The first barrage of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) action at Croft got underway with the first free practice session of the weekend this morning, as Laser Tools Racing’s Aiden Moffat posted the fastest time around the 2.13-mile circuit with just moments remaining in the 40-minute session.
The 19-year-old posted a 1:25.038, which was just 0.026 seconds ahead of 2013 champion, Motorbase’s Andrew Jordan, as points leader Sam Tordoff put his platinum-liveried BMW 125i M Sport third, even with maximum success ballast. The top three drivers were separated by just 0.103 seconds.
Speedworks’ Tom Ingram continues his 2016 BTCC campaign in fine style, as the Toyota Avensis driver narrowly missed out of being in the top three by just 0.010 seconds, with WIX Racing’s Adam Morgan making both Mercedes’ reach the top five.
The best of the Silverline Subaru BMR drivers during the session was current lap record holder Colin Turkington in seventh, with two-time champion Jason Plato being in the thick of the action in the early goings, but ended up 12th fastest. Team owner/driver Warren Scott and James Cole would be within a second of the pace set by the front runners, placing 19th and 20th respectively.
Defending champion, Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Gordon Shedden, was the best of the Honda ranks in eighth, as Team BKR’s Arón Smith and Eurotech Racing’s Martin Depper completed the top ten. Three-time champion Matt Neal was over two tenths slower that long-time rival Plato, but was ahead of young stars Josh Cook and Jack Goff.
Daniel Lloyd was the best of the rookies in 11th place, just 0.026 seconds behind team mate Depper, with MG Racing RCIB Insurance’s Ashley Sutton close behind in 12th.
The top 22 drivers were incredibly close after the end of the first practice session, with AmD Essex’s Ollie Jackson 1.179 seconds behind pace setter Moffatt in his Audi S3.
Free Practice two gets underway at 12:00 British Summer Time, lasting for 40 minutes.
Session results
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT |  |
Laser Tools Racing | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 18 | 1:25.038 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 77 | Andrew JORDAN | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus | 16 | 1:25.064 | 0.026 | |
| 3 | 600 | C | Sam TORDOFF | |
Team JCT600 with GardX | BMW 125i M Sport | 16 | 1:25.141 | 0.103 |
| 4 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | |
Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota Avensis | 23 | 1:25.151 | 0.113 | |
| 5 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | |
WIX Racing | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 17 | 1:25.183 | 0.145 | |
| 6 | 4 | M | Colin TURKINGTON | |
Silverline Subaru BMR Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 17 | 1:25.192 | 0.154 |
| 7 | 52 | M | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 16 | 1:25.334 | 0.296 |
| 8 | 40 | Árón SMITH |  |
BKR | Volkswagen CC | 18 | 1:25.401 | 0.363 | |
| 9 | 30 | Martin DEPPER | |
Eurotech Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 17 | 1:25.469 | 0.431 | |
| 10 | 23 | Daniel LLOYD | |
Eurotech Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 15 | 1:25.495 | 0.457 | |
| 11 | 116 | M | Ashley SUTTON | |
MG Racing RCIB Insurance | MG6GT | 18 | 1:25.528 | 0.490 |
| 12 | 99 | M | Jason PLATO | |
Silverline Subaru BMR Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 15 | 1:25.535 | 0.497 |
| 13 | 25 | M | Matt NEAL | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 14 | 1:25.751 | 0.713 |
| 14 | 66 | M | Josh COOK | |
MG Racing RCIB Insurance | MG6GT | 17 | 1:25.764 | 0.726 |
| 15 | 31 | C | Jack GOFF | |
Team IHG Rewards Club | BMW 125i M Sport | 15 | 1:25.810 | 0.772 |
| 16 | 55 | Jeff SMITH | |
Eurotech Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 16 | 1:25.840 | 0.802 | |
| 17 | 11 | Rob AUSTIN | |
Handy Motorsport | Toyota Avensis | 18 | 1:25.844 | 0.806 | |
| 18 | 100 | C | Rob COLLARD | |
Team JCT600 with GardX | BMW 125i M Sport | 13 | 1:25.941 | 0.903 |
| 19 | 39 | M | Warren SCOTT | |
Silverline Subaru BMR Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 20 | 1:25.980 | 0.942 |
| 20 | 20 | M | James COLE | |
Silverline Subaru BMR Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 9 | 1:26.003 | 0.965 |
| 21 | 7 | Mat JACKSON | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus | 14 | 1:26.132 | 1.094 | |
| 22 | 48 | Ollie JACKSON | |
AmD Tuning | Audi S3 | 18 | 1:26.217 | 1.179 | |
| 23 | 24 | Jake HILL | |
RCIB Insurance Racing | Toyota Avensis | 18 | 1:26.609 | 1.571 | |
| 24 | 12 | Mike EPPS | |
RCIB Insurance Racing | Toyota Avensis | 19 | 1:26.628 | 1.590 | |
| 25 | 17 | Dan WELCH | |
Goodestone Racing | Proton Persona | 10 | 1:27.183 | 2.145 | |
| 26 | 14 | Alex MARTIN | |
Dextra Racing with Team Parker | Ford Focus | 17 | 1:27.269 | 2.231 | |
| 27 | 303 | Matt SIMPSON | |
Speedworks Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R | 18 | 1:27.284 | 2.246 | |
| 28 | 53 | Hunter ABBOTT | |
Power Maxed Racing | Chevrolet Cruze | 14 | 1:27.385 | 2.347 | |
| 29 | 95 | Stewart LINES | |
Maximum Motorsport | Ford Focus | 17 | 1:27.735 | 2.697 | |
| 30 | 38 | Mark HOWARD | |
BKR | Volkswagen CC | 18 | 1:28.457 | 3.419 | |
| 31 | 84 | Kelvin FLETCHER | |
Power Maxed Racing | Chevrolet Cruze | 17 | 1:28.783 | 3.745 | |
| 32 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | |
TLC Racing | Toyota Avensis | 8 | 1:28.880 | 3.842 |