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BTCC 2012 Index

Chilton takes first LPG pole at Rockingham

BTCC News | Sat 24th April 2010

Tom Chilton has secured the first LPG-powered pole position at Rockingham this afternoon, smashing the lap record in the process.

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Chilton lapped Rockingham's International Super Sportscar Circuit in 1:23.363, beating Jason Plato's qualifying lap record from last year by almost 0.7 seconds. He will be joined on the front row for the first race by Honda Racing Team's Matt Neal.

Tom Chilton said: "Everything worked well on that lap. I had said to the team that if I got everything right, then I could do a 1:23.300. I actually did a 1:23.350, so it was spot on. It was exactly what I had in my head. I couldn't do it again though!"

The top times were all set in the first half of the session and waved yellow flags in the final minutes made sure there we no late changes at the front.

Alex MacDowall will start third on the grid for Silverline Chevrolet – outqualifying teammate Jason Plato in just his second BTCC outing. Tom Onslow-Cole put the second Team Aon Focus on to fourth spot on the grid, with Plato fifth.

Jason Plato said: "We haven't found a sweet spot on the car. We've struggled all day really. Alex and I have gone in different directions on setup, so we've got plenty of data. Now we've just got to work out what we can do with it all."

James Nash starts sixth in the lone Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra, ahead of Honda Racing Team's Gordon Shedden and Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan. Steven Kane is the top BMW driver in ninth position for Airwaves BMW, with Team Sunshine.co.uk's Paul O'Neill alongside him. Mat Jackson and Rob Collard fill an all-BMW sixth row, ahead of David Pinkney and Tom Boardman.

Andy Neate starts 15th, John George 16th and Martin Johnson 17th. Arthur Forster will start 18th on the grid on his BTCC debut, while Matt Hamilton is 19th after being stripped of his times when his Honda Civic failed to restart after being weighed in the pitlane. The final spot on the grid goes to AmD Milltek's Shaun Hollamby, who struggled with electrical issues during qualifying and failed to set a time.

Sunday's first race gets underway at 11.20am.

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