Speedworks Motorsport’s Dave Newsham set the quickest time during the first practice session of the day, followed by team mate Ollie Jackson on the Brands Hatch GP Circuit.
Sam Tordoff and Aron Smith got their respective machines to third and fourth respectively whilst Tom Onslow-Cole rounded out the top five.
Making his second appearance this season, Jake Hill made his NGTC debut in the Rob Austin Racing Exocet liveried Audi A4. The youngster, who took part in his career first BTCC weekend at Croft with Addison Lee Motorbase, ended the session in an impressive sixth.
Mat Jackson continued with the impressive Airwaves Racing pace shown at Silverstone to secure seventh, with Matt Neal – the first of the championship contenders to make an appearance on the timing sheets – coming home eighth ahead of team mate and reigning champ Gordon Shedden. Adam Morgan rounded out the top ten.
Championship leader Andrew Jordan ended the session in fourteenth place, whilst Colin Turkington and Jason Plato sixteenth and twenty-fourth respectively.
Despite sunny conditions, yesterday’s winds and rain left the track greasy ahead of this morning’s activity. An ever changing track saw FP1 delayed shortly whilst marshals recovered the stricken Dynojet Toyota of Frank Wrathall who had an excursion at Clearways.
FP1 Classification:
1) Dave Newsham
2) Ollie Jackson
3) Sam Tordoff
4) Aron Smith
5) Tom Onslow-Cole
6) Jake Hill
7) Mat Jackson
8) Matt Neal
9) Gordon Shedden
10) Adam Morgan
11) Lea Wood
12) Rob Austin
13) Warren Scott
14) Andrew Jordan
15) Liam Griffin
16) Colin Turkington
17) Tom Barley
18) Jack Goff
19) Nick Foster
20) Dan Welch
21) Rob Collard
22) Shaun Hollamby
23) Aiden Moffat
24) Jason Plato
25) Frank Wrathall By Nikki Thompson – Photos by Marc Waller
