Snetterton BTCC: Plato, Menu top practice sessions, Jordan crashes
Jason Plato topped British Touring Car Championship free practice at Snetterton as reigning champion Andrew Jordan was hospitalised after a high-speed crash
The opening session was damp and Alain Menu set the pace, the BMR Volkswagen Passat driver being the only man to crack the two-minute barrier.
But the most important moment came when Jordan, who had just gone fourth fastest in his Eurotech Honda Civic, crashed at Riches.
He was taken to hospital, but is believed to have avoided serious injury and hopes to take part in Sunday's races.
Plato, who failed to record a flying lap in the morning, moved to the top of the timesheets early in practice two.
He set a string of fastest laps and his 1m56.197s, half a second inside Sam Tordoff's 2013 pole time, was over a second quicker than the next best.
"We haven't put [new] tyres on, we're just going through our programme," said Plato. "We've got a good balance, but the others will catch up I'm sure."
Championship leader Colin Turkington's WSR BMW was one of the late improvers to go second on a 1m57.373s.
The Ciceley Mercedes of Adam Morgan set its best time as it took the flag, which was enough to go third, just ahead of the Motorbase Ford Focus of Mat Jackson.
Jack Goff had a strong showing in his first outing since switching from BMR's Vauxhall Insignia to the squad's Passat. After going second in the damp session, he ended up fifth in the dry.
Matt Neal was the leading Honda contender, his works Civic Tourer going ninth on a 1m57.970s, while title contender Gordon Shedden was only 12th.
Practice 1 Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps 1. Alain Menu BMR VW 1m59.701s 6 2. Jack Goff BMR VW 2m00.244s +0.543s 8 3. Tom Ingram Speedworks Toyota 2m00.280s +0.579s 8 4. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda 2m00.374s +0.673s 7 5. Gordon Shedden Honda 2m00.672s +0.971s 8 6. James Cole UA Toyota 2m01.119s +1.418s 8 7. Dave Newsham AmD Ford 2m01.250s +1.549s 9 8. Rob Austin RAR Audi 2m01.365s +1.664s 8 9. Warren Scott BMR VW 2m01.441s +1.740s 8 10. Matt Neal Honda 2m01.503s +1.802s 9 11. Lea Wood Houseman Toyota 2m01.937s +2.236s 8 12. Hunter Abbott RAR Audi 2m02.049s +2.348s 9 13. Aron Smith BMR VW 2m02.304s +2.603s 8 14. Jack Clarke Motorbase Ford 2m02.480s +2.779s 10 15. Fabrizio Giovanardi Motorbase Ford 2m02.689s +2.988s 8 16. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 2m02.692s +2.991s 8 17. Martin Depper Eurotech Honda 2m03.933s +4.232s 8 18. Robb Holland Rotek Audi 2m06.730s +7.029s 8 19. Aiden Moffat Moffat Chevrolet 2m07.320s +7.619s 8 20. Chris Stockton BTC Chevrolet 2m07.364s +7.663s 8 21. Simon Belcher Handy Toyota 2m08.173s +8.472s 7 22. Sam Tordoff MG 2m09.295s +9.594s 8 23. Rob Collard WSR BMW 2m10.815s +11.114s 7 24. Marc Hynes MG 2m12.185s +12.484s 7 25. Glynn Geddie UA Toyota 2m18.191s +18.490s 6 26. Jason Plato MG No time set 8 27. Colin Turkington WSR BMW No time set 8 28. Adam Morgan Ciceley Mercedes No time set 8 29. Nick Foster WSR BMW No time set 6 30. Ollie Jackson Welch Proton No time set 4 31. Dan Welch Welch Proton No time set 4 Practice 2 Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps 1. Jason Plato MG 1m56.197s 14 2. Colin Turkington WSR BMW 1m57.373s +1.176s 15 3. Adam Morgan Ciceley Mercedes 1m57.403s +1.206s 16 4. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 1m57.433s +1.236s 14 5. Jack Goff BMR VW 1m57.652s +1.455s 14 6. Rob Collard WSR BMW 1m57.697s +1.500s 14 7. Sam Tordoff MG 1m57.721s +1.524s 15 8. Tom Ingram Speedworks Toyota 1m57.794s +1.597s 15 9. Matt Neal Honda 1m57.970s +1.773s 14 10. Alain Menu BMR VW 1m57.979s +1.782s 13 11. Glynn Geddie UA Toyota 1m58.041s +1.844s 14 12. Gordon Shedden Honda 1m58.320s +2.123s 13 13. Aron Smith BMR VW 1m58.353s +2.156s 14 14. Nick Foster WSR BMW 1m58.369s +2.172s 15 15. Rob Austin RAR Audi 1m58.498s +2.301s 14 16. Fabrizio Giovanardi Motorbase Ford 1m58.561s +2.364s 14 17. Jack Clarke Motorbase Ford 1m58.707s +2.510s 15 18. Dave Newsham AmD Ford 1m58.747s +2.550s 13 19. Martin Depper Eurotech Honda 1m58.811s +2.614s 13 20. Marc Hynes MG 1m58.913s +2.716s 15 21. Lea Wood Houseman Toyota 1m59.064s +2.867s 16 22. Robb Holland Rotek Audi 1m59.118s +2.921s 14 23. Hunter Abbott RAR Audi 1m59.179s +2.982s 17 24. James Cole UA Toyota 1m59.883s +3.686s 16 25. Warren Scott BMR VW 1m59.977s +3.780s 9 26. Aiden Moffat Moffat Chevrolet 2m00.203s +4.006s 16 27. Chris Stockton BTC Chevrolet 2m01.026s +4.829s 11 28. Simon Belcher Handy Toyota 2m01.048s +4.851s 16 29. Dan Welch Welch Proton 2m02.665s +6.468s 12 30. Ollie Jackson Welch Proton 2m03.376s +7.179s 11
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