Adam Morgan claims dominant victory in Knockhill Qualifying Race
Adam Morgan will start the first of Sunday’s three British Touring Car Championship races from pole position at Knockhill after becoming the sixth different ‘Race To Pole’ winner of the season.
In what proved to be a frantic contest – which was partially affected by a light rain shower – the Plato Racing driver led every lap to triumph ahead of home hero Gordon Shedden and his Mercedes team-mate Dan Rowbottom.
Having set the fastest time in qualifying around the 1.27-mile circuit, Morgan made no mistake as the lights went out to launch into the lead while Shedden and Rowbottom scrapped for second and third as they plunged down Duffus Dip.
No sooner had the race begun though, the safety car made an appearance to neutralise proceedings after an incident at the bottom of the chicane where Josh Cook speared into the tyre barrier following apparent contact from his Toyota stablemate Aron Taylor-Smith.
After a handful of laps behind the safety car, Morgan quickly worked to build up an advantage on the restart and with a clear road ahead of him, he never looked like losing what proved to be a dominant victory.
Behind him, Shedden and Rowbottom’s duel went all the way to the finish with the latter crawling all over the back of the three-time champion’s Toyota. Despite his best efforts though, the A-Class Saloon driver was unable to find a way past the Scotsman.
Elsewhere, the trio of Chris Smiley, Charles Rainford and Daryl De Leon completed the top-six having run line astern from the get-go.
Power Maxed Racing’s Mikey Doble was next up in seventh after producing a sublime last-lap overtake on Ricky Collard at the foot of the chicane. Doble had been the meat in a Hyundai sandwich as he battled to both attack Collard and defend from reigning champion Tom Ingram.
After losing out to Doble, Collard and Ingram would finish eighth and ninth, narrowly ahead of the lead Alliance Racing Ford Focus Titanium of Dan Cammish.
Having started 16th, championship leader and four-time title winner Ash Sutton managed to fight his way forward to take the chequered flag in 11th.
