Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport’s Adam Morgan has scored a maiden pole position after setting the qualifying pace for Round 19 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham.

“It has been a long time coming but we got there in the end!” beamed Morgan.

Incredibly, the top 28 cars were covered by less than a second whilst a number of championship challengers even failed to trouble the top ten, as the depth of talent in the BTCC again came to the fore.

Team GardX Racing with Motorbase driver Sam Tordoff had led the way for much of the running, as this year’s best qualifier so far showed his class in the striking pink Ford Focus RS, although the Yorkshireman eventually had to settle for second after Morgan’s late flyer.

Dan Cammish followed closely behind Tordoff as he continues his rich vein of qualifying form in Britain’s premier motorsport series. The Halfords Yuasa Racing rookie has not yet turned his undoubted pace into a race win but he’ll stand another good chance of notching a first success from third on the grid tomorrow.

Mike Bushell starred throughout the day at Rockingham and the Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing driver backed-up his practice pace with a career-best fourth place in qualifying, ahead of the BTC Norlin Racing duo of Daniel Lloyd and Chris Smiley.

Tom Chilton’s championship hopes are still alive – albeit from eighth in the current standings – and the Motorbase man will start tomorrow’s opener from seventh of the grid, lining-up alongside the WIX Racing with Eurotech Honda of Brett Smith.

The Adrian Flux Subaru Racing duo of Jason Plato and Ash Sutton completed the top ten positions with the elder statesman getting the better of his reigning champion team-mate.

Notable absentees from the leading order included the championship top two 0f Colin Turkington and Tom Ingram, who could only manage 12th and 13th in their ballast-laden BMW and Toyota machines respectively.

Worse luck fell on the shoulders of title contender and recent ‘Diamond Double’ winner Matt Neal whose Honda Civic Type R had an engine change immediately prior to qualifying. Whilst the multiple-champion Team Dynamics squad were able to get the BTCC’s most experienced racer out on track, he could only set a time good enough for 29th on the grid.

Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship take place at  Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire tomorrow (12 August). A big crowd is expected at the venue although many more will watch the action live and exclusively on ITV4 from 1030.