Turner tops first Thruxton practice
SEAT driver Darren Turner topped the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s first practice session at Thruxton this morning. Turner’s fastest lap in his ballast-free SEAT Leon was set in a time of 1m18.354s – a dizzying average speed of 108.23mph. It was sufficient to put him 0.115s ahead of the 1m18.469s set by next best Tom Chilton in his Vauxhall Vectra.
Chilton’s team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi, fresh from his two wins at Rockingham and now up to second in the championship standings, was third fastest in time of 1m18.659s, the last driver to break the 1m19s barrier.
As predicted, Mike Jordan was among the front-runners at a circuit where the slippery aerodynamics of his Eurotech/John Guest-Speedfit Honda Integra pays dividends. Jordan was fourth fastest on 1m19.022s. Just a fraction adrift in fifth, on 1m19.197s, was the championship leader Jason Plato, his SEAT Leon carrying maximum success ballast.
It is also worth noting that the cars of Giovanardi and Chilton, second and third in the standings, are also laden with ballast, although this did not deter them from putting on a spectacular two-wheel act over the kerbs through the Club chicane.
Completing the top six was Gareth Howell in Motorbase Performance’s SEAT Toledo, with a time of 1m19.516s.
Seventh and eighth were the Team Halfords Hondas of Gordon Shedden and reigning champion Matt Neal, both winners at Thruxton last year. Ninth was another driver victorious here 12 months ago, Colin Turkington in his Team RAC BMW 320si E90.
