Turkington fastest in Croft practice
Colin Turkington set the pace in practice for this weekend's British Touring Car Championship round at Croft in North Yorkshire
The Team RAC driver was quickest in the opening session in his BMW in 1:26.136 to wind up an impressive 0.422 seconds clear of Gordon Shedden's Team Halfords Honda.
Shedden set the pace in the afternoon session, but his time was slower overall than the mark he managed in the morning. This trend was echoed by most of the drivers in the top ten overall, while those further back tended to improve on their times in the later session.
Behind Turkington, who won at Croft last year, and Shedden, came Jason Plato, an excellent third quickest despite the former champion carrying 36 kilos of success ballast aboard his SEAT Leon TDI. Plato spun at Sunny corner in the morning session, but did not hit anything.
Tom Chilton and Darren Turner - teammates to Shedden and Plato respectively - were two of the three drivers in the top ten who did improve in the afternoon session, the Honda and SEAT drivers improving from eighth and ninth to fourth and fifth.
Matt Neal was the best of Vauxhall's trio of drivers in sixth, one place ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole and three ahead of champion and championship leader Fabrizio Giovanardi, carrying 45 kilos of ballast.
Adam Jones, who ripped the sump off his Team Air-Cool SEAT on the Clervaux kerbs in the first session, was eighth quickest overall while Mat Jackson completed the top ten for BMW Dealer Team UK.
Robertshaw Racing suffered a dismal start to their home race with Harry Vaulkhard failing to get out in either session in his Chevrolet Lacetti due to clutch problems, while his teammate Alan Taylor, who also missed first practice due to a broken halfshaft, did at least make it onto the track in his newly-liveried Honda Intergra.
Elsewhere, there were three offs for Turkish driver Erkut Kizilirmak, who did no damage to his Arkas Vauxhall Astra, and one for John George, who ripped off his TH Motorsport Honda's left front wheel arch.
Practice 1 Pos Driver Make Time 1. Colin Turkington BMW 1:26.136 2. Gordon Shedden Honda 1:26.558 + 0.422 3. Jason Plato SEAT 1:26.565 + 0.429 4. Matt Neal Vauxhall 1:26.896 + 0.760 5. Tom Onslow-Cole Vauxhall 1:26.908 + 0.772 6. Adam Jones SEAT 1:26.951 + 0.815 7. F.Giovanardi Vauxhall 1:27.051 + 0.915 8. Tom Chilton Honda 1:27.058 + 0.922 9. Darren Turner SEAT 1:27.143 + 1.007 10. Mat Jackson BMW 1:27.253 + 1.117 11. Steven Kane BMW 1:27.369 + 1.233 12. Jason Hughes Honda 1:27.965 + 1.829 13. Mike Jordan Honda 1:28.009 + 1.873 14. Rob Collard BMW 1:28.009 + 1.873 15. Andrew Jordan Honda 1:28.079 + 1.943 16. Stephen Jelley BMW 1:28.237 + 2.101 17. Chris Stockton SEAT 1:29.473 + 3.337 18. John George Honda 1:30.088 + 3.952 19. Martyn Bell Vauxhall 1:30.554 + 4.418 20. Erkut Kizilirmak Vauxhall 1:30.751 + 4.615 21. Michael Doyle Honda 1:30.847 + 4.711 22. Stuart Oliver SEAT 1:30.915 + 4.779 Practice 2 Pos Driver Make Time 1. Gordon Shedden Honda 1:26.687 2. Colin Turkington BMW 1:26.712 + 0.025 3. Jason Plato SEAT 1:26.767 + 0.080 4. Darren Turner SEAT 1:26.786 + 0.099 5. Tom Chilton Honda 1:26.809 + 0.122 6. Matt Neal Vauxhall 1:26.995 + 0.308 7. Mat Jackson BMW 1:27.098 + 0.411 8. Steven Kane BMW 1:27.142 + 0.455 9. Andrew Jordan Honda 1:27.269 + 0.582 10. Tom Onslow-Cole Vauxhall 1:27.356 + 0.669 11. Rob Collard BMW 1:27.366 + 0.679 12. Stephen Jelley BMW 1:27.434 + 0.747 13. Adam Jones SEAT 1:27.632 + 0.945 14. F.Giovanardi Vauxhall 1:27.903 + 1.216 15. Mike Jordan Honda 1:27.975 + 1.288 16. Jason Hughes Honda 1:28.398 + 1.711 17. Chris Stockton SEAT 1:28.948 + 2.261 18. John George Honda 1:29.211 + 2.524 19. Erkut Kizilirmak Vauxhall 1:29.634 + 2.947 20. Michael Doyle Honda 1:29.760 + 3.073 21. Martyn Bell Vauxhall 1:29.761 + 3.074 22. Alan Taylor Honda 1:30.570 + 3.883 23. Stuart Oliver SEAT 1:31.378 + 4.691
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