Josh Cook: ‘It’s a shame to miss out by such a fine margin’

Josh Cook admitted it was a shame to miss out on becoming the first driver outside NAPA Racing UK to score pole in the 2023 BTCC season after securing second on the grid at Knockhill.

Cook looked good to grab top in his One Motorsport-run Honda Civic when he moved onto provisional pole in the second part of qualifying at the Scottish circuit, edging ahead of the BMW of Jake Hill on the timesheets.

However, a late lap from Ash Sutton saw him grab pole for the fourth time this season with a lap just 0.006s quicker than Cook, who will now look to try and challenge for his first victory of the campaign.

“I had no idea what to expect as that was the first time we’ve been able to run in the dry conditions,” he said. “I’m pleased with the progress we made but it was a horrible session as it was all about making the tyre change at the right time.

“It’s been a long year for the team so I’m delighted for them, but we have to convert it tomorrow. Missing out by pole to such a fine margin is a shame but I’d have been happy with P2 on the grid coming into the weekend, and tomorrow, we want the win whereas others are focused on the championship.”