Mat Jackson gave his Motorbase team reason to be optimistic ahead of its return to the British Touring Car Championship, after setting the fastest time during the series’ tyre test day at Snetterton.
Jackson thrust his Ford Focus to the top of the standings with 20 minutes of the afternoon’s session to go, with his effort of 1:57.216s faster than any of his rival could manage on either side of lunch.
Andrew Jordan was second once more in the afternoon session, although ended the day with the third-fastest time after Colin Turkington – who was third after the lunch break – had set the benchmark earlier in the day.
The afternoon session featured a sole red flag early on but was otherwise trouble free as Dunlop assessed its soft tyre options for 2016 with the four leading teams.
Jordan and Turkington, along with Honda’s Matt Neal, ran Dunlop’s planned 2016 compound during the afternoon session, while West Surrey Racing’s Andy Priaulx completed his run on the tyre during in the morning.
Josh Cook also tried out the company’s planned compound for the championship’s visit to Thruxton, en route to the 14th fastest time.
MG driver Jordan had held the benchmark for much of the session, but Jackson set a blistering pace on the standard tyre as he simulated a qualifying run.
Jason Plato was limited by power-steering issues in his Team BMR Volkswagen, but still ended the day with the fourth fastest time in the combined standings thanks to his effort in the morning session, while Priaulx set his best time on the 2015 soft compound tyre in the afternoon session.
The championship returns to the Norfolk circuit in three weeks’ time for rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the season.