In a truncated session for qualifying for the first race at Oulton Park, Team BMW’s Colin Turkington and Rob Collard put their 125i M-Sport fourth and ninth on the grid respectively, which were the best efforts for both drivers so far this year.
Turkington was fourth fastest at the end of the 20-minute session, having put in two sterling efforts after qualifying resumed, following the red flags being brandished after Matt Simpson’s collision with the barriers at Druids.
Even with 57 kilograms of success ballast on board for this round, the Ulsterman, who is currently third in the standings, was happy and relieved with the strong showing around the 2.26-mile Island circuit variation.
“When the red flags came out with five minutes left, I feared the worst as I was outside the top 20, but the tyres came up to temperature nice and quickly, I was able to find myself a decent tow, and everything just came together,” admitted the 35-year-old, who has taken a win at both Donington Park and Thruxton this year.
“It was a bit nervy for a moment, but from the second row, I’ll be aiming to win, if I can, and take home a big stack of points at a circuit at which the BMW has traditionally been strong.”
Collard, who took his first race win of the year in race two at Thruxton, is confident that the track will suit the BMWs on race day, especially with how he scythed through all three races last season.
“That’s easily my best qualifying performance of the year. Oulton Park is a track where I expected the BMW to be strong, but even so, this puts us in a pretty strong position going into tomorrow,” stated the 48-year-old, who made up over 40 overtkaes last year in impressive fashion.
“It’s clear that we’ve uncovered the knack of how to pass people here. It’s incredibly tight in the midfield, so it will be important not to get hit on the first lap – as happened last year – but the race pace of the BMW has been strong all year so I’m confident I can move forwards.”