Croft crashes take toll on qualifying
ASH Sutton will start today’s first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Croft from pole position after a huge smash stopped qualifying yesterday afternoon.
Two drivers had to be cut from their machines and at least one was knocked out after perhaps the biggest smash in BTCC history as around a dozen cars crashed out at the North Yorkshire track.
In almost traditional Croft style, the weather proved to be the biggest hurdle as drivers were greeted by a wet day.
Sutton – so far the only driver on the grid who has been able to work with the problematic Subaru Levorg this year – had already emerged fastest in both earlier free practice sessions, and had been hoping to do the same again in qualifying.
He went straight to the top of the timesheets as the session began at 4pm, and held provisional pole for nine minutes before chaos ensued.
The Team Shredded Wheat Ford Focus of Luke Davenport took an excursion across the grass at the Jim Clark Esses, and as he rejoined the track it appeared that something was ripped off the car, spilling fluid on to the track.
BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan was among the first on the scene, and he had nowhere to go, skidding out on to the grass on the slippery surface.
What followed was a domino effect as car after car lost control and spun out. TV footage captured much of the carnage, but missed some of it, leaving it open to speculation who actually hit who and when.
Davenport’s car suffered a massive shunt, while Jeff Smith’s Eurotech Honda Civic was seen on replays being hit at least twice after it had spun out, while Aaron TaylorSmith’s MG suffered huge damage.
Taylor-Smith was knocked out but regained consciousness shortly after and was taken to the medical centre for a full examination.
Meanwhile, circuit crews had to cut Smith and Davenport out of their cars and both were taken to the medical centre, although neither had lost consciousness and were believed to be fine last night as we went to press.
A big clean-up began, but with rain continuing fall, to series director Alan Gow headed out with defending champ and series leader Gordon Shedden to assess the track, and Shedden deemed it too dangerous to continue.
As a result, race chiefs decided to use the times already set in the session to decide the grid for today’s race.
Sutton starts on pole ahead of Team BMW’s Colin Turkington, with Davenport’s team-mate Mat Jackson leading the second row ahead of Shedden.
The early finish meant that Newcastle-raised Jason Plato starts from seventh, his best grid position in a long time which could spell a change in fortune for the troubled star today.