WIX Racing with Eurotech’s Jack Goff topped the opening morning session of the two-day Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship tyre test at Snetterton.
Goff eventually got the better of Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher’s Tom Chilton and Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish, with the trio dominating much of the proceedings around the 2.99-mile Norfolk circuit.
Cammish was the early pacesetter with Chilton tucked in behind in second, but Goff eclipsed them both in the final hour of running. The Ford Focus RS of Chilton improved again but fell short of Goff’s benchmark by just 0.153s.
A late flurry of laps saw BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan claim third, further relegating Cammish down to fourth as the chequered flag fell.
Rob Austin’s ever-developing Alfa Romeo Giulietta again showed promise to grab fifth in the final minutes, ahead of James Cole’s Motorbase-run Ford.
Mike Bushell’s VW featured at the sharp end of the order for much of the session and he went even faster late on to take seventh, with Team BMW duo Colin Turkington and Rob Collard and Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Josh Cook also scoring top ten times.
25 cars took to the track for the three and a half hour segment, although myriad of different set-ups, tyres compounds and weights make direct comparisons difficult to make.
Interestingly, weather conditions have also cooled dramatically today as Dunlop puts its tyres to test ahead of the next BTCC event here at Snetterton at the end of the month (28/29 July). More importantly, that upcoming weekend will include the ‘Diamond Double’ race, which will see a double distance contest in celebration of the series’ 60th anniversary.
A further session will take place between 1330-1530, before a concentrated tyre test concludes the opening day’s running.
“We will be carrying out some specific longer runs this afternoon,” commented Dunlop’s UK and One Brand Motorsport Events Manager, Mickey Butler. “Andrew Jordan and Tom Ingram have been chosen to run a 20-lap run, whilst Tom will also complete some qualifying simulations.
“We’re hoping to be in a position this evening to select our chosen tyre compound for the ‘Diamond Double’ race later this month, which will give teams a chance to test further tomorrow.”
A full rundown of the times so far can be found here.
