Matt Simpson has taken the early bragging rights by setting the pace in Free Practice 1 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship event at Snetterton.

The Honda Civic Type R driver was a front-runner for much of the latter stages of the drying session and the BTCC race winner timed it right by clocking a benchmark as the chequered flag fell.

A flash downpour greeted the drivers and teams first thing this morning and the 40-minute segment begun with most cars running the Dunlop BluResponse wet tyres. With sun soon returning to the Norfolk venue a dry line began to form and times tumbled for the remainder of the action.

Simpson and the VW of Mike Bushell traded times at the top as the seconds drifted away, but it was the former who produced the goods on his final attempt. BTC Norlin Racing's Chris Smiley also joined the party as he slid into second with a last gasp effort.

Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant completed a rather surprising top four line-up, ahead of former champion Andrew Jordan in the BMW Pirtek Racing car. AmD man Ollie Jackson was sixth, whilst Adam Morgan proved the prowess of the Mercedes A-Class with the next best effort.

Rory Butcher (AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing), Colin Turkington (Team BMW) and Senna Proctor (Power Maxed TAG Racing) rounded out the top ten, although the latter had a dramatic start to proceedings as he made contact with his Vauxhall team-mate Josh Cook on the green flag lap. Cook's Astra came off worse following the incident and the Bath racer failed to set a time as his PMR team set about repairing the damage.

A number of the BTCC's leading protagonists failed to trouble the top order, whilst Tom Ingram suffered even greater discomfort when his Toyota stopped out on track. The session was briefly stopped in order to retrieve Ingram's stricken Avensis and his Independent champion Speedworks squad are now working to ready his car for the next practice action.

The BTCC is set to enjoy an historic weekend with its diamond jubilee celebrations including a 'Diamond Double' 60-mile finale race on Sunday afternoon. Saturday's action also has a completely new look with two qualifying sessions taking place today – with the final ballast-free encounter setting the grid for tomorrow's headline event.

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Snetterton

1 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing 1m56.783s
2 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.054s
3 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +0.154s
4 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.329s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.356s
6 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +0.403s
7 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.522s
8 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.557s
9 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.642s
10 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.774s
11 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.282s
12 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.326s
13 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +1.432s
14 Michael CAINE (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +2.045s
15 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +2.175s
16 Dan LLOYD (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +2.409s
17 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +2.717s
18 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +3.081s
19 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +3.356s
20 Dan WELCH (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +4.696s
21 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +6.739s
22 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +7.817s
23 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +14.411s
24 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +14.941s
25 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +15.693s
26 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +19.165s
27 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing +21.504s
28 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +24.185s
29 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +26.003s
30 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +26.658s
31 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing NO TIME

Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rookie Bobby Thompson admits that the first half of his debut season hasn’t been as successful as he would have liked but he's looking to kick on from Snetterton – a celebratory weekend he's proud to be a part of.

“It is such an honour to be a part of this meeting, celebrating 60 years of the BTCC with the 'Diamond Double',” said Thompson. “They are going to be talking about it for years to come and I hope I will still be in the championship to listen to all those stories in another ten or so years’ time.

"It'll be one of those historic weekends that'll live long in the memory along with the likes of Silverstone 1996, when the championship supported the British Grand Prix, or the meeting at Donington Park in 1999 where Matt Neal won £250,000 as the first Independent driver to win a race outright.

"I wasn’t born when they supported the Formula 1 and I was too young to remember Matt’s win but all I know is that this is going to be the biggest race meeting of my life.”

The reigning VW Cup Series champion has yet to open his championship account but a positive test at Snetterton during the mid-season break, coupled with his charging drive in the final race at Croft, has left him in a buoyant mood.

“I can’t deny that my first half-season in the BTCC has been anything but a steep learning curve and after winning the VW Cup Series title last year it is tough knowing that you are going out there every time not fighting for a win but just fighting for a point or even a place in the top 20,” says Thompson.

