BTCC: Brands Hatch qualifying: Rydell and Kristensen on Pole Parade
27 August 2000
Ford's Rickard Rydell and Honda's Tom Kristensen took a pole position apiece in qualifying today for tomorrow's rounds 19 and 20 of the 2000 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship. On the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Danish ace Kristensen claimed the number one spot for the 50-lap round 20 in the first of the two sessions while Swede Rickard Rydell set the best time in qualifying for round 19 (25 laps). Championship leader Anthony Reid will start round 19 from second on the grid in his Ford Mondeo while he could only manage seventh for the start of round 20. Said Rydell: "It's a good position to be in for the short race but I've learned this year that qualifying is one thing and the race is another. We'll wait and see what happens tomorrow." Accord driver Kristensen said: "The last time I was on pole I won, so hopefully that is an omen." In Class B, newcomer Toni Ruokonen, of Finland, was fastest in round 19's qualifying in his Touring Car VIP Club Peugeot 306, while James Kaye set the pace in round 20's session in his Barwell Motorsport Honda Accord TOP TEN QUALIFYING TIMES, ROUND 19 1 Rickard Rydell (SWE) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.723s 2 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.959s 3 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera GT 46.986s 4 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 47.039s 5 Yvan Muller (FRA) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 47.098s 6 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 47.137s 7 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 47.143s 8 James Thompson (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 47.171s 9 Gabriele Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 47.211s 10 Vincent Radermecker (BEL) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 47.439s TOP TEN QUALIFYING TIMES, ROUND 20 1 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 46.781s 2 James Thompson (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 46.812s 3 Rickard Rydell (Swe) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.833s 4 Yvan Muller (FRA) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 46.913s 5 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 46.916s 6 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.932s 7 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.995s 8 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera GT 47.008s 9 Vincent Radermecker (BEL) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 47.068s 10 Gabriele Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 47.098s *= Michelin Cup for Independents