BTCC Thruxton: Aron Smith fastest in free practice

The Irishman's 1m17.325s effort edged Honda's Matt Neal on Saturday afternoon, as he usurped the championship leader at the top of the times after a mid-session red flag.

Neal led a Civic Type-R one-two in the early part of FP2 but after a stoppage to recover Dan Welch's Proton from the barrier at the final chicane, Smith came to the fore.

The Volkswagen CC driver improved to beat Neal by 0.170s, with MG's Jack Goff third and just 0.003s slower than the three-time champion.

Goff's MG team-mate Andrew Jordan was next up, ahead of WSR's Andy Priaulx and the next VW of 2014 champion Colin Turkington.

Thruxton was the scene of three big accidents last season, and Gordon Shedden survived a spectacular spin at the exit of Church to go seventh fastest in FP2.

Donington Park race winner Jason Plato topped the morning session, but he failed to register a time in FP2.

The double champion edged out Priaulx on a 1m17.575s in his VW, but he suffered a tyre failure right at the end of the session that caused him to nose his CC into the tyres at the final chicane.

He emerged for an installation lap in the afternoon, but nothing more.

Ex-Formula 1 driver Martin Donnelly is making his BTCC debut this weekend.

He was 24th in FP1, 3.1s off the pace, but pulled off on the start-finish straight at the end of FP2 and was slowest of those to set a representative laptime.

FREE PRACTICE 1

FREE PRACTICE 2