Cook, who is fifth in the points, will line his Civic Type R up in 22nd position on the grid for race one, while veteran team-mate Jason Plato produced what he described as one of the best laps of his career for sixth place.
Cook shot into the series lead with four wins from the first three race weekends, but since then he has struggled in qualifying – 10th at Oulton Park, 20th at Croft and 14th at Knockhill.
Suspicions have fallen upon the new-for-2022 M-Sport-supplied TOCA customer engine, which is used by the three BTC Hondas of Cook, Plato and Jade Edwards as well as 11 other cars among the 29-strong field.
But since May, BTCC technical officials have not found reason to adjust the engine’s relative boost compared to other powerplants based on their usual measurements of performance parameters.
Cook told Autosport that ongoing work from BTC has improved the installation, as well as the chassis, which is already renowned as one of the best in the BTCC, but that simultaneous – and unrelated – failures of the throttle body and hybrid system had scuppered his qualifying effort.
“It was on my best lap of the weekend,” he said. “At the start of the session I planned to get a tow off the BMWs, but got traffic, boxed, and went again to do it on my own.
“The chassis was phenomenal – probably the best it’s been all year – but the hybrid system and throttle body both failed.
“I think we’ve done a lot to make up the deficit in straightline speed this weekend – without my failure I’d have been similar to where Jason was I think [Cook was 0.001 seconds up on Plato’s first sector time].
“It’s just another case of kicking us while we’re down, with stuff outside our control.
“It [the improvement] is encouraging, and the investment from the team is sickening with what they’ve had to do, which is what makes today so heartbreaking.
“It could have been on any lap at any time, but it had to be on the one that counted.”
Plato’s estimation is that the BTC Hondas are still lacking 5mph on straightline speed compared to their opposition.
“My performance today was pole position perfect if we had an engine that works,” he said, “and it simply doesn’t.
“I’m really pleased with my car and the team did a brilliant job, but I won’t be able to race.
“Once I’m near someone, they slow me in the corners and that’s where we’re good – based on our data, no one’s going through them better than we are.”
