Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish set the pace in a wet opening British Touring Car Championship practice session at Donington Park.
A quickest time of 1:19.925 in the Honda Civic Type R FK8 secured the multiple Porsche Carrera Cup GB champion the early bragging rights, with Josh Cook’s Vauxhall Astra 0.027 seconds adrift.
With consistent rainfall at the Leicestershire venue, Dunlop’s BluResponse wet tyres were the only realistic option, with the entire 32-car grid opting for the rubber.
The opening ten minutes saw a flurry of different drivers take turns atop the timesheets, with Brands Hatch winner Jack Goff, local racer Andrew Jordan, Cammish, Brett Smith and the Mercedes pairing of Aiden Moffat and Tom Oliphant all enjoying a stint out front.
Cammish eventually settled at the head of the field in a fifteen minute period that saw times tumble by nearly six seconds, and from there was never headed, despite Cook’s effort in the latter stages.
He looked set to increase his advantage further still with a new purple first sector in the closing runs, but ultimately failed to improve on his time.
The top three, therefore, finished with Cook and Jordan chasing Cammish’s coattails, with reigning champion Ashley Sutton fourth in the Subaru Levorg GT.
The pace differential between all three Levorg machines was notable, with team-mates Jason Plato and Josh Price down in the lower half of the field despite all cars now running the latest spec, Swindon-build Boxer engine.
Brett Smith reinforced Eurotech Racing’s early form in fifth ahead of Moffat and Motorbase’s James Cole.
Rory Butcher was eighth in the leading AmD-run MG6 GT, with Goff and Adam Morgan rounding out the top ten.
Chilton came next, edging out an ever-improving Matt Simpson and rookie Oliphant, with James Nash and Matt Neal – who expects the FK8 to shine this weekend on a circuit where long straights will allow its aero package to flourish – in fifteenth.
The second practice session is due to get underway in the East Midlands at 12:35.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH |  |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 20 | 1:19.925 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 66 | Josh COOK | |
Power Maxed TAG Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 17 | 1:19.952 | 0.027 |
| 3 | 77 | Andrew JORDAN | |
BMW Pirtek Racing | BMW 125i M Sport | 17 | 1:20.357 | 0.432 |
| 4 | 1 | Ashley SUTTON | |
Adrian Flux Subaru Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 18 | 1:20.415 | 0.490 |
| 5 | 39 | Brett SMITH | |
WIX Racing with Eurotech | Honda Civic Type R | 19 | 1:20.479 | 0.554 |
| 6 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | |
Laser Tools Racing | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 23 | 1:20.501 | 0.576 |
| 7 | 20 | James COLE | |
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher | Ford Focus RS | 19 | 1:20.534 | 0.609 |
| 8 | 6 | Rory BUTCHER | |
AmD with AutoAid / RCIB Insurance Racing | MG 6 | 25 | 1:20.629 | 0.704 |
| 9 | 31 | Jack GOFF | |
WIX Racing with Eurotech | Honda Civic Type R | 22 | 1:20.748 | 0.823 |
| 10 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | |
MAC Tools with Ciceley Motorsport | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 22 | 1:20.768 | 0.843 |
| 11 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | |
Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher | Ford Focus RS | 21 | 1:20.820 | 0.895 |
| 12 | 303 | Matt SIMPSON | |
Simpson Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 25 | 1:20.833 | 0.908 |
| 13 | 15 | Tom OLIPHANT | |
Ciceley Motorsport | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 23 | 1:20.848 | 0.923 |
| 14 | 14 | James NASH | |
BTC Norlin Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 20 | 1:21.046 | 1.121 |
| 15 | 25 | Matt NEAL | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 21 | 1:21.116 | 1.191 |
| 16 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | |
BTC Norlin Racing | Honda Civic Type R | 19 | 1:21.127 | 1.202 |
| 17 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | |
Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota Avensis | 19 | 1:21.128 | 1.203 |
| 18 | 2 | Colin TURKINGTON | |
Team BMW | BMW 125i M Sport | 17 | 1:21.382 | 1.457 |
| 19 | 18 | Senna PROCTOR | |
Power Maxed TAG Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 18 | 1:21.474 | 1.549 |
| 20 | 600 | Sam TORDOFF | |
Team GardX Racing with Motorbase | Ford Focus RS | 17 | 1:21.568 | 1.643 |
| 21 | 11 | Rob AUSTIN | |
DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing | Alfa Romeo Giulietta | 16 | 1:21.602 | 1.677 |
| 22 | 12 | Tom BOARDMAN | |
AmD with AutoAid / RCIB Insurance Racing | MG 6 | 17 | 1:21.613 | 1.688 |
| 23 | 48 | Ollie JACKSON | |
AmD with Cobra Exhausts | Audi S3 | 18 | 1:21.687 | 1.762 |
| 24 | 21 | Mike BUSHELL | |
Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing | Volkswagen CC | 19 | 1:21.710 | 1.785 |
| 25 | 28 | Josh PRICE | |
Autoglym Academy Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 18 | 1:21.901 | 1.976 |
| 26 | 60 | Stephen JELLEY | |
Team Parker Racing | BMW 125i M Sport | 23 | 1:22.219 | 2.294 |
| 27 | 23 | Sam SMELT | |
AmD with Cobra Exhausts | Audi S3 | 23 | 1:22.514 | 2.589 |
| 28 | 5 | Rob COLLARD | |
Team BMW | BMW 125i M Sport | 19 | 1:22.850 | 2.925 |
| 29 | 99 | Jason PLATO | |
Adrian Flux Subaru Racing | Subaru Levorg GT | 13 | 1:22.929 | 3.004 |
| 30 | 19 | Bobby THOMPSON | |
Team HARD. with Trade Price Cars | Volkswagen CC | 5 | 1:26.570 | 6.645 |
| 31 | 44 | Michael CAINE | |
Team HARD. with Trade Price Cars | Volkswagen CC | 2 | No time | N/A |
| 32 | 24 | Jake HILL | |
Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing | Volkswagen CC | 2 | No time | N/A |