The 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race weekend at Snetterton is set to be contested in the midst of a summer heatwave here in the UK, and it was Tom Ingram firing out an early warning to his title rivals by topping the opening free practice session.
With outside temperatures already reaching 27 degrees early this morning – and with around 34 degrees expected for qualifying in Norfolk later today – the drivers and teams were busy acclimatising to the scorching conditions during their opening runs.
The top four positions were dominated by Hyundai and BMW machinery with Ingram (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) and Jake Hill (ROKiT MB Motorsport) obliterating the rest of the field by more than six tenths of a second.
Team BMW’s Colin Turkington – running the #500 this weekend as the four-time champion is set to reach a landmark of BTCC race starts tomorrow afternoon – was third on the timesheets, ahead of Croft double race-winner Dan Lloyd in his Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com i30N.
An upturn in form and fortunes for Toyota GAZOO Racing UK continued with Rory Butcher and Ricky Collard in fifth and sixth respectively, ahead of another BMW duo in the shape of Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Stephen Jelley (Team BMW).
Tom Chilton (Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com) completed a Hyundai hat-trick inside the top ten, with Halfords Racing with Cataclean’s Gordon Shedden rounding out the leading running order.
Rich Energy BTC Racing's frustrating mid-season period has not yet been turned around – albeit only in practice trim and with the serious business to follow later today – as Jason Plato, Josh Cook and Jade Edwards ended up 11th, 18th and 25th in FP1.
The final free practice session will take place at 1210, before Qualifying for Round 19 of the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship commences from 1520 and will be streamed live via www.itv.com/btcc.
2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice 1 – Snetterton
1. Tom INGRAM (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com 1:55.302s
2. Jake HILL (GBR) ROKiT MB Motorsport +0.097s
3. Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.614s
4. Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.783s
5. Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.336s
6. Ricky COLLARD (GBR) Toyota GAZOO Racing UK +0.336s
7. Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.994s
8. Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.997s
9. Tom CHILTON (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +0.998s
10. Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +1.056s
11. Jason PLATO (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +1.202s
12. Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +1.329s
13. Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.334s
14. Dan CAMMISH (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +1.355s
15. Ash SUTTON (GBR) NAPA Racing UK +1.385s
16. Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +1.487s
17. George GAMBLE (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +1.753s
18. Josh COOK (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +1.843s
19. Ash HAND (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +1.910s
20. Dexter PATTERSON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +2.210s
21. Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +2.427s
22. Michael CREES (GBR) CarStore Power Maxed Racing +2.619s
23. Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +2.690s
24. Ollie JACKSON (GBR) Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan +2.763s
25. Jade EDWARDS (GBR) Rich Energy BTC Racing +2.928s
26. Nic HAMILTON (GBR) Yazoo with Safuu.com Racing +2.931s
27. Jack BUTEL (GBR) Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com +3.243s
28. Will POWELL (GBR) Autobrite Direct with JourneyHero +3.550s
29. Rick PARFITT (GBR) Uptonsteel with Euro Car Parts Racing +5.118s
