Ireland in Pole Position for A1GP Title

London, May 1, 2009: A1 Team Ireland’s Adam Carroll drove two stunning laps to put the Celtic Tiger on pole position for both of tomorrow’s A1GP Brands Hatch races, keeping the team’s title hopes on track.

Nine teams opted to use their one PowerBoost available during qualifying for Sunday’s Sprint race but on new tyres, Carroll recorded a 1m 11.615s, without using the extra horse power available. Mexico’s Salvador Duran will start on the front row alongside him with Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen third.

In Feature qualifying, championship contenders Switzerland opted to use PowerBoost during the first segment, initially putting it on provisional pole. However, in a dramatic final segment, Ireland and Switzerland came out together to try and grab the top spot in what was tense drama. Ireland, who had saved its PowerBoost for its final run, recorded another stunning time of 1m10.902s but Switzerland’s Neel Jani ended in the gravel at Druids, and will start fourth for tomorrow’s Feature race.

Portugal’s Filipe Albuquerque, the other team in contention for the title, will start fifth and ninth. Great Britain’s Dan Clarke will start 13th and 14th in the Sprint and Feature races respectively.