Charles Rainford holds off Josh Cook to win Snetterton Qualifying Race

Charles Rainford will start the first of Sunday’s three British Touring Car Championship races from pole position after charging to victory in the Snetterton Qualifying Race.

Starting from second place, the WSR driver went wheel-to-wheel with pole sitter Tom Chilton through the first half of the opening lap before completing the move at Williams.

Once out front, the BMW racer never looked back as he pulled clear of the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota of Josh Cook, who comfortably finished second ahead of reigning champion Tom Ingram.

Championship leader Ash Sutton had been sat in third after rising from eighth on the grid on lap one however a front left puncture forced him onto the grass and into the pit lane.

Sutton’s demise – which means he will now start race one from the back of the grid – meant that Ingram enjoyed a relatively untroubled drive to third, while Dan Cammish shadowed him in fourth.

After being muscled out of contention early on, pole sitter Chilton had crossed the line in fifth but a five-second penalty for starting out of position relegated him behind Dan Rowbottom, Daryl De Leon and Adam Morgan in eighth.

Completing the ten was the lead Restart Racing Hyundai of James Dorlin and Alliance Racing Ford of Sam Osborne.