It's all-change at the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heading into Rockingham (26-27 August) for Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2017 campaign, with Team BMW's double champion Colin Turkington holding prime position atop the Drivers' standings with three events to go.

The trip to Northamptonshire is often a pivotal one as drivers fight to stamp their authority on the title or make their move to put themselves in the shakeup for the biggest prize in British motor sport, but is a shift in power already underway? 

The pendulum swings
A week ago at Knockhill, reigning champion Gordon Shedden had to settle for damage limitation, as he and Honda contended with the rear-wheel drive might of the BMWs and Subarus – well suited to the stop-start ups-and-downs of the Scottish circuit. Home hero and triple champion Shedden had to make use of his local knowledge to notch a podium, as he battled through to hold onto a net third in the championship tally, 12 points down on new leader Turkington.

The Ulsterman has launched himself to the fore with consistency over recent rounds – that trait a must for any prospective champion. Five podium finishes from the latest five races sent a shot across the bow of his immediate rivals. Team BMW team-mate Rob Collard is also racking up points round-by-round, leaving him well-placed in fourth. In fact, Knockhill was the first event this season where the Hampshireman had failed to make the podium, though he's the only man to have scored points in every encounter this year.

Form man Ashley Sutton, of Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, notched a race two win to cement his status as the man in form with a high of five victories to his name this season. That latest followed a first of the season for rejuvenated BTCC legend Jason Plato, who believes his squad have finally found the 'gremlin' that has hampered his progress since an accident on the opening Brands Hatch weekend.

Sutton harbours second in the overall running just four points shy of Turkington, and while Plato will be going all-out to reach an unprecedented 100 wins in the series, he will be doing what he can to help Subaru and Sutton as the title fight heads towards its conclusion.

“I’ve had a right good kicking this year, and it’s just nice to take another step forward towards being competitive again," said Plato. "It’s not just the winning it’s about being competitive and it’s nice to be there. I'm pretty awful to be around when things aren't going well - this is my life.

"We had a complete change of the differential and the car's a different machine now. We think we've found the gremlin and I'm just so happy to be competitive again.

"I'm going to start enjoying myself. I think the 100 wins might be doable (he currently stands on 96). I'm playing myself back into the game and I could have been a bit more robust with Ash but what would have been the point? 

"He's got stuff to crack on with. I'm not going to give up wins, because I'm not going to take a financial penalty. But anything other than a win - he can have it! That is the way it goes and I'd expect that in return.

"I will play it honestly and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see Ash crack it and if I can help, I will. I have Ash at the forefront of my mind, most definitely."

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram made a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium after his start to the season had earmarked him as the early benchmark. Bad luck has conspired against the Toyota man in recent rounds, though at 61 points shy of the summit with more than 200 points still to play for, he's not done yet.

The championship is renowned for its unpredictability and fierce competition with ten drivers representing six different manufacturers taking to the top step in the 21 rounds so far. A host more still are waiting in the wings for their chance to pounce.

Rockingham is somewhere hopes can be further fuelled or all but extinguished. Either way, a weekend of enthralling action around the 1.94-mile circuit will entertain a huge crowd, and many more watching on television via ITV4, with the big guns hoping their particular title aspirations remain intact.

Timetable and Tickets
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 27 August – and the day’s other races – will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live throughout the weekend.

The support series on the TOCA package are also guaranteed to thrill, with a double-digit total of races set to entertain the crowds. Renault UK Clio Cup, F4 British Championship and the Ginettas will all be appearing, making for a jam-packed weekend of truly unmissable racing.

Advance tickets can be booked online at www.rockingham.co.uk or via the hotline on 01536 500500 (option 1), until midday on Friday 25 August. Weekend passes cost £38, Sunday race day tickets are £30 and Saturday entry price is just £12.50.
 
Rockingham prides itself on providing access to all motorsport fans, and those who are registered disabled can apply for a complimentary admission ticket for their carer, while children aged 15 and under get in free.
 
As always at Rockingham, all tickets include access to a grandstand seat offering panoramic views of the entire circuit, the pit garage roof and race paddock, which means there are no hidden costs. Gates open at 0800 on both days. 

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Matt Neal sealed Dunlop #ForeverForward honours at Knockhill last weekend, with 26 positions gained over Rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the season.

The triple champion made use of the option tyre in race one to overcome a disappointing qualifying session – his progress on Saturday tempered by some unfortunate timing, whereby he missed a dash at the last to set a time on SportMaxx slicks as the track dried.

