Smith on top in Thruxton BTCC test
Eurotech Racing’s Jeff Smith lapped fastest in this afternoon’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship test session from Thruxton, completing a double on the day after his timesheet topper set during this morning’s running.
Smith was joined by three more Honda Civic Type Rs in the top four in Gordon Shedden, Jack Goff and Matt Neal. That quartet also lapped well inside Tom Ingram’s qualifying lap record set last year around the Hampshire circuit.
“The car felt good and to be honest with you, there’s still some more in it,” said Smith.
“It’s quite a hard thing to get around Thruxton. There’s obviously a lot of high speed areas where you need stability in the car and then there’s the technical areas where you need good rotation so it’s hard to find that compromise between the two.
“We’re fairly close. The big chunks are easy to find it’s the little ones that aren’t. We made quite a big change prior to session two with the intention of that being a subtle change to the car – trying to find a different way of achieving the same thing through the high speed stuff.
“I normally go pretty well around here and you have to say after that, that if I can put in a lap like that on Quali day then that’d suit us!”
Laser Tools Racing’s Aiden Moffat was the first of the non-Honda runners in his Mercedes-Benz A-Class, followed by the sister Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes of Adam Morgan in sixth.
Morning Times
1Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing1m16.887s (110.31 mph)2Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport+0.319s3Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.480s4Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo+0.521s5Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.546s6 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.554s7 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing+0.556s8 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing+0.567s9Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW+0.729s10Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing+0.834s11Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing+0.837s12 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport+0.972s13Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing+0.979s14Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport+1.154s15Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.205s16 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.331s17Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW+1.556s18 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.790s19Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport+1.883s20 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.901s21 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +2.190s
Afternoon Times
1Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing1m15.941s (111.68 mph)2Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing+0.095s3 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing+0.151s4 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing+0.273s5Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing+0.662s6Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport+0.772s7Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.850s8Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing+0.913s9Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport+1.017s10Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW+1.088s11Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.221s12Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +1.342s13 Mat Jackson (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.344s14 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport+1.388s15 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW+1.407s16Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo+1.476s17 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.520s18Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport+1.549s19Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing+1.825s20 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +1.837s21 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.968s