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British Touring Car Championship
Brands Hatch - Free Practice - 1/10/11
By MJP Media | 1 October 2011
Matt Neal and Jason Plato top the time sheets in free practice as the NGTC cars suffer in the sweltering conditions.
Matt Neal was fastest in the first free practice session
With everything still to play for at the top of the championship, the cars took to the track this morning in sweltering conditions at Kent's Brands Hatch GP circuit. Free practice was the first chance to judge how the cars would perform in what proved to be the hottest racing day of the year so far.
In the morning session, the NGTC cars struggled in the heat with recent top performers Frank Wrathall in the Toyota Avensis and Rob Austin in the Audi A4 well down the grid in 15th and 23rd respectively. Experience showed as the top 3 in the championship posted the 3 best times, with Matt Neal fastest in the Honda Racing Team Civic, Jason Plato second in the Silverline Chevrolet Cruze and Gordon Shedden in the second Honda Racing Team Civic third.
In the second session, the teams were all trying alternative strategies to cope with the heat ahead of qualifying later this afternoon. It was the Silverline Chevrolet Cruzes that seemed to get to grips with the conditions as both Jason Plato and Alex MacDowall put in quick times. At the end of the session it was Jason Plato topping the time sheets with MacDowall 4th. The two Honda Racing Team cars were also looking good with Gordon Shedden finishing 2nd and Matt Neal 6th. Paul O'Neill put in another excellent performance to be 3rd as did James Nash who finished 5th. Both drivers could well be a threat in qualifying later on as they aren't carrying the success ballast that Plato, Neal and Shedden do.
The qualifying session could be crucial to the championship, so expect some fireworks in the afternoon heat ahead of tomorrow's penultimate race day in the 2011 championship. Full details of the qualifying session will appear here later.
Jason Plato on his way to the top in the second free practice session
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