After carving his way through the pack from 21st to ninth in the opener, race two brought about an early retirement with contact forcing him out of contention, meaning he once again had to charge through the order. In the finale, Neal scythed from 22nd to eighth – bringing his overall weekend tally to 26 points, topping the #ForeverForward charts.

It was a similar fightback that saw Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo man Mat Jackson second in the tally. He suffered technical issues before race one had begun but gained 15 places from the very back in the second bout.

Motorbase stablemates Rory Butcher, on debut, and Martin Depper joined Jackson in a domination of #ForeverForward in that same race – each gaining 16 spots. Jackson made up nine positions in race three to bring his total to 24.

Fans voted unanimously in favour of Dave Newsham’s pass on reigning champion Gordon Shedden on lap two of race two, with 48% voting for the BTC Norlin Racing driver. The second favourite pass was Subaru racer James Cole’s move on Tom Ingram’s Toyota on lap 12 in race one that earned 36% of the @DunlopLive fans’ votes.

Matt Neal remains top of the overall standings. With 101 points, he’s the first driver to break triple figures this year. Martin Depper moves up to second overall, courtesy of his 90 positions gained across the opening seven rounds. Completing the top three, Ollie Jackson has also consistently managed to place himself near the top of the standings, putting him well in contention for overall honours come the Brands Hatch finale.

#ForeverForward – Knockhill:

1) Matt Neal 26
2) Mat Jackson 24
3) Andrew Jordan 22

#ForeverForward – Overall Standings:

1) Matt Neal 101
2) Martin Depper 90
3) Ollie Jackson 85

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's James Cole enjoyed a strong Knockhill weekend with a hat-trick of joint-best finishes in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, complementing what was an encouraging outing in Norfolk a fortnight prior.

At Snetterton, Cole's weekend followed an upward curve as he battled back from a disappointing 26th in qualifying on Saturday to finish with what was his best result yet in the BTCC – fifth come race three on the way to outscoring his team-mates; Jason Plato and Josh Price. The final driver in Subaru's quartet, Ashley Sutton, however, notched two victories in Norfolk leaving him top of the BMR pile.

With the outfit's Levorg once again looking competitive in the hands of each of BMR's four stablemates, Cole was looking for more of the same at Knockhill – a circuit which is well suited not only the Levorg's chassis, but its rear-wheel drive platform.

Duly, from the off in Scotland, the Stockport racer looked competitive. Plato had made the absolute most out of a drying track, crossing the line to take pole at the death but Cole had passed the timing line moments before – doing enough to secure a creditable sixth spot.

In race one, Cole made it three Levorgs in the top five as he got the better of an eye catching battle with the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota of Tom Ingram. The pair ran side-by-side across the line on lap nine, but Cole would have to wait until three tours later before completing the pass on his way to fifth spot.

It was scored another high five finish in the second encounter of the day. The former UK Formula Ford champion continued his recent upturn in form, and the results are matching that promise. In the final bout at Knockhill, Cole lead team-mate Plato home to make it a hat-trick of fifths – by far his best weekend in the championship yet.

“I’m over the moon – it was the best weekend I've had in the BTCC yet," said Cole. "I seem to have a bit of a thing for finishing fifth at the moment, that was the fourth in a row. I'm really chuffed for the team and my confidence is growing round-by-round. 

"Quali was the best it's been for me as well, and it just goes to show that if you manage to qualify in the top ten, you've got that chance of staying out of trouble and getting some really good, consistent points finishes. 

"Race three was a highlight. Being able to race right up there toe-to-toe with the Ash (Sutton) and Jason (Plato) then playing the team game with Ash for his championship challenge – letting him by on the final turn. In my head it was fourth spot but I'll let him have that!

"Overall, I'm really happy and we'll see what happens when we head to Rockingham in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping to keep this little streak going."

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram won the final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship encounter at Knockhill after coming out on top of an early battle against Ant Whorton-Eales' AmD Audi and Rory Butcher's Motorbase Ford.

Whorton-Eales and debutant Butcher held an unlikely front row start for the final race and both defended valiantly on the opening lap, before pole-sitter Whorton-Eales made contact with a barrier and dropped out of contention on lap two.

