Sport   Other Sports   Touring Cars

British Touring Car Championship
Donington Park - Free Practice - 19/4/14

By MJP Media | 19 April 2014

Aron Smith and Sam Tordoff top the time sheets in the free practice sessions at Donington Park.

Aron Smith's Chrome Edition Restart Racing Volkswagen CC

As Saturday dawned at Donington Park after three days of nice warm spring sunshine, it was cold and breezy for the first free practice session of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan arrived at the Leicestershire circuit leading the championship after an excellent start to his title defence at Brands Hatch.

The first free practice session of any BTCC race weekend is always a little difficult to call as many of the teams are running shake-down sessions rather than flat out runs. By the end of the session, everyone had put in some flying laps and it was Aron Smith in the Chrome Edition Restart Racing Volkswagen CC who lit up the timing screens with the session's fastest time of 1 minute and 10.041 seconds. Second fastest was Honda Yuasa Racing's Gordon Shedden who was 0.174 seconds further back in the Honda Civic Tourer, marginally ahead of Colin Turkington in 3rd and Matt Neal 4th.

Marc Hynes was the fastest MG6 in the first practice session

The three MG6s were together in 5th, 6th and 7th with Marc Hynes in the Quantel Bifold Racing car ahead of MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save team-mates Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff. Jack Goff in the RCIB Insurance Racing Vauxhall Insignia was 8th with Alain Menu 9th and Adam Morgan 10th. Defending champion Andrew Jordan ended the session in 12th place.

The second free practice session gave the teams the chance to put in some longer stints in the cars and from the off it was Aron Smith once again at the top of the time sheets and the first driver to go under the 1 minute 10 second barrier. Smith's team-mate Alain Menu was also going well in the other Volkswagen CC as he improved on his first session 9th place. Half way through the second session, Sam Tordoff put in a fabulous lap and went quickest with a 1 minute 9.684 seconds.

Sam Tordoff was fastest in the free practice sessions

As the session ended it was Sam Tordoff at the top of the time sheet with Aron Smith 2nd, Alain Menu 3rd and Jason Plato was 4th. Adam Morgan was 5th fastest for WIX Racing, just half a second behind Tordoff. The Hondas of Gordon Shedden and Andrew Jordan were 6th and 7th with Marc Hynes, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Martin Depper rounding out the top 10.

Other notable results were former BTCC champions Matt Neal in 12th and Colin Turkington in 16th. It looks like it will be a battle between the Volkswagen CCs and the MG6s for pole position in the qualifying session later this afternoon and we will have all the action for you later today in the battle for pole position for the first race tomorrow.

Touring Car content supplied by MJP Media