BTCC: Vauxhall breaks five-year pole curse
1 May 2000
Thruxton - Sunday 30 April 2000 Weather: Sunny, dryJason Plato and Yvan Muller recorded Vauxhall's first pole positions for nearly five years today at Thruxton, Hampshire, in qualifying for rounds five and six of the Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship.
Oxford-based Plato smashed the qualifying record by nearly three seconds with his number one time for round six tomorrow. His pole, won in the first session of the day, broke Vauxhall's miserable qualifying record of the last few years. The last man to top the time sheets for the Luton marque was John Cleland, in September 1995, in a Cavalier.
Plato said: "I won Vauxhall's first race this year and now I've got the first pole for five years - it's lovely for me to be in this position. It's nice to be able to repay the team for the faith they have shown in me."
The Briton led a Vectra 1-2-3 clean sweep for round six grid, with team-mates Vincent Radermecker and Muller second and third respectively. Muller then completed Vauxhall's pole party by claiming the number one spot for round five's starting grid.
Matt Neal was quickest of the Michelin Cup for Independents runners in both sessions with Alan Morrison fastest of the Class B entrants.
TOP TEN QUALIFYING TIMES, ROUND 51 Yvan Muller (Fra) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1m13.046s 2 Rickard Rydell (Swe) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1m13.200s 3 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1m13.277s 4 V Radermecker (Bel) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1m13.434s 5 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1m13.485s 6 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1m13.795s 7 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera GT 1m14.133s 8 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1m14.289s 9 G Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1m14.382s 10 David Leslie (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1m16.168s TOP TEN QUALIFYING TIMES, ROUND 6 1 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1m12.562s 2 V Radermecker (Bel) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1m12.680s 3 Yvan Muller (Fra) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1m12.873s 4 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1m12.994s 5 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1m13.138s 6 Rickard Rydell (Swe) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1m13.356s 7 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1m13.383s 8 G Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1m13.493s 9 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera G 1m13.852s 10 David Leslie (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1m14.231s *=Michelin Cup for Independents driver