There was a family feud for third place as reigning champion Gordon Shedden passed brother-in-law Butcher, whilst Ingram inherited the lead. The Toyota man never looked back as he took his third win of the 2017 campaign to reignite his championship challenge – it was also the first win at Knockhill for the Japanese marque since Julian Bailey's success in 1993.

Butcher's Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo Focus would also be shuffled down the order, as the battle for the lower top ten placings intensified. 

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing took fourth, fifth and sixth positions as Ashley Sutton headed team-mates James Cole and Jason Plato. Matt Neal wedged his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda in-between the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo's Mat Jackson and the recovering Butcher, whilst BTC Norlin's Dave Newsham was tenth – impressively his third top ten finish of the day.

Tom Ingram said: "It’s been a long time coming hasn’t it. I had a funny feeling after about five laps, saying to the team ‘when do you think the safety car will be then?’. It never goes that easily does it? Amazingly though, it went perfectly and I got the jump at the restarts. Ant (Whorton-Eales) made a mistake at the chicane which allowed me to get through. My word, the Speedworks guys have given me a great car this weekend. What’s really been annoying is that our struggles haven’t been our fault. If it were mistakes on my part or from the team, then it’d be okay but when it’s not it gets very frustrating. We’ve got a great team and a great car underneath us. I heard people saying it was a fluke at the start of the year and this shows it wasn’t."

Gordon Shedden said: "I could see the BMWs coming! The safety car definitely helped – it saved my bacon. The car was good but it was just lacking a bit. Tom (Ingram) had mega pace and drove really well so I’ll take second place. Rory (Butcher) was driving well and it’s that first touring car meeting and just realising what goes on in the first few laps. He did well and he was fast, he’ll come out stronger in the next one."

Colin Turkington said: "If I could keep finishing third between now and the end of the season I’d be in pretty good shape but Knockhill has been great. It’s always a circuit I enjoy coming to. I wouldn’t have expected that. It shows you don’t always have to win the races to score the most points. I go home tonight satisfied but also quite aware of the hard work that lies ahead. There’s nobody slow out there, everybody’s fast and those reverse grid races are incredibly tough. I picked my way through and just survived at the end."

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 21 – Knockhill

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 27 laps
2 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.167s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +1.556s
4 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +4.172s
5 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +4.463s
6 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +5.179s
7 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +5.538s
8 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +5.784s
9 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +6.333s
10 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +7.193s
11 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +7.614s
12 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +9.215s
13 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +9.316s
14 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +9.775s
15 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +10.407s
16 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +10.730s
17 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +11.091s
18 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +12.152s
19 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +12.890s
20 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +13.059s
21 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +16.267s
22 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +17.095s
23 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +18.503s
24 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +18.727s
25 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +24.014s
26 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1 lap
27 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +2 laps
28 Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +2 laps 
29 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +3 laps
30 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +8 laps
31 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +12 laps
32 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +19 laps

 

More to follow...

Josh Price (#28 A-Plan Academy) has been excluded from Round 20 for overtaking or not slowing down under flag signals.

Ant Whorton-Eales (#10 AmDTuning.com with Cobra Exhausts) therefore takes pole position for Round 21.

Ash Sutton secured his fifth win of the 2017 BTCC season as he pipped Adrian Flux Subaru Racing team-mate Jason Plato in race two at Knockhill.

The race originally commenced in frenetic fashion as a multi-car accident saw no fewer than five cars fired out of the contest. With cars littered in the gravel and across the track the race was inevitably red flagged and a lengthy stoppage followed.

Plato eventually led away from the restarted race and the Subaru duo remained inseparable throughout. The slightly lighter machine of Sutton had the edge, however, and he would finally make a move stick on lap 11. Plato kept his young prodigy honest for the remainder of the duel, but Sutton held on to fire himself within two points of the championship summit.

Colin Turkington maintained his position at the top of the standings as he claimed his second podium of the day for Team BMW. Rob Collard finished fourth in the sister Bavarian machine, as he kept up his own championship challenge.

James Cole scored another high five finish, as he had done in the final contest at Snetterton last month and again in the earlier opener at Knockhill. Former UK Formula Ford champion Cole has been showing a real upturn in form in recent weeks, and the results are finally matching that promise.

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Gordon Shedden took a lonely sixth place as most of the action kicked off behind the Scotsman.

Young rookie Josh Price came home seventh after he had gone toe-to-toe with triple champion Matt Neal for a number of laps. The pair made unfortunate contact, however, which saw Neal's Honda spinning off into the gravel while Price continued unopposed. Post race, however Price's seventh spot was lost after his exclusion for failing to slow/overtaking under flag signals.

