Colin Turkington: Top ten qualifying “a good effort”

Colin Turkington insisted that eighth on the grid for the BTCC season finale at Brands Hatch was a “good effort” despite the fact that the West Surrey Racing man will line up behind his title rivals.

The current points leader had run outside the top ten during the morning practice session and was down in twelfth place mid-way through qualifying, which was held in tricky damp conditions after persistent light rain during the morning.

Turkington was able to lift himself up the order into eighth place after the second of two session stoppages and had just left the pits for his final run when Carl Boardley beached his car in the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.

That resulted in the session being ended two minutes early and left Turkington unable to improve his time, leaving him on the fourth row of the grid for Sunday’s opening race.

The Northern Irishman did however secure the new Wingfoot Award, introduced by tyre supplier Goodyear this season for the best qualifier across the campaign – with Turkington taking the award by a point from Dan Cammish.

“It’s nice to win the award and a good reward for our qualifying performances across the year; it’s been one of our strengths this season,” he said. “We’ve been consistently on the first couple of rows and that is such a big part of what happens on Sunday, so this is just reward.

“Being inside the top ten today with full weight is a good effort as the car wasn’t quite in the right place. I really had the wring its neck and that isn’t always the best way to drive in the wet. However, we weren’t far away and hoped to find some more time with some changes towards the end, but then that didn’t happen with the final red flag.

“P8 is still good although we have some homework to do tonight to unlock more speed tomorrow. We’ll crack on with it and I’ll be giving my everything.”