BTCC Snetterton 2014

[Rob]

ANDREW JORDAN MISSES QUALIFYING AT SNETTERTON
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Reigning champion Andrew Jordan was forced to miss qualifying on medical grounds after enduring a high-speed accident in the opening free practice session at Snetterton earlier this morning.

Overnight rain made for tricky conditions during the early running and Jordan crashed heavily having just set his fastest time of the session. Keen to push and improve further Jordan slightly outbraked himself at the still slippery turn one and his car speared off into the barrier.

Jordan gingerly emerged from his significantly damaged Honda Civic and was later taken to hospital after showing some signs of concussion. He was released from the local hospital after a thorough check-up and arrived back at the circuit for further assessment by the BTCC medical team. It was subsequently decided as a precaution that Jordan would be not be deemed fit to drive and he was forced to sit out qualifying.

The medical team will reassess Jordan on Sunday morning, where if passed fit he’ll be able to start the opening race from the back of the grid.

“I’m gutted,” said Jordan. “I would’ve loved to have been out there but I have to listen to doctors orders. I do feel a bit tired and groggy so I think it’s best that I get a good rest tonight and come back tomorrow. It’s frustrating of course but I hope to get the all-clear in the morning and I’ll be on a mission!”

[Rob]

PLATO PLANTS HIS MG ON POLE
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MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save’s Jason Plato continued his domination of Snetterton by taking pole position in commanding fashion ahead of championship leader Colin Turkington. Plato’s team-mate Sam Tordoff will line-up on the second row alongside Honda Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal.

Plato has won 11 times at the Norfolk venue during his BTCC career – by far the most successful driver ever at the circuit – and he signalled his intentions earlier today by clocking an unbelievable lap during practice. He couldn’t match the pace during qualifying but his lap time of 1:56.495s was still good enough to score pole position and a new lap record around the Snetterton 300 layout.

eBay Motors Team Boss Bennetts had said ahead of qualifying that he’d be content with Turkington starting on the third row of the grid for tomorrow’s opening race, believing that Snetterton posed its BMW 125i M Sports with its toughest challenge remaining this season. His lead driver had other ideas, however, as the Ulsterman pipped Tordoff by producing a masterclass lap in his well-known smooth style.

Not only was Turkington delighted with his own performance to take second but his nearest title rivals further aided his progress by enduring their own respective challenges throughout the day.

Honda Yuasa Racing’s duo ran in tandem for much of the session in an attempt to gain a slipstream advantage along Snetterton’s two main straights, but the approach didn’t pay off for Gordon Shedden. The Scotsman could only manage 11th although team-mate Neal fared much better in fourth.

Reigning champion Andrew Jordan is currently third in the overall standings but his day came to a rather abrupt and premature end during free practice. A huge shunt into the barrier, after outbraking himself at Riches on a greasy track, left Jordan showing signs of concussion. He was taken to hospital for precautionary checks before returning to the circuit where he was further assessed by the BTCC medical team. Unfortunately Jordan was not granted permission to compete in qualifying and will therefore start at the back of the grid for Sunday’s opening contest, but only if he is passed fit to race in a further medical review tomorrow morning.

Tordoff will line-up third at the venue where he scored his maiden BTCC victory last season, believing that his race pace gives him a chance of scoring another win tomorrow.

Alain Menu had shown good form throughout practice, particularly having topped the times in the opening session, and he backed up that promise during qualifying by setting the fifth fastest time. It was a great run for Team BMR Restart’s new quartet of VW CC’s with three of its machines qualifying inside the top ten. Aron Smith and Jack Goff joined Menu in the leading order by taking seventh and tenth respectively, whilst Team Manager Warren Scott will start tomorrow’s opening race from 17th.

Smith’s VW will be sandwiched between the impressive Tom Ingram and Adam Morgan. Ingram’s Toyota and Morgan’s Mercedes had shown front-running pace for much of the day and both cemented their performance with a great showing in qualifying.

Airwaves Racing rescued its session late on as Mat Jackson hauled his Ford Focus up to ninth, while team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi chose to simply scrub in his tyres as he’ll start at the back of the grid due to a previously incurred penalty.

Jason Plato said: “After FP2 we were pretty confident with our pace. I have been at this game for long enough to know when you are in the zone that the perfect lap will be good enough. I did want a bit more but I have to be pleased with pole and what we’ve achieved. Job one of four is done! We have to make the most of it and score big points in the races tomorrow.”

Colin Turkington said: “I was really pleased with the end result and it was more than I expected. There are three really difficult sectors here at Snetterton. You do feel the weight (Turkington is carrying 45kg success ballast) but you have to forget about it and be really neat and tidy as well as brave to make up the time. The team really improved the BMW for qualifying and we are in a good position for tomorrow.”

