Photo: PSP Images

Rob Austin tops Free Practice 1 at Donington Park

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Handy Motorsport’s Rob Austin topped the first practice session of the weekend at Donington Park, finishing the session just three-hundredths of a second ahead of Eurotech Racing’s Jack Goff.

Austin’s best lap of 1:10.113 was just under a second off of Jason Plato’s 2014 lap record, which he set during the final ten minutes of the session, deposing then pace-setter Jake Hill in the Team HARD Volkswagen.

Jack Goff improved to go second fastest in the Eurotech Honda Civic, with Hill finishing the session down in third ahead of Speedworks’ Tom Ingram.

Colin Turkington was the best-placed of the West Surrey Racing BMWs in fifth, just over two-tenths of a second off Austin, with Michael Epps sixth fastest in the second quickest of the Team HARD Volkswagen CCs.

Aiden Moffat was seventh fastest in his Merceded A-Class, but missed the last minutes of the session after he was black-flagged for consistently exceeding track limits.

BTC Racing’s Chris Smiley was eighth fastest in the Chevrolet Cruze, with Ciceley Racing’s Adam Morgan and Subaru Team BMR’s Ash Sutton completing the top ten.

WSR BMW’s Rob Collard was just outside the top ten in 11th, with reigning champion Gordon Shedden the fastest of the Team Dynamics Hondas in 12th.

Motorbase Performance’s Luke Davenport, Speedworks’ Tom Ingram and West Surrey Racing BMW’s Andrew Jordan were also all given final warnings for exceeding track limits.

31 of the 32 cars entered set times, with Power Maxed Racing’s Senna Procter not setting a time in the Vauxhall Astra.

Free Practice 2 is scheduled for 12:25 BST.