“The third race at Croft was the first race all year where I could just catch, pass and pull away from anyone around me. I don’t think I have ever driven harder in my life but it felt great and it was good to give my team a real reason to pack up with smiles on their faces.

“I really feel that we turned the corner last time out. I just changed my approach to driving on worn tyres and it worked.

"I know Snetterton really well and while the 'Diamond Double' is a step into the unknown for most of us I genuinely think that I will be a real contender at the business end of the day.”

Sam Tordoff’s Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Ford Focus RS will sport an eye-popping new look at Snetterton this weekend as the Yorkshireman commemorates the special ‘Diamond Double’ event.

Tordoff’s one-off livery will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Norfolk track on Saturday as part of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s 60^thAnniversary celebrations, with the distinctive bright pink bodywork and contrasting black branding guaranteed to bring an extra splash of colour to the grid to help mark the occasion.

The six-time BTCC race winner is hopeful that the makeover will also bring some additional good fortune for his comeback campaign as the second half of the season gets underway on the 2.99 mile circuit.

Tordoff said: “We had such a great reaction to the JCT600 70th anniversary platinum livery that we ran at Croft in 2016. As soon as I had signed the contract with Motorbase to return to the BTCC this year, I was adamant that we should do something similar once again. The 60th BTCC anniversary celebrations at Snetterton seemed the perfect time to do it.

“We wanted to choose a colour that really made an impact on the track and also on TV. Bright pink has become my signature colour over recent years. My pink helmet attracts a lot of attention and comments - as you’d expect - and we wanted something special for the car, so it was a no-brainer to run with it!”

“It’s definitely going to grab people’s attention – who knows, we may even decide to keep it!” 

The 29-year-old heads into the second half of the season in confident form after a recent run of strong results in the GardX-backed Focus RS. Despite being the fastest qualifier on the grid so far this season, Tordoff’s race results have been hampered by a series of unfortunate and uncontrollable incidents – something the Yorkshireman hopes to put right this weekend.

“Snetterton is probably my most successful track, especially in the BTCC,” he added. “I’ve won there in everything that I’ve raced in and it’s one of my all-time favourite circuits. I took my fist Clio cup win there and also my first BTCC pole position and race win, so it holds great memories for me.”

As part of the 60^thanniversary celebrations, Snetterton also plays host to a one-off double distance, double points contest for the final race of the weekend. Following an additional 15-minute, base-weight qualifying session on the Saturday, all cars will also race the 20 lap distance free of the usual championship success-ballast.

“We’re going into the weekend well prepared,” continued Tordoff. “The team clocked up a huge amount of mileage on the recent two day tyre test, so I’ll have the knowledge to build on that data.

“Race 3 is going to be a true test to see where everyone’s cars really are when we’re not hampered by ballast. It’s going to be like Round 1 at Brands Hatch all over again. It’ll be interesting to see how our car stacks up against everyone else, both in qualifying and the race.

“It all bodes well for a good weekend. Hopefully the stars will finally align and we can get back to winning ways.”

The 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns from its summer hiatus this weekend (28-29 July) at Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk, witha special 'Diamond Double' race topping the bill.

The third race of the weekend on Sunday 29 July will be an extended, double-distance, 60-mile contest, with all cars competing without any success ballast and with double championship points on offer. A second base-weight qualifying session will take place on Saturday to decide the grid.

As ever, ITV Sport will have you covered live, free-to-air and exclusive, starting with qualifying on Saturday afternoon – streamed over at itv.com/btcc. Then, on Sunday, Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the BTCC will be live on ITV4, the ITV Hub and at itv.com/btcc with action from the support series’ over an eight-hour programme.