Sam Tordoff said: “P3 is a good result, and it’s good to be up the front where we need to be. We have good race pace and Snetterton doesn’t have high tyre wear which will suit us. I expect Colin Turkington to be leading into turn one, but it’s not a BMW circuit and that weight will hurt him towards the end of the race and we hope to be there to pounce. I am hoping for a win again this year and will be disappointed if I don’t. I would like three top fives to get back in the championship hunt.”

Andrew Jordan said: “I’m gutted. I would’ve loved to have been out there but I have to listen to doctors orders. I do feel a bit tired and groggy so I think it’s best that I get a good rest tonight and come back tomorrow. It’s frustrating of course but I hope to get the all-clear in the morning and I’ll be on a mission!”

[Rob]

http://youtu.be/9k46WoW-UiQ

[Rob]

Shame couldnt make it there this year, only 40 minute drive away form me. But going family down out Wednesday to London Zoo, so Mrs Rob said couldnt do both :-(

[Rob]

PLATO PRODUCES LIGHTS-TO-FLAG VICTORY.

MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save driver Jason Plato has claimed his second BTCC victory of the season after leading the opening race at Snetterton from start-to-finish.

Championship leader Colin Turkington extended his advantage in the standings by taking second ahead of Honda Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal. Adam Morgan was just over a second away from scoring a maiden podium for the new-for-2014 WIX Racing Mercedes A Class as he closely followed home Neal’s Honda Civic Tourer.

Sam Tordoff’s race day commenced in a rather dramatic and unwanted fashion as the second-row starter suffered with brake failure going into Riches on the opening lap. Contact followed behind as his MG6 slowly rejoined the track, which played its part in a further clash with Dave Newsham’s Ford Focus and the eBay Motors BMW of Nick Foster.

There was one more significant incident before the end of the opening tour when Jack Goff’s VW tagged the MG of Marc Hynes in a battle at the lower end of the top ten. Hynes’ race wouldn’t get any less frenetic as late contact with the Proton of Daniel Welch put paid to the former’s recovery drive through the order, whilst STP Racing’s Welch retired in the pitlane.

Plato and Turkington pulled away at the head of the field as Alain Menu slotted his VW into third during the early running. Meanwhile Neal was busy making his way by the fast-starting Tom Ingram before making relative light work of Menu ahead of him. The three-time champion made his own getaway as a quite bizarre fight for fourth followed him.

Aron Smith, Adam Morgan and Gordon Shedden had shuffled Ingram down the order in lightning quick succession and the trio immediately set about attacking Menu ahead. Smith went side-by-side with his Team BMR Restart team-mate and the pair touched across the start/finish line before an opportunistic Morgan eventually squeezed by both of them in the same move at Montreal. Morgan’s Mercedes closed down Neal for the remainder of the contest but eventually ran out of time to make a move.

Menu hung on to fifth until the finish while Smith in turn fended off attacks from Shedden. Airwaves Racing’s Mat Jackson took ninth ahead of a hard-charging Rob Collard, who ripped through the order from the moment the lights went out.

Collard wasn’t alone in producing a recovery drive as former champions Fabrizio Giovanardi and Andrew Jordan showcased their own credentials in a similar fashion. Giovanardi – starting at the back following his third penalty of the season – cleanly made his way through to 13th whilst Jordan narrowly missed out on the points in 16th. The reigning champion started from the pitlane after getting clearance to race by the BTCC medical team earlier this morning following his high-speed accident during practice yesterday.

Ingram eventually missed out on a well-deserved top ten finish as his Toyota Avensis lost its front-left wheel at high-speed on the final lap, resulting in his Speedworks Motorsport machine being speared off into the barrier.

Jason Plato said: “If I made the start, I knew there was a chance. I made a great start and leading into turn one was psychologically the key for the race. We are in a great place with the car and we are confident ahead of race two but we have weight on. It will take some pace off the car but how much we will have to wait and see. I am behind in the points after the first half of the year but now the car is good here and it’s time to claw points back in the championship.”

Colin Turkington said: “It was a good race and a good start to the day. We did all the hard work yesterday to get up on the front row. I got a good start but the run into turn one is not that long and Jason did enough to be in front. I pushed all race but Jason was just quicker and I am sure he had more pace up his sleeve. The BMW is strong at carrying the weight and we lose 9kg for the next one.”

Matt Neal said: “It was a busy start as I had to contend with Menu and Ingram – it was a busy old race. I tried to back everything up to help Gordon [Shedden] as well as look in the mirrors for Adam Morgan. I had a fantastic car but I was light so we will have to see how we go with more weight on for race two. The podium and third was a good result.”

[Rob]

Jordan ruled out of third race

Andrew Jordan has been ruled out of competing from the third British Touring Car Championship race at Snetterton, on the advice from the series’ medical team.

The reigning champion was taken to hospital yesterday following an incident in first practice, and was forced to sit out the day’s qualifying session.

After being reassessed this morning, the 25-year-old was cleared to take part in today’s races, but after showing signs of exhaustion at the end of the second race, where he had a trip across the infield grass, the decision was taken to withdraw his entry from race three as a precaution.