Paul Smith takes strong pole in wet Donington Park qualifying

Paul Smith took his new Audi A4 to pole position in the opening round of the 2015 HSCC Super Touring Car Trophy at the Donington Historic Festival.

The Audi had been tipped for pole in the damp twenty minute session, and took to the top of the standings from the very first flying lap.

John Cleland had also been expected to feature in the battle for first place, and was involved in a four-car shootout for pole, which also included Patrick Watts in the Peugeot 406 and Tom Gladdis in one of three Honda Accords to feature in the top six.

As the track dried out, times were plummeting each lap, the top spot seeming to swap every time someone crossed the line. As the session wound to a close, Smith seemed to consolidate his position at the top of the time sheets, cemented by becoming the only driver to dip in the one minute-24 second lap barrier and beating the rest of the field by over a second.

Patrick Watts will line up second on the grid for the first race, taking place at 6:55pm tonight, with Cleland and Gladdis filling the second row.

The third row will see an all-Honda affair with Stewart Whyte starting fifth and reigning champion alongside in sixth. Neil Smith and Mark Jones will start seventh and eighth respectively in their Alfa Romeo and Renault Laguna, with Graeme Dodd placing his new Honda Accord in ninth.

Harry Whale rounded out the top ten, also taking the top spot in the GA category and the first non-ST1 class contender.

Dave Jarman in the Nissan Primera took eleventh, and will start alongside Keith Butcher in his new Audi A4, who also took the fastest time in the ST2 category. Andy Wolfe, also in ST2, took thirteenth in the Opel Astra, while Malcolm Harrison set the fourteenth quickest time, although he only completed five laps after stopping around the back of the track near the halfway stage of the session.

Mark Smith took fifteenth, and second in the GA class, while Tony Absolom placed his Vauxhall Cavalier in sixteenth. Craig Davies, Paul Whight, Steve Dymoke and Ric Wood rounded out the remainder of the grid.