Snetterton 28/29 July

Qualifying 1 LIVE: Saturday 28 July
ITV.com/BTCC from 1505

Qualifying 2 LIVE: Saturday 28 July
ITV.com/BTCC from 1735

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 29 July
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030–1830
ITV4+1 1130–1930
ITV Hub 1030–1830
ITV.com/BTCC 1030–1830

Highlights: Saturday 4 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030-1200
ITV4 +1 1130-1300
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sun 5 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0630-0800
ITV4 +1 0730-0900

Highlights: Wednesday 8 August
ITV & ITV HD 2345-0105

BTC Norlin Racing and Daniel Lloyd headed into the summer break in buoyant mood, following respective maiden Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race victories for both driver and team back at Croft, and the Yorkshireman is determined to carry that momentum into the second half of the campaign.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the grid this weekend,” said Lloyd. “We finished the first half of the season with the perfect score, grabbing our first ever BTCC win for both me and the team. It was a fantastic feeling and one that I’d like to repeat! I’m still buzzing to be honest and can’t wait to get back in the car.”

Bert Taylor's BTC Norlin Racing outfit did not attend the mid-season test at Snetterton in the lead up to this weekend's visit to Norfolk, and as a result Lloyd suggests he'll be playing catch up to begin with on Saturday.

“It’ll be tough this weekend," he continued. "There’s a lot at stake with the double points on offer in Sunday's Diamond Double and the two qualifying sessions on Saturday should make things interesting.

“We’ve got a bit of catching up to do compared to some of the other teams that attended the two-day tyre test at Snetterton in the summer break. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the test, which wasn’t ideal, but it’s where we are.

“BTC Norlin Racing has done a brilliant job with the car since I joined at Oulton Park and the win at Croft was a mega result,” continued Lloyd “We need to remember that this weekend will only be my fifth time in the car. We’re still making tweaks and trying to find the sweet spot.

“We’re going into the weekend definitely on the back foot against the majority of the grid,” concluded Lloyd. “We’re all up for it though, and the extra points give us even more to aim for!”

Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant scored a fifth points finish of the season last time out at Croft, before the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship adjourned for its summer hiatus. With Snetterton next on the agenda, the Cheshire racer is hoping to kick things up a notch.

Oliphant, 27, transitioned into the BTCC earlier in the year, after winning the Ginetta GT4 SuperCup with a record-breaking 2015 campaign. Contact dented his hopes at the Brands Hatch opener but he found his stride at Donington Park, securing a top ten berth in qualifying, which he backed up with two points finishes in races one and two.

Points seemed just a little out of reach for Oliphant for a couple of race weekends, until a visit to home turf at Oulton Park brought another score.

“It was fantastic to qualify in the top ten once again,” he said. “Race two gave me a chance to show the potential in the car and I was pleased to have kept my nose clean and picked my way through to thirteenth at the finish.”

This success was to carry forward into the Croft weekend, with two more points finishes in races two and three. Having previously been a double race-winner there in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Oliphant was able to transfer his knowledge of the track to BTCC machinery.

A dynamic defensive drive saw Oliphant hold off two-time BTCC champion Jason Plato in the closing laps to secure 13^th in race two, while his consistent pace earned him 14^th in race three despite a 9.5 second penalty. With momentum in his favour ahead of Snetterton, Oliphant heads into the second half of the season with plenty of promise.

“I enjoyed some really good, clean battles out on track at Croft and it was great to be able to bring the car home in pristine condition after each race," he said. "Three more full races under my belt was crucial experience that will only serve me well heading into the second half of the year.

“While the penalty in the final race was immensely frustrating, it had otherwise been another really positive weekend, with our strongest trio of race results so far this season showing the continued progress we’re making in my first season in the series.”

“I really enjoyed the opening five meetings of the season. The whole BTCC experience has been awesome. The Ciceley Motorsport team have done a fantastic job, we’ve made big strides forward so far and I’m confident we can enjoy some real standout results in the second half of the season.”

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns to action this weekend with the 'Diamond Double' at Norfolk's Snetterton Circuit, five weeks after the curtain dropped on the first half of the 2018 season at Croft, where Team BMW's Colin Turkington extended his championship lead to 19 points.