The final three drivers in the top ten were blanketed by little more than half a second as BTC Norlin's Dave Newsham edged out Tom Ingram's Toyota and Rory Butcher's Ford. There was further post-race joy for debutant Butcher when he was picked at random to start today's final race from pole position.

Ash Sutton said: "Jason (Plato) kept me honest to the very end. It was a great race though and I knew the ballast would bring it back to me later on and work in my favour. He just lost his straight-line speed compared to mine as the time went on. Jason and I get on well and we race hard but we race fairly – we know where we stand with each other. I was more pleased for him getting pole yesterday then I was for myself getting second and I need a wingman don’t I? I really extracted everything from the tyre midway through and pulling that little gap so when they went I had to play the clever game. The battle’s on for sure and it’ll definitely go right to the wire. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing."

Jason Plato said: "I just got into a little zone in the middle of the race, landing off the kerb at the chicane I was getting some drift wide every lap and I couldn’t work it out. Then all of a sudden, it disappeared and then Ash (Sutton) started to get those issues. I know a bit of fluid went down so maybe it was that. It was a great result for the team. I’m just so happy to be competitive again. I’m pretty awful to be around when things aren’t going well – this is my life. It’s everything about my life and when there’s stuff you just can’t get a handle on, it’s frustrating. We’ve found the problem now and that was for all you people who said I was too old…"

Colin Turkington said: "It’s more good points. Any time you get a podium in a BTCC race, it’s a good result. It’s a little bit disappointing to trail these guys home again but we got everything we could out of the BMW there. If the two ahead weren’t in the race, I’d be telling my engineers it’s the best car I’ve ever driven – but obviously we’ve got more to find. I can only understand what’s going on with my car. We improved the chassis but we seemed to drop back from the leaders. It was still a really strong race for Team BMW."

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 20 – Knockhill

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 22 laps
2 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.238s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +3.198s
4 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +5.063s
5 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +6.831s
6 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +9.401s
7 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +25.803s
8 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +25.954s
9 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +26.361s
10 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +28.889s
11 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +30.959s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +31.841s
13 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +36.074s
14 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +39.823s
15 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +44.426s
16 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +44.685s
17 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +45.215s
18 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +47.572
19 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +49.314s
20 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +51.406s
21 Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +51.944s 
DNF Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +8 laps
DNF Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +13 laps
DNF Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +16 laps
DNF Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +18 laps
DNF Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +18 laps
DNF Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +22 laps
DNF Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +22 laps
DNF Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +22 laps
DNF Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +22 laps
DNF Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +22 laps
EXCL Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Jason Plato has won Round 19 of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after producing a flawless drive at Knockhill.

The front four – all rear-wheel drive machines – made an even getaway off the line, meaning Plato led from team-mate Ash Sutton, and the two Team BMWs of Colin Turkington and Rob Collard.

The battle remained tense throughout the 24-lap race with the quartet barely separated by more than a second. The Subaru duo of Plato and Sutton even made a failed attempt to switch positions, in order to provide the latter with a potentially vital championship point for leading a lap, but when the chequered flag eventually fell it was the elder statesman taking a hugely deserved win.

James Cole made it three Levorgs in the top five as he got the better of an eye catching battle with the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota of Tom Ingram. The pair ran side-by-side across the line on lap nine, but Cole would have to wait until three tours later before completing the pass.

Rookie Senna Proctor drove brilliantly to claim seventh for Power Maxed Racing. The Vauxhall Astra man saw off reigning champion Gordon Shedden early on and then clinched his best ever result ahead of Adam Morgan's Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes.

Triple champion Matt Neal was next up in the order as he made steady progress through the field. His final pass was by Dave Newsham's BTC Norlin Chevrolet, after both had seen off Shedden's ballast-laden Honda Civic Type R.

The race was a high class contest throughout with only one minor incident blotting the copywork. Contact between Rob Austin and Brett Smith, following an off-track excursion from Rory Butcher's Ford, created a minor melee but all were able to recover and finish the encounter.

Jason Plato said: "We found something in qualifying yesterday which we thought about after scratching our heads and it looked like we had a bit of a differential issue. We had a complete change of that unit last night and the car’s a different machine now. We think we’ve found the gremlin. I should have the advantage in the second race as the soft tyre is better in a few key areas. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get that point for switching spots for Ash (Sutton), we tried!"

