Photo: PSP Images

Tom Chilton fastest in first free practice

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Tom Chilton topped the times in the first free practice session at Thruxton in his Arena Ford Focus, ahead of the Special Tuning Racing SEAT of Tom Boardman and Mat Jackson’s Focus ST.

Chilton’s best lap of 1:18.551 put him over two-tenths ahead of Boardman’s SEAT Leon in the 40 minute session.

The two Hondas of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal were fifth and sixth fastest, with the AmD Milltek Racing VW Golf of Tom Onslow-Cole seventh, seperating them from Jason Plato, who is running with just 9kg of penalty ballast this weekend after dropping to fifth in the standings after his troubles at Donington Park.

Championship leader James Nash, carrying 45kg of ballast a result, was 11th quickest in the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra, 1.5 seconds down.

Rob Austin only managed two laps in the session in his Audi A4, pulling into the pits with smoke bellowing out of his NGTC-specification Audi A4, which meant only 20 cars set competitive times in practice.