Running twice the usual race distance, the 'Diamond Double' will replace the regular 'reversed grid' race three. With its own success ballast-free qualifying session, double championship points on offer and no ballast carried in-race, it is sure to add further excitement to an already thrilling campaign.

Team BMW's success has been attributed to the high quality of West Surrey Racing's engineering and technical know-how by Turkington and his stablemates throughout the season. Ensuring they maximised the time between events, Team BMW got straight to work following Croft and most recently completed a two-day test at Snetterton. Hailing it a 'crucial' step in advance of this weekend, Turkington and his teammates completed an extensive test programme at the hot and sunny Norfolk track.

“Although there was a five-week break from racing since Croft, it’s been a very productive and busy period for both myself and Team BMW," said Turkington. "We're well prepared and looking forward to the challenge this weekend. Our crucial two-day test at Snetterton earlier in the month was extremely valuable and has provided fresh impetus ahead of the second half.

“I’ve done everything possible to prepare as best as I can. I feel fitter than ever and I’m hungry for further success. Going double race distance in race three will be new territory for both the driver and car, but I'm going to embrace that.  We have to do 20 laps on the standard medium tyre, so we'll need to be clever to manage that correctly.

“There's a huge buzz about the diamond jubilee celebrations and the ‘Diamond Double’ race has been a hot topic throughout the summer.

“This is my 14^th year in the BTCC and I know the effort and dedication required to make sure I deliver my best performance over the next 15 races.  There are so many elements of this championship that are outside your control, so I need to remain focused on delivering the best version of me. 

“We’re exactly where we need to be at this stage leading both the drivers and manufacturer’s standings, but it’s only by working harder than the competition that we'll stay there. Snetterton will be a game of strategy and it's up to us to ensure we get that right. 

“The added challenges and pressure will be felt throughout the team and it's here that the depth of experience within Team BMW will shine through. It’s been a long five weeks for the fans but one worth waiting on!  The excitement will begin again, and its non-stop from here on in."

Dunlop has confirmed which Sport Maxx tyres will be used at Snetterton this weekend, as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship celebrates its 60th anniversary with a special 'Diamond Double' 60-mile race.

Dunlop has selected the Sport Maxx Soft as the Option tyre, identified by its titanium sidewall marking to differentiate it from the yellow sidewall on the Prime tyre. The Option-Soft tyre can only be used in races one or two this weekend as the Prime tyre will be used for the Diamond Jubilee race three on Sunday, where tyre management will be key to the outcome of the double-points race.

The Dunlop engineers were faced with several considerations when it came to selecting the tyres for this very special weekend. Aside from the track and ambient temperatures, types of corner, heavy braking and traction, plus the track surface, the length of the race has been a major consideration in selecting the Prime tyre for the final of three races in Norfolk.

A normal race round at Snetterton is 12 laps and the Diamond Jubilee 60-mile race will be contested over 20 laps. The teams will need to work on their set-up; with no success ballast for race three, which will help with less loading on the tyres, they will still need to manage tyre usage, especially when it comes to camber, toe and spring rates.

As for which of the two races drivers and teams will select to use the Option-Soft this weekend, well that makes for interesting reading. Adam Morgan has already selected the option tyre three times in race one, so will have no choice but to use the Option-Soft in the second race at Snetterton. Rory Butcher, Chris Smiley, Jack Goff, Tom Ingram and Sam Tordoff have already chosen the option tyre twice in race one, so it will be interesting to see their decisions come Saturday evening.

Ash Sutton, Rob Collard, Tom Oliphant, Aidan Moffet, Bobby Thompson, James Cole, Sam Smelt, Matt Neal, Dan Lloyd, Dan Cammish, Michael Caine, Ollie Jackson, Stephen Jelley, Josh Cook and Jason Plato have used the Option tyre twice in race two, so electing that for Sunday limits their options over the following four rounds.

