BTCC: Rydell earns valuable point for pole in Silverstone qualifying
17 September 2000
Rickard Rydell put his Ford Mondeo on pole position for the first of tonight's floodlit title showdown races at Silverstone to decide the 2000 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship winner - and earned a valuable extra championship point in the process. Rydell, third in the points standings, can still overhaul team-mates Anthony Reid, who is leading, and Alain Menu, in second, to lift the BTCC title. But Menu is only two places behind him on the starting grid for round 23 and one place behind for round 24, where Rydell qualified second. Reid will start fourth in the first race and sixth in the second, the night-time Silverstone finale to this year's 24-round season. Honda's Tom Kristensen won pole position that final race. Said Rydell: "One pole and one second is quite pleasing. I've just got to win both races now, but I'm not in a bad position." The Class B title will also be decided tonight in favour of Touring Car VIP Club's Alan Morrison (Peugeot 306 GTi) or Barwell Motorsport's James Kaye (Honda Accord). Kaye, just 11 points behind Morrison before qualifying, struck the first blow by claiming Class B's pole position for round 23 to earn another point. Morrison, however, out-qualified Kaye for the start of round 24. TOP TEN QUALIFYING TIMES, ROUND 23 1 Rickard Rydell (SWE) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1:23.147s 2 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1:23.490s 3 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1:23.578s 4 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1:23.599s 5 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera GT 1:23.768s 6 James Thompson (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1:23.779s 7 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1:23.911s 8 Gabriele Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1:24.121s 9 Vincent Radermecker (BEL) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1:24.132s 10 Yvan Muller (FRA) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1:24.355s TOP TEN QUALIFYING TIMES, ROUND 24 1 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1:23.307s 2 Rickard Rydell (SWE) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1:23.521s 3 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1:23.525s 4 James Thompson (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1:23.612s 5 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera GT 1:23.731s 6 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 1:23.732s 7 Gabriele Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 1:23.794s 8 Vincent Radermecker (BEL) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1:23.970s 9 Yvan Muller (FRA) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1:23.990s 10 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 1:24.070s * = Michelin Cup for Independents