Josh Cook wins Croft Qualifying Race in commanding style

Credit: BTCC

Josh Cook will start Sunday's Race One from pole position having topped Qualifying and the Qualifying Race this afternoon.

Having clinched pole right at the end of Qualifying, Josh Cook started the Qualifying Race from pole ahead of Dan Cammish. Mikey Doble and Tom Ingram occupied the second row, and championship leader, Ash Sutton, started fifth.

Cook had a strong start and defended first place on the first lap. Cammish held second place, but Doble and Ingram both dropped a position as Sutton attacked immediately. Further back in the pack, Gordon Sheddon was spun around in turn two.

Sheddon dropped to 16th, but didn't have it as bad as Mikey Doble, who was forced to retire from fourth place with a mechanical issue.

From the second lap the two Napa cars, Cammish and Sutton, were mounting a challenge on Cook, but it only lasted a few laps before Cook started to pull away and Sutton fell back into the grasps of his nearest championship rival, Ingram.

Before Ingram could overtake, he made a mistake on the penultimate lap, fighting to keep the car on the road. During the incident Daryl De Leon snuck past, Ingram fought to reclaim the position on the final lap but De Leon's defence was too strong.

Too quick for anyone to catch, Josh Cook won the Qualifying Race with an advantage greater than one second to Dan Cammish. Sutton finished third, a solid result as he strives to claim his fifth championship before the final round at Brands Hatch.

The starting order for Sunday's Race One:

1st Josh Cook

2nd Dan Cammish

3rd Ash Sutton

4th Daryl De Leon

5th Tom Ingram

6th Aiden Moffat

7th Ricky Collard

8th Daniel Rowbottom