THOMPSON HEADS SNETTERTON QUALIFYING

Reigning champion James Thompson has qualified on pole position for the first of today’s (Saturday) Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship round at Snetterton.

Vauxhall Astra Coupe driver Thompson set a best lap time of one minute, 12.297 seconds in this morning’s qualifying session to head Honda team-mates Matt Neal and Tom Chilton in their Civic Type-Rs and the MG ZS of Colin Turkington.

Thompson is currently chasing Vauxhall team-mate Yvan Muller in his attempts to secure a second consecutive drivers’ crown. With Muller qualifying back in seventh, he knows he has a strong chance of reducing the 17-point gap to the French ace.

Norfolk’s Carl Breeze, in the GA Motorsports team’s Astra Coupe, was the fastest of the Hilton Independents Trophy runners in his Astra Coupe, the King’s Lynn driver ending up ninth fastest overall.

Production class leader Luke Hines headed all his rivals, the fastest of whom was Mark Fullalove – a shock second in Techspeed’s Peugeot 306 on his return to the BTCC.

Snetterton’s BTCC grid is also the biggest of the season so far with 27 cars set to start today’s first 25-lap race at 14.55 and the second at 19.35.