Eurotech's Jack Goff's topped the second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship free practice session at Donington Park, which saw the top four drivers blanketed by just 0.040s and the leading 24 cars covered by less than a second.
The Civic Type R pipped Jake Hill's VW, Tom Ingram's Toyota and Matt Neal's Honda respectively, in an extremely close and competitve 40-minutes of running. Goff's lap time has already eclipsed Ingram's pace-setting effort in official pre-season testing, suggesting we could be in for a pulsating qualifying session later this afternoon.
"I'm a lot happier now I'm out of the car and I've seen the time!" said Goff. "We had a bit of cross-communication on the radio and I thought I was four-tenths off the pace! It's looking okay. The car isn't perfect yet but I'm confident in the Eurotech Racing guys and in the Honda Civic Type R, so hopefully we can go and take it to the top guys in qualifying.
"I've never gone fantastically well around here in the past so hopefully we can put that right. I'm quite good in the rain as well, so I'm hopeful whatever the conditions may be."
FP1 front man Rob Austin seemed on course to make it two out of two, but the Handy Motorsport had to settle for fifth when the chequered flag fell. Michael Epps confirmed the pace of the VWs by joining stablemate Hill inside the top six.
Halfords Yuasa Racing completed its own encouraging practice programme as reigning champion Gordon Shedden claimed seventh with maximum success ballast on board.
The unpredictable nature of the BTCC was further cemented as Chris Smiley, Aiden Moffat and Ollie Jackson rounded out the top ten.
Smiley and his BTC Norlin Racing team-mate Dave Newsham have made a solid start to life in the BTCC, whilst Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat is looking to bounce back from a rather lacklustre opening event at Brands Hatch.
AmDTuning.com – running two Audis in the BTCC for the first time this year – will be pleased to see Jackson breaking into the leading order, as he and rookie team-mate Ant Whorton-Eales continue to develop the Essex team's pair of striking S3s.
2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 2 – Donington Park
1 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing 1m09.876s (101.96mph)
2 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.007s
3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.015s
4 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.040s
5 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +0.102s
6 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.235s
7 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.336s
8 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.343s
9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.377s
10 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.378s
11 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.523s
12 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.615s
13 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.637s
14 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.643s
15 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.709s
16 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.748s
17 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.752s
18 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.783s
19 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.796s
20 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.830s
21 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.840s
22 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat with Duo +0.866s
23 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.907s
24 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.978s
25 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.037s
26 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.058s
27 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +1.111s
28 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +1.121s
29 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.223s
30 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.508s
31 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.566s
32 Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.676s
