Team RAC's Colin Turkington posted the second’s fastest qualifying time of the session (1m12.661s) and will line-up on the front row of the grid for the opening race at Donington Park's 2006 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship tomorrow.
- Round six - Donington Park - qualifying
Team RAC's Colin Turkington posted the second’s fastest qualifying time of the session (1m12.661s) and will line-up on the front row of the grid for the opening race at Donington Park's 2006 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship tomorrow.
In a session taking place under the threat of rain, Colin’s championship campaign received another boost as close rivals Matt Neal (Team Halfords) and Jason Plato (SEAT Sport UK) both line-up up behind him on the grid in sixth and ninth respectively.
Qualifying in a car carrying 36kgs of success ballast weight, some 27kgs heavier than pole-setter Gordon Shedden (1m12.548s), Colin was himself in pole position until the final minutes of the session. Having secured his front row slot Colin said: "I’m delighted as that’s the quickest the car has run this weekend and it feels so much better than in free practice. It’s fantastic and a credit to the guys who work around me to get what we did out of the car when you consider the extra weight I’m carrying. I’ll need to pass Shedden early on, preferably by the first corner!"
Showing good pace in the early practice session’s Rob Collard set a qualifying time of 1m12.932s, which was good enough to place Team RAC driver in sixth. However, forced to take a six-place grid penalty, issued following the racing incident with Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi at Croft, means that he will now start from 12th.
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Notes to editors:
About RAC
With around seven million members, RAC is one of the UK's most progressive motoring organizations, providing services for both private and business motorists. Whether it's roadside assistance, windscreen repair and replacement, learning to drive, vehicle inspections and checks, legal and financial services or up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information - RAC is able to meet motorists' needs. RAC incorporates BSM, RAC Auto Windscreens, RAC Direct Insurance and HPI.
Aviva bought RAC last year. The acquisition brings together RAC's powerful brand and customer base with the expertise and leading position in motor insurance of Norwich Union Insurance (part of Aviva). Norwich Union is the UK's largest insurer, insuring one in seven motor vehicles and with a market share of around 14%.
About Aviva
Aviva is the world's fifth-largest insurance group and the biggest in the UK. It is one of the leading providers of life and pensions products in Europe and has substantial businesses elsewhere around the world. Its main activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance. It has premium income and investment sales of Ł33 billion and Ł291 billion of assets under management. The group has 60,000 employees serving 30 million customers worldwide.