Donington local George Gamble led the times in a rain-affected second practice session for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit.
A sprinkling of rain in the gap between sessions necessitated a split tyre choice throughout the field, and Gamble’s best time of 1m34.836s came 10 minutes into the practice, and just before the rain intensified, which scuppered chances of any further improvements.
Once more, the session was affected by red flags, this time to cover the stopped car of Team HARD driver Daryl DeLeon at Coppice. The session resumed with five minutes remaining, but with the track surface considerably wetter than at the start, Gamble’s time was untroubled.
The Toyota Corolla ended up 0.031s clear of Team BMW’s Adam Morgan, with NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Rowbottom taking third and a quarter of a second further back.
Morgan’s teammate and Gamble’s fellow local man Stephen Jelley was a tenth in arrears in fourth, and 0.152s clear of the third BMW 330e M Sport of Colin Turkington.
Aron Taylor-Smith was sixth in the CarStore Power Maxed Vauxhall Astra, ahead of the final BMW of Jake Hill.
Dan Lloyd was the lead Team HARD Cupra runner, 0.070s quicker than the second Vauxhall of Andrew Watson, with Michael Crees’ Cupra completing a top-10 covered by 1.403s.
The next BTCC action is qualifying, which is scheduled for 15.40.
Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Donington Park GP, free practice 2 top-10 result:
1. George Gamble, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, Toyota Corolla GR Sport, 1m34.836s
2. Adam Morgan, Team BMW, BMW 330e M Sport, +0.031s
3. Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK, Ford Focus ST, +0.298s
4. Stephen Jelley, Team BMW, 330e M Sport, +0.418s
5. Colin Turkington, Team BMW, 330e M Sport, +0.570s
6. Aron Taylor-Smith, CarStore Power Maxed Racing, Vauxhall Astra, +0.689s
7. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, BMW 330e M Sport, +0.860s
8. Daniel Lloyd, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils, Cupra Leon, +1.088s
9. Andrew Watson, CarStore Power Maxed Racing, Vauxhall Astra, +1.158s
10. Michael Crees, Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils, Cupra Leon, +1.403s
Click here for full result
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