Photo: PSP Images

Jason Plato sets the benchmark at the Snetterton 300

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Jason Plato has set the fastest time in the first free practice session at the new 3-mile layout at Snetterton. The Chevrolet driver lead the Honda of Gordon Shedden and James Nash’s Triple Eight Vectra.

Plato, Shedden and Nash were the only drivers to break the 2:00 minute barrier, with Plato’s best lap a 1:59.797, just over a tenth of a second faster than the Honda Civic of Gordon Shedden, who will carry 27kg of success ballast in qualifying and for the first race tomorrow.

Championship leader Matt Neal was fourth fastest, just ahead of Tom Chilton in the Arena Motorsport Ford Focus.

BTCC newcomer Martin Byford was 12th fastest in the AmD Milltek Racing VW Golf, 1.3s down on the fastest time of Plato.

The other newcomer, and new car in the session was that of Dan Welch in the Welch Motorsport Proton Gen-2. The car set five laps in the session and finished the session 25th fastest of the 26 entered for this round.