James Dodd unsure over grid position after mid-session car swap

James Dodd is hopeful of racing in the first Super Touring race at Rockingham, albeit in his father’s car, and believes his grid position needs correcting.

The 2014 Super Touring champion was unable to set a time in his own Honda Accord, the ex-James Thompson 1999 car, owing to a driveshaft failure. However, his father Graeme, who runs the ex-Peter Kox Accord from the same season, then pitted to allow James to swap cars.

“I’ve no idea to be fair,” Dodd told TouringCarTimes, when asked for his take on the car swap situation. “He [Graeme] said to jump in it and I said “OK, why not? You never know.” I qualified that car in case they allow me to run it.”

Dodd believed he set a time good enough for second on the grid while in his father’s car, but was listed on the timesheets as seventh, while Graeme Dodd was placed in fourth. There was an addition at the foot of the results sheet, stating “Car 4 – times disallowed after final pit stop”.

“I’m expecting to start with the times I set in Dad’s car, I took it out,” continued Dodd. “That one should be second according to the times I set, if they let me start at all. My car’s not fixable today, if I’m out this afternoon it’ll be in my Dad’s car.”