Sport   Motorsport   Touring Cars

British Touring Car Championship
Thruxton - Free Practice - 4/5/13

By MJP Media | 4 May 2013

Honda Civics top the time sheets in free practice at Thruxton as Pirtek Racing team-mates Andrew Jordan and Jeff Smith post the fastest lap times.

Andrew Jordan was fastest in the 2nd free practice session

Thruxton in Hampshire is the venue for the 3rd meeting of the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Thruxton is the fastest circuit on the BTCC calendar and the only venue where the new Dunlop soft tyres are not used due to the high speeds and loadings placed on the tyres.

As the cars took to the track for the first of the two free practice sessions, the light rain which had started earlier continued and increased as the session progressed. With warmer and dryer conditions forecast for race day tomorrow, a number of the drivers, including former BTCC champions Jason Plato and Matt Neal, elected to use the session to scrub their various sets of tyres and not do any flying laps.

Jeff Smith's fire-spitting Pirtek Racing Honda Civic

Of the drivers who did put in flying laps, it was Sam Tordoff in the MG KX Momentum Racing MG6 who topped the time sheets with an average speed of over 100mph. Speedworks Motorsport's Ollie Jackson headed a trio of Toyotas with Frank Wrathall 3rd for Dynojet and Dave Newsham 4th for Speedworks Motorsport. Jeff Smith was the fastest of the Honda Civics in 5th for Pirtek Racing with Rob Collard completing the top 6 in his eBay Motors BMW 125 M Sport.

For the second session, the rain had gone and the sun was shining on the Hampshire circuit. The improved conditions allowed the drivers to post lap times significantly lower than in the first session with Honda Civics taking the top three positions.

Sam Tordoff topped the time sheet in the first free practice session

Pirtek Racing team-mates Andrew Jordan and Jeff Smith posted the fastest times in the second session with Jordan averaging 109mph around the circuit to take the top spot. Matt Neal was 3rd fastest in the Honda Yuasa Racing Civic with Adam Morgan an excellent 4th in the Ciceley Racing Toyota Avensis. Having not posted a lap time in the first session, Jason Plato was 5th in the second session with Tom Onslow-Cole 6th in the PPCGB.com/Kraftwerk Racing Volkswagen Passat CC.

The next action from the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship today at Thruxton is the qualifying session to determine the grid for the first race tomorrow and the chance the earn the first championship point of the weekend for the driver who secures pole position.

Touring Car content supplied by MJP Media