Triple 8 Brands Hatch GP qualifying report

Ollie Jackson, Triple 8 Racing

Photo by: Pat Cranham

Brands Hatch, 1st October The Triple Eight Race Engineering with Collins Contractors turbo Vauxhalls driven by James Nash and Ollie Jackson on his touring car debut will start from 3rd and from 15th on the grid for tomorrows 25th round of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, near Swanley in Kent.

Nash, currently 5th in the overall title race had a good day with only Jason Plato of his championship rivals finishing ahead of him in qualifying after a last lap effort saw him jump eight places to sit behind Plato’s Chevrolet and Andrew Jordan’s Vauxhall. Further, in the Independent Driver’s standings in which Nash leads the way he qualified ahead main rival Mat Jackson (7th).

Jackson meanwhile had a most encouraging touring car baptism. He qualified 15th out of the 29 competitors and might well have made top ten as he had done in morning practice had the session not been interrupted twice for spun cars to be removed from the circuit.

James Nash 14: “Really pleased with that (3rd). The only slight disappointment is that Andrew (Jordan) is ahead of me. I always want to be the first Vauxhall.”

"It was good to be able to pull the rabbit out of the hat so to speak with that last flying lap. I think I was down in 11th just prior to that”.

“I’m looking forward to the race. We’ll be aiming to move forward and win. We’ve always aimed to win and there’s no need to change a good game plan now.”

Ollie Jackson 48: “ P15 was the target I set myself for my first ever touring car Qualifying session so l’ve got to be pleased in having achieved it. I’d managed P10 in FP2 and hoped to stay there but unfortunately the two stoppages we had in the session rather upset my rhythm. Overall though, a good day."

Ian Harrison. Chairman Triple Eight “James got there in the end though we waited quite a while for it. Ollie meanwhile did a very, very good job. P15 for his debut is not bad at all. Both drivers now have to keep things tidy in the first race so we can take things on from there.”