Van Diemen to the fore in heats

FFord Zetec title runner-up Patrick Long won the first heat in his factory Van Diemen from the Murray Racing Van Diemen of champion Robert Dahlgren. Long started fourth, but took second off the line and passed pole-sitter Dahlgren to secure the race spoils and pole for tomorrow's first semi-final with a great move into Paddock Hill Bend. Haywood Racing works Mygale ace Ronnie Bremer finished third.

Long's factory Van Diemen team mate Richard Goransson passed pole-sitter Adam Carroll's Sweeney-Hopper Van Diemen at the first turn to take a dominant second heat win from the Ulsterman. Haywood Racing's Westley Barber took third, despite dropping back in the early stages to fifth. Goransson's overall race speed was not quick enough to secure pole for his semi-final though.

Swede Robin Rudholm took the third heat win in his factory Van Diemen, but the sensation of the race was event rookie Ho Pin Tung with a stunning drive in the Van Amersfoort Racing-run Mygale.

The Dutchman took second from third on the grid around the outside of the Druids hairpin, but succumbed to the Team JLR Van Diemen of Robert Bell and the DDR Van Diemen of Ulsterman Ivor McCullough as the race went on.

Tim Sugden Motorsport Van Diemen driver Jan Heylen was the first high-profile casualty of the weekend, spinning out of the fourth heat from third. The Belgian sealed his path to the semi-finals by recovering to 14th, but is now pretty much out of contention.

The race win went to Dutchman Stefan de Groot in his Geva Racing Mygale. Haywood Racing's South African Alan van der Merwe took second place - the best result of the day for Haywood - while Gary Turkington took third in his works Van Diemen.