Plato leads SEAT 1-2

Plato eclipsed SEAT teammate and fellow former BTCC title winner James Thompson by seven tenths of a second in slowly drying conditions, but only after independent runner Martyn Bell had occupied pole for much of the session.

Bell, driving his independently-run ex-Dirk Muller BMW 320i, was the only driver to set a serious lap time in the opening part of the session before it was curtailed by Tom Chilton's heavy crash at Old Hall after just two laps.

Further rainfall slowed the track, and Plato and Thompson only eclipsed Bell's time in the closing minutes.

"Those must have been unbelievable laps from the SEATs," said Bell, who spun on his last lap of the session.

"It was still very tricky out there, but I'm not disappointed to be third! I didn't expect to be this far up the order."

Bell will share the second row of the grid with former independent and production class champion James Kaye's Synchro Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R.

Gordon Shedden was the best of the Team Dynamics Honda Integra-Rs in fifth, while championship leader Matt Neal struggled with electronics problem, which left him 12th on the grid, two places ahead of Fabrizio Giovanardi, who also went off during the session.

Tom Chilton will start from 18th and last on the grid after his off, with the third and best of the Vauxhalls, that of Gavin Smith, 10th.

Pos  Driver            Make                  Time             Laps
 1.  Jason Plato       SEAT Leon             1:35.063          14
 2.  James Thompson    SEAT Leon             1:35.329 + 0.266  16
 3.  Martyn Bell       BMW 320i E46          1:36.453 + 1.390  12
 4.  James Kaye        Honda Civic Type R    1:37.271 + 2.208  16
 5.  Gordon Shedden    Honda Integra         1:37.654 + 2.591  15
 6.  Robert Collard    MG ZS                 1:38.372 + 3.309  14
 7.  Mike Jordan       Honda Integra         1:38.422 + 3.359  14
 8.  Colin Turkington  MG ZS                 1:38.441 + 3.378  15
 9.  David Pinkney     Honda Integra         1:38.663 + 3.600  16
10.  Gavin Smith       Vauxhall Astra Sport  1:39.411 + 4.348  12
11.  Jason Hughes      MG ZS                 1:39.435 + 4.372  13
12.  Matt Neal         Honda Integra         1:39.582 + 4.519  13
13.  Fiona Leggate     Vauxhall Astra Coupe  1:39.622 + 4.559  15
14.  F. Giovanardi     Vauxhall Astra Sport  1:40.447 + 5.384   4
15.  Mark Smith        Alfa Romeo 156        1:41.501 + 6.438  15
16.  Adam Jones        Lexus IS200           1:44.377 + 9.314  12
17.  Tom Chilton       Vauxhall Astra Sport  2:39.718 +64.655   2