Ash Sutton said: "Jason (Plato) wanted the win and thoroughly deserved it but I needed the extra point – we swapped and it was a great little bit of teamwork, it was just a pity it didn’t quite work out. He’s had his difficulties with his car this year and my side of the garage has been fine, but it’s nice to come and get a one-two and to lock out the front row in qualifying too – great for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, phenomenal really. The soft tyre was an advantage but the weight with the ballast does even it out a bit. It’ll be a level playing field again in race two when Jason has the softs and the added weight."

Colin Turkington said: "I was a bit quicker at the beginning of the race – the BMW switched on really fast. I got the fastest lap and there was a phase where I started to catch Ash (Sutton) but in the mid part of the race I was dropping a couple of tenths, even driving to the limit of my 1 Series. It was always the aim to come here and score points, and with the ballast coming out you’ve got to think we’ll have a good chance in race two. The two guys ahead will race, which is a good thing. Jason’s on the softs so he may tear into the distance but we’ll focus on ourselves. If we can hunt in packs (the Team BMWs), we should be looking good."

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 19 – Knockhill

1 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 24 laps
2 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.216s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.902s
4 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.580s
5 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +11.188s
6 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +16.492s
7 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +21.946s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +28.348s
9 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +29.167s
10 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +29.991s
11 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +33.318s
12 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +33.606s
13 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +33.693s
14 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +35.046s
15 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +35.497s
16 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +35.963s
17 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +37.352s
18 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +41.054s
19 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +45.002s
20 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +45.206s
21 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +45.409s
22 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +46.865s
23 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +48.125s
24 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +49.114s
25 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.915s
26 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +51.138s
27 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +53.066s
28 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +56.011s
29 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1 lap
30 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +1 lap
DNF Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +24 laps
DNF Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +24 laps

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Jason Plato topped a thrilling Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship qualifying session at Knockhill to claim a 50th career pole position in the UK’s premier motor sport series.

Plato – already the most successful driver in the history of the BTCC in terms of race wins – has been experiencing a challenging season so far, but recent signs have suggested that the tin top legend is back on track.

A damp yet drying surface produced a tricky 30-minutes of running for 32 of the country’s best racing drivers, which would ultimately lead to a last lap shootout as track conditions rapidly improved.

The field switched from Dunlop BluResponse wet tyres to the SportMaxx slicks in the final ten minutes, and lap times would tumble right up until the chequered flag fell.

It was Plato who timed his run to perfection as he blasted across the line to steal top spot from Subaru team-mate Ash Sutton in the final seconds.

The one-two qualifying result for Japanese marque Subaru was followed by a three-four finish for Team BMW, as Rob Collard got the better of double BTCC champion Colin Turkington.

Toyota title challenger Tom Ingram is looking to reignite his championship charge after a recent run of difficult results, and the Speedworks Motorsport driver will start tomorrow’s opening contest from fifth on the grid. Ingram will start alongside the third Subaru of James Cole, who himself is enjoying a clear upturn in form and fortunes.

Jack Sears Trophy leader Senna Proctor enjoyed the best qualifying performance of his short BTCC career so far by claiming seventh in the Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra, ahead of an equally impressive performance from BTC Norlin’s Dave Newsham. The striking grey Chevrolets had been running extremely well throughout the day and Newsham even held provisional pole at one point, before eventually having to settle for a credible eighth.

Reigning champion and current standings leader Gordon Shedden took ninth in his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda, whilst Adam Morgan bounced back from a lacklustre start to the session to claim tenth in the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes.

Three BTCC races will take place at the Fife circuit tomorrow with all the action being screened live on ITV4 from 11:00.

Jason Plato said: “That was alright wasn’t it? Do you know what, we’ve had a pretty torturous year and it’s nice to have some tricky conditions where you just have to pull it out of the bag. I love those kind of conditions where you’re feeling your way around. Timing is always important in sessions like that and that comes with a bit of experience – putting the slicks on early so we could get them up to temperature. I was the last person to cross the line too which helps.

“We got a one-two which is important for the team and I’m in a really good position to help out Ash [Sutton]. If there’s a win to be had though, I will be driving accordingly. I will have Ash, the team and the championship in mind and I’ll be looking to help where I can.

“I’ve had a right good kicking this year, and it’s just nice to take another step forward towards being competitive again. It’s not just the winning it’s about being competitive and it’s nice to be there.”