Shedden claims pole at Oulton Park

Shedden claims pole at Oulton Park

Sat 4th June 2011 Gordon Shedden claimed pole position at Oulton Park this afternoon ensuring the continuation of Honda Racing’s 100% qualifying record.

Shedden will start Sunday’s first race from pole position after setting a best lap of 1:27.355. He will be joined on the front row by teammate Matt Neal.

pair overcame the challenge of a 25kg weight reduction for the S2000 runners to secure a fourth pole position in as many races this year. Andy Neate claimed an impressive third spot on the grid for Team Aon.

Shedden set his best time early in the session and any late chargers were thwarted when the red flags came out three minutes before the chequered flag was due out. There was oil on the track from the Airwaves Racing Ford of Liam Griffin, which had caught a kerb.

Several drivers were caught out on the oil, but it was Alex MacDowall who suffered the most damage in the session. A problem with the left-rear corner of his Cruze sent him off the track and into the tyres.

Jason Plato will start fourth on the grid, ahead of Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton. MacDowall starts seventh, Paul O’Neill eighth and James Nash ninth. Mat Jackson rounds out the top ten.

After the session, Gordon Shedden said, “That’s fantastic. With the temperature today, it really is all about the first flying lap. That means there’s a little bit of guesswork with how much you can take from car. It’s a great result for the team.

“We worked so hard this morning in free practice. Matt’s carrying more weight in his car than me, so he’s done a cracking job, too. We’ve spent the last month working hard on our car. Everyone’s quick to forget how good the chassis of the Honda Civic is. It’s certainly not about straight line speed.”

Source: http://www.btccpages.com/news/1/2136/Shedden-claims-pole-at-Oulton-Park/