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British Touring Car Championship
Brands Hatch (GP) - Qualifying - 12/10/13

By MJP Media | 12 October 2013

Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff secure a front row lockout for the first race tomorrow at Brands Hatch. Andrew Jordan and Gordon Shedden will start on the 2nd row, ensuring an action-packed finale to the 2013 season.

Jason Plato secures pole position for tomorrow's finale

With five drivers capable of lifting the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Drivers' Trophy tomorrow, the qualifying session to determine the grid for the first race of the day was always going to be important, particularly with all the title hopefuls having mixed results during the free practice sessions earlier today.

Andrew Jordan, who was fastest in the second free practice session, currently heads the championship standings with a 34 point lead over Matt Neal, closely followed by Gordon Shedden, Colin Turkington and Jason Plato. With 67 points available from this season's final weekend of BTCC action, every point is vital and the one point earned from securing pole position could prove decisive with the standings so close.

Sam Tordoff completes a front row lockout for MG

Matt Neal's championship campaign suffered a blow when he crashed his Honda Yuasa Racing Civic into the barriers at Paddock Hill bend. The impact severely damaged the front of his car and brought the session to a temporary halt as recovery crews removed the car and the barriers were repaired. Neal, who was winded in the incident, walked away from the accident, seemingly unhurt, a testament to the strength and safety of modern racing cars.

Jason Plato improved on his 2nd place result in the second free practice session to qualify his MG KX Momentum Racing MG6 on pole for the first race tomorrow and earned the vital championship point with an improvement in his lap time of nearly 8 tenths of a second. The MGs were clearly liking the Brands Hatch GP circuit with Plato's team-mate Sam Tordoff posting the 3rd fastest times in both the free practice sessions and qualifying 2nd to secure a front row lockout for MG KX Momentum Racing.

Andrew Jordan with Pirtek Racing team boss and dad Mike

Championship leader Andrew Jordan qualified his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic 3rd and will start the first race on the second row of the grid alongside the Honda Yuasa Racing Civic of defending champion Gordon Shedden who qualified 4th. Adam Morgan will start on the 3rd row of the grid in his Ciceley Racing Toyota Avensis alongside the eBay Motors BMW 125i M Sport of Colin Turkington. The only BTCC championship contender to qualify outside the top 6 was Matt Neal whose lap time prior to his accident will put him 16th on the grid. Neal needs to score well in the last three races and this setback could damage his title chances.

After 27 races at 9 circuits across the country, the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be decided tomorrow on the Brands Hatch GP circuit. With everything to play for, the racing is sure to be fast and furious as Britain's premier motorsport series reaches the climax of another fantastic year.

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