Brands Hatch Practice Two

SEAT stayed on top of the times in second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship practice at Brands Hatch, with Jason Plato this time setting the pace. Plato ended up fastest with a lap in 49.532s around the short Brands Indy circuit.

He was eclipsing the time set by his team-mate Darren Turner who was fastest in session one. However, Turner was forced to sit out this session – his mechanics have been forced to change his Leon’s engine after it scooped in gravel when he slid off the track at the end of first practice.

Second fastest, getting to within 0.003s of Plato, was Team Halfords Honda Integra driver Gordon Shedden. These two were more than 2/10ths of a second clear of the rest, headed by Shedden’s team-mate Gareth Howell.

Mike Jordan, third in first practice, again impressed with the fourth quickest time in his Team Eurotech Racing with John Guest Integra. Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi and Team Halfords’ Matt Neal, the series leader, completed the top six. Like Jordan, Jason Hughes was also mighty in his Kartworld Racing MG ZS, winding up ninth overall.

But there were problems for Col Turkington, Neal’s closest rival in the standings. His Team RAC MG spent much of the session undergoing work in the pit lane and he could only manage 12 laps – around half the number of the leading drivers – and was back in 12th spot.

Brands’ notorious Paddock Hill bend caused dramas for several drivers: Vauxhall’s Gavin Smith and BTC Racing’s Chris Stockton both skittered through its gravel trap, but Richard Marsh was not so lucky, his Team Farecla Peugeot 307 becoming stuck there. This caused the session to be halted briefly while marshals retrieved the car.

Another driver to suffer a minor off was Quest Racing’s Eoin Murray who spun his Alfa Romeo 156 at Clearways but was able to rejoin.