Practice: MG on top

"It doesn't actually feel that good," said Reid after the two 40-minute sessions, "but the thing that counts is that the car's quick - well it seems that way, because I'm not sure how hard the Vauxhalls were trying."

Second fastest was a Vauxhall - James Thompson's works car - and team boss Ian Harrison scorned suggestions that his drivers had something in hand. "That's it. That's as fast as it will go," he claimed. Thompson's car is carrying 54kg more than Reid's MG under the success ballast system.

The second works Astra missed the whole of the second session after concentrating on race set-up in the first. A fuel pump problem, which could only be fixed with the engine out, was the reason for Muller's time out.

The rest of the Triple Eight Vauxhalls were evenly matched with Warren Hughes MG. Hughes, third fastest with Paul O'Neill and Matt Neal next up, all within 0.030s.

Alan Morrison completed the top six - the Honda, like the MG benefiting greatly from the recent Snetterton test day. Andy Priaulx missed much of the second session while the set-up was changed, and had a big moment at Copse when he emerged at the end.

In BTC Production, Kelvin Burt - subbing for the banned Gavin Pyper in the Alfa 156 (for separate story, click here.) - was clearly quickest, though James Kaye did not set a time in the second session as the Synchro Motorsport crew made a gearing change on the Honda Civic Type R.


Anthony Reid (MG ZS) 1m27.607s 92.41mph
James Thompson (Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1m27.909s 92.10mph
Warren Hughes (MG ZS) 1m28.017s 91.98mph
Paul O'Neill (Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1m28.033s 91.97mph
Matt Neal (Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1m28.047s 91.95mph
Alan Morrison (Honda Civic Type R) 1m28.283s 91.71mph
Dan Eaves (Peugeot 406 Coupe) 1m28.287s 91.70mph
Andy Priaulx (Honda Civic Type R) 1m28.369s 91.62mph
Yvan Muller (Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1m28.374s 91.61mph
Tim Harvey (Peugeot 406 Coupe) 1m28.509s 91.47mph


Kelvin Burt (Alfa Romeo 156) 1m32.705s 87.33mph
Mark Fullalove (Peugeot 306) 1m33.275s 86.80mph
James Kaye (Honda Civic Type-R) 1m33.327s 86.75mph