Mickey Butler, UK & One Brand Events Manager Goodyear Dunlop Motorsport EMEA: “We’re very happy with the three current compounds, they all work within their operating window and there’s a nice gap between lap time performance across all three. Looking ahead to the long-distance race we tested the hard compound at the Snetterton test last year and ran the medium tyre at the mid-season test there earlier this month, where five or six cars completed full 20 lap race runs and the pace was exceptional. After that performance we decided to nominate the medium compound tyre for the 60-mile race, where tyre management by the teams and drivers will be crucial.”

Tyre Allocation at a glance

AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing will debut a new look driver line-up when the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season resumes this weekend at Snetterton.
 
The West Thurrock-based outfit will welcome Lichfield-based racer Ant Whorton-Eales back into the fold for the sixth meeting of the campaign after he agreed a deal to rejoin the team as partner to Fife racer Rory Butcher.
 
Whorton-Eales raced for the team last season in an Audi S3, taking a best finish of sixth having graduated into the BTCC as winner of the Renault UK Clio Cup.
 
This season, the 24-year-old has switched to the MINI Challenge, where he currently heads the championship standings following a third win of the year in the most recent event at Oulton Park.
 
As a new entry to the championship, he will run with 45kg of success ballast on his car in Norfolk.
 
Team-mate Butcher has been one of the most impressive performers on track this year having regularly challenged for points in his first full season in the series.
 
Rory currently sits inside the top ten in the Independents’ championship and lies second in the Jack Sears Trophy for drivers who have yet to score an outright podium.
 
The Scottish star will look to build on the progress made during the recent Snetterton test to push towards the top ten, with three strong results being the target across the weekend.
 
In a change to the norm, the final race of the weekend this weekend will take on a new format as part of the BTCC’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
 
Race three will run to double the normal length and will all cars will run as base weight without any additional success ballast in place.
 
A separate qualifying session on Saturday will determine the starting positions, with double points being awarded.
 
“It’s been a hectic summer break for me and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel this weekend at Snetterton," said Butcher. "I’m feeling really good and I feel we go into the second half of the season in a good position after the two-day test earlier this month gave us the chance to try out a few things with the car.
 
“We now have a better understanding of a few things that we need to fine tune when we get to the circuit ahead of what promises to be an exciting weekend with the special Diamond Double race. It’s certainly going to make things interesting on track with the additional points on offer, and I think it will come down to who can get their car set-up best for the conditions to maximise the performance of the tyres.
 
“From a team perspective, it’s great to welcome Ant into the fold and hopefully we can work together to pick up some good results during the weekend ahead.”
 
“I was really interested in taking part in the Snetterton weekend with the special Diamond Double race, and it’s great that we’ve been able to do a deal with Shaun to race the MG," said Whorton-Eales. It’s a bit of a last minute thing and I know that it will be a huge challenge, but I’m really looking forward to it and I have to say thanks to Shaun and to both AutoAid and RCIB Insurance for the opportunity.
 
“I’ve never even sat in the MG and having got used to racing the MINI this season, it will take me a bit of time to get back up to speed in a touring car but I’m hopeful we can have a decent weekend on track.
 
“It’s hard to make any predictions in terms of what to expect results wise, so I’m just going to go out there, enjoy myself and see what happens. If I can get somewhere close to Rory then I think it’ll be a job well done.”
 
Shaun Hollamby, AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing team principal, added: “We’ve had a busy summer period after the changes we decided to make to the MG programme and we’re delighted to be able to welcome Ant back into the AmD fold this weekend. We know what he is capable of from our time working together last season and even though he will be driving the MG for the first time, we are confident he can do a good job on track.
 
“We’re sure that Ant and Rory will work well together as a team and we head back to Snetterton after the recent test in confident mood.  The double points race means there is a good opportunity to put a big score on the board this weekend and there is no reason why both drivers can’t be right in the mix for a points finish.”