Colin Turkington tops Rockingham test

Colin Turkington topped the first official British Touring Car Championship test of 2009. On the way he smashed the lap record at Rockingham.
“It’s a great start and a great confidence booster for everyone in the team, but how much it all really means I’m not sure,” said Turkington to BTCC.net.

While he was almost four tenths faster than his closest opponent, he is not sure of what the others have in store performance wise.

“I doubt Vauxhall have yet shown their full hand, for example. What is really encouraging, though, is this is not the best circuit for the BMW and next Tuesday we’re at Brands Hatch where we are at our strongest.”

Second fastest was reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, 0.388 seconds behind the BMW-driver. Third fastest was Turkington’s team mate Stephen Jelley, 0.531 seconds behind.

Matt Neal was fourth fastest ahead of Vauxhall new boy Andrew Jordan. Gordon Shedden claimed sixth fastest time ahead of Harry Vaulkhard in the Tempus Sport Chevrolet Lacetti.

Best Motorbase Performance, now named Airwave BMW, driver was Robert Collard in eigth, over a second slower than rival BMW-driver Turkington.

Collard’s team mate had an even worse day as he only was able to complete six laps. The differential of his BMW 320si broke and he had to retire from the test early.

Adam Jones was ninth fastest in his team mate Dav Eave’s car. The Cartridge World Carbon Zero Racing preprared SEAT Léon of Jones did not fire up which meant that the two team mates had to share car during the test. Eaves was 12th fastest.

The much anticipated Team Aon Ford Focus was 16th fastest of the 17 cars on track today. Tom Chilton’s best time was 1:27.218, almost four seconds slower than Turkington, showing that there is a lot of development work still to be done for the team.