Pictured: Stewart Lines. Click to open hi-resolution version

NEWS RELEASE: 12 JULY 2013

LINES HAS THE RIGHT LINE AT OILY SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS

Stewart Lines mastered a treacherously oily Spa-Francorchamps circuit this afternoon to claim his maiden pole position in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup. While his rivals tip-toed around oil dropped on the track in a previous session, Lines braved the peril in his KPM Scirocco to set a time nearly two seconds better than any of his rivals could achieve.

The Sutton Coldfield racer’s best time of 2m 49.069s was set on his final lap of the session and was half a second inside the race lap record for the Belgian Grand Prix circuit.

“Oil doesn’t faze me,” said Stewart. “It was a bit dodgy early on but by my fourth or fifth lap it was fine and I found I could take it flat through the section of track which was affected. I’m pleased with my first pole, but around here it doesn’t mean a lot. It’s a nice morale boost ahead of race day, though.”

Team HARD Golf GTI driver Tom Barley was Lines’s closest challenger, the Kent youngster putting to good use many laps of experience of Spa gained in racing historic cars. “I’m well chuffed with that, particularly since I lost some time in the pits sorting out a technical problem,” said Tom.

Seventeen-year-old Henry Gilbert shone on his Spa debut, claiming third on the grid at the wheel of his HGR Golf Mk VI, this despite stopping on track on his first lap with an electrical issue. “I had to stop, get out and fiddle with things to get the car started again,” said Henry.

Lines’s team-mate Martin Depper posted fourth-best time in his Scirocco, ahead of the Golf GTI of Team HARD’s David Sutton. Championship leader Aaron Mason lost time with a puncture and finished sixth in his AWM Scirocco, just ahead of Peter Wyhinny’s SEAT and the Scirocco of Philip House, who might have improved but for a gear linkage issue. Kieran Griffin posted his best qualifying performance of the season with ninth in the JWB Motorsport Scirocco, with Golf man Joe Fulbrook completing the top 10 for AWM/Warranty Direct Racing.

Simon Andrews survived a spin into the gravel to claim 15th on his return to racing, with Scottish Legends racer Kieran Gallagher claiming 19th on his first outing in a Team HARD Golf.

There were dramas for Nick Beaumont, standing in for Chris Levett in the JWB Scirocco, who lost a front bumper on his way to 18th, and for his team-mate Paul Dehadray, who spun out after hitting the oil. Beetle racer Tony Harberman suffered a broken CV joint after posting 17th best time, while Robin Riley lost his power steering en route to 23rd.

The championship’s Belgian outing got away to a fine start on Thursday evening with a processional run into nearby Stavelot, where the cars went on display in the cobbled town square. Both Spa races are scheduled for Saturday.

PROVISIONAL QUALIFYING TIMES
Spa-Francorchamps 12/7/13
1 Stewart LINES  Scirocco  2:49.069
2 Tom BARLEY  Golf  2:51.032
3 Henry GILBERT  Golf  2:51.069
4 Martin DEPPER  Scirocco  2:51.157
5 David SUTTON  Golf  2:51.220
6 Aaron MASON  Scirocco  2:51.681
7 Peter WYHINNY  SEAT Leon  2:52.117
8 Philip HOUSE  Scirocco  2:52.520
9 Kieran GRIFFIN  Scirocco  2:53.080
10 Joe FULBROOK  Golf  2:53.170 etc

Full times