Jason Plato took pole position for the first of Sunday's three British Touring Car Championship races at Oulton Park in style by setting a new qualifying lap record.
The championship leader, who was quickest in both practice sessions earlier on Saturday, clocked one minute 26.872 seconds at the end of an exciting qualifying staged in damp conditions.
Plato (MG KX Momentum Racing) edged out Matt Neal (Honda Racing) by 0.077secs.
Robert Collard (eBay Motors) and Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) were third and fourth, while Neal's team-mate Gordon Shedden, Plato's closest challenger in the overall standings, was fifth fastest.
Plato's time was even more impressive considering his car was carrying the maximum 45kgs of success ballast.
The Oxford racer said on www.btcc.net: "I put the team under a bit of pressure in that session - I ran wide at Lodge corner on my first run and on my second was off the track and through the puddles at Cascades.
"It all came down to that final run - Matt had just set a very good time but we thought it might just be possible and it just came together."
