almost the equivalent of two race wins – over the now-tying Neal and Onslow-Cole in second. Chilton, meanwhile, has gained another place and is up to fifth, just ten points behind Neal’s team-mate Gordon Shedden in fourth.

Shedden finished the race seventh right behind Paul O’Neill’s sixth-placed Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integra. O’Neill had been fifth entering the complex on the final lap but was brushed aside by Neal as they exited Luffield, the pair separated by just 0.070s as they crossed the line.

One driver who could and should perhaps have been among race two’s leading group was Andrew Jordan – he was up from fifth to third at the start in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra but a pit stop to change a punctured tyre dropped to 17th.

And it was another torrid race for Mat Jackson – the Airwaves BMW driver was spun round in a collision with WSR’s Andy Neate at the first corner and the best he could recover to was tenth.

Neate would stop in the pit lane that same lap with damage to the front of his car and by the race’s end had been joined in retirement by Arthur Forster’s Forster Motorsport BMW, Lea Wood’s Central Group Racing Honda Integra and, after several attempts to rejoin the race, David Pinkney’s ailing Vauxhall Vectra.

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Tom Chilton Ford 22m44.416s
2. Rob Collard BMW + 1.104s
3. Tom Onslow-Cole Ford + 1.223s
4. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 2.464s
5. Matt Neal Honda + 3.117s
6. Paul O'Neill Honda + 3.187s
7. Gordon Shedden Honda + 3.289s
8. Steven Kane BMW + 3.895s
9. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 4.287s
10. Mat Jackson BMW + 8.542s
11. James Nash Vauxhall + 14.056s
12. Tom Boardman SEAT + 17.670s
13. Philip Glew SEAT + 18.789s
14. John George Honda + 39.469s
15. Martin Depper BMW + 47.516s
16. Martin Johnson Vauxhall + 48.567s
17. Andrew Jordan Vauxhall + 1 lap

Retirements:

Arthur Forster BMW 21 laps
Lea Wood Honda 16 laps
David Pinkney Vauxhall 6 laps
Andy Neate BMW 1 lap

Greig
22nd August 2010, 17:26
Good racing, nice to see Plato taking a sulk :-D

Can't wait for Knockhill, hope I get to see Louise again :-D

Julie B
22nd August 2010, 17:47
RACE 3 - RESULTS
Tom Onslow-Cole won the final British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Silverstone to move himself into title contention.

After an early safety car period Onslow-Cole spent two laps behind the Tech-Speed Honda of Paul O'Neill, which had started from pole on the reversed grid.

But once he was able to utilise the straightline speed advantage of his LPG-engined Focus, Onslow-Cole pulled alongside his rival on the start/finish straight and completed the move at Copse.

While he pulled away to a 2.5-second victory, his team-mate Tom Chilton, who had been gifted wins in the first two races, could not pass O'Neill, who equalled Tech-Speed's best BTCC finish with second. Chilton was then passed for third by Mat Jackson with four laps to go, the Motorbase BMW driver hitting the rear of Chilton's car at Brooklands and costing it three spots.

Jackson completed the podium ahead of the Hondas of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, and Chilton.

Steven Kane (Motorbase) and James Nash (Triple 8 Vauxhall) were next up, the pair being promoted when the former banged doors with Andrew Jordan, causing the Eurotech Vauxhall to spin into Rob Collard's WSR BMW at Becketts.

Ninth was a recovering Jason Plato, who was hit by his old rival Neal at Copse on the opening lap and fell to the back of the field.

Plato's Chevrolet team-mate Alex MacDowall also had a nasty start to the race, stalling on the line and being rammed from behind by Martin Depper's Forster BMW.

MacDowall managed to get his car going, despite extensive rear damage, and finished 10th, but only after Phil Glew (Special Tuning UK SEAT) and Andy Neate (WSR BMW) were given drive-through penalties.

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Tom Onslow-Cole Ford 28m42.835s
2. Paul O'Neill Honda + 2.628s
3. Mat Jackson BMW + 6.597s
4. Matt Neal Honda + 6.825s
5. Gordon Shedden Honda + 7.209s
6. Tom Chilton Ford + 7.707s
7. Steven Kane BMW + 9.287s
8. James Nash Vauxhall + 16.887s
9. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 17.133s
10. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 19.435s
11. David Pinkney Vauxhall + 26.491s
12. Rob Collard BMW + 33.949s
13. Philip Glew SEAT + 37.921s
14. Andy Neate BMW + 42.919s
15. Martin Johnson Vauxhall + 48.474s
16. Arthur Forster BMW + 1 lap

Retirements:

John George Honda 18 laps
Andrew Jordan Vauxhall 11 laps
Tom Boardman SEAT 11 laps
Lea Wood Honda 0 laps
Martin Depper BMW 0 laps