Jason Plato has taken pole position in this afternoons Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championships qualifying session on pole at Silverstone but points leader Gordon Shedden was only 19th.

Oxfords Plato took his fifth pole of the seasonalso his third in a rowwith a best lap of 58.717s in his KX Momentum Racing MG6. That is a new BTCC qualifying lap record around Silverstones 1.64-mile National circuit.

Mat Jackson was second fastest in his Redstone Racing Ford Focus which had been repaired following a practice session prang and Frank Wrathall third in his Dynojet Toyota Avensis.

Dave Newsham had ended the session second on the timing screens but later had his fastest lap disallowed for achieving it by driving off the track to gain an unfari advantage. He therefore fell to fifth in his Team ES Racing.com Vauxhall Vectra behind Robert Collard's eBay Motors BMW in fourth.

But the two championship leaders Shedden and Matt Neal in their factory Honda Yuasa Racing Team Honda Civics struggled. Neal, the reigning Champion, was only tenth and Shedden a dejected 19th on a circuit that both had already hinted would be difficult for them because of their cars lack of straightline speed.

Scotsman Shedden will go into tomorrows three races three points ahead of Neal with Plato a further 29 back and a possible maximum of 67 available.