SEAT Sport UK's Jason Plato says he will "take great pleasure" in defeating the Team Halfords Hondas of Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship leaders Matt Neal and Dan Eaves at Oulton Park tomorrow (Sunday) after beating them to pole position in today's qualifying session.

Plato, the 2001 champion, set a best time of one minute, 28.958 seconds to take top spot on the starting grid for the first of tomorrow's three BTCC races that will receive live coverage on ITV1. He is the fourth different driver to qualify on pole position in as many race meetings.

Close behind Plato's yellow SEAT Toledo Cupra in second and third in qualifying were current championship leaders Neal and Eaves in their bright orange Hondas. Their cars are carrying more success ballast than their rivals due to their championship positions. Gavin Smith was the fastest of the Vauxhall drivers in fourth in his Astra Sport Hatch, one spot ahead of team-mate Yvan Muller.

Plato said: "We're back. Our push for the title begins properly here. After the last meeting at Brands Hatch the atmosphere in the team was quite down, but this is much better and I'll take great pleasure in beating the orange cars tomorrow."

Plato admitted that his pole position performance came as a timely boost for his SEAT team which had struggled for pace at Brands Hatch two weeks ago. He added: "If you're getting your head kicked in every weekend then your head drops. But I've been in this game long enough to know the score and this is the first time this year I feel 100 per cent at one with the car. I had been hoping for rain tomorrow because I know our car is good in wet conditions, but given how things are going I don't mind if it stays dry."

Eaves, meanwhile, is hoping to steal back the championship lead he lost to Neal when he crashed out at Brands. "I'm feeling very confident and I think Plato will struggle with his tyres towards the end of the race," said Eaves.

Muller, third in the points table behind Neal and Eaves and the winner of the previous race at Brands Hatch, was not so upbeat. "I'm quite satisfied with my position because we didn't concentrate on a qualifying set-up during the practice sessions. I think I could have been maybe as high as third, but I'm not too confident about my chances in the race."