Dave Newsham close to Matt Neal's lap record in Donington's BTCC second practice
Dave Newsham was quickest in the second British Touring Car free practice session at Donington Park on Saturday afternoon
The ES Racing Vauxhall Vectra driver, who took his first series pole at the Brands Hatch season opener, recorded a time of 1m10.967s. That was just 0.065s slower than Matt Neal's lap record.
Neal, having fought with Jason Plato's works MG6 and the WSR BMW of Rob Collard for top spot early in the session, took his new NGTC Honda Civic to second, just 0.050s away from Newsham.
Plato was third, from Andrew Jordan's Eurotech Civic and the Motorbase Ford Focus of Mat Jackson.
Gordon Shedden, whose Civic seems to be running without the electrical gremlins that hampered his Brands weekend, made it three Hondas in the top six.
Early pacesetter Rob Austin ended up seventh in his rear-wheel-drive Audi A4, ahead of Aron Smith's Motorbase Focus.
Collard was ninth, and was one of the few drivers to improve after an off for Adam Morgan's Toyota caused a late red flag.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Dave Newsham ES Vauxhall 1m10.967s 2. Matt Neal Dynamics Honda 1m11.017s + 0.050s 3. Jason Plato Triple 8 MG 1m11.155s + 0.188s 4. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Honda 1m11.233s + 0.266s 5. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 1m11.239s + 0.272s 6. Gordon Shedden Dynamics Honda 1m11.260s + 0.293s 7. Rob Austin Austin Audi 1m11.327s + 0.360s 8. Aron Smith Motorbase Ford 1m11.439s + 0.472s 9. Rob Collard WSR BMW 1m11.520s + 0.553s 10. Tom Onslow-Cole WSR BMW 1m11.531s + 0.564s 11. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota 1m11.732s + 0.765s 12. Andy Neate Triple 8 MG 1m11.963s + 0.996s 13. Jeff Smith Eurotech Honda 1m11.989s + 1.022s 14. Adam Morgan Speedworks Toyota 1m12.245s + 1.278s 15. Daniel Welch Welch Proton 1m12.274s + 1.307s 16. Chris James ES Vauxhall 1m12.318s + 1.351s 17. Tony Gilham Gilham Honda 1m12.321s + 1.354s 18. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford 1m12.815s + 1.848s 19. Lea Wood Wood Vauxhall 1m12.820s + 1.853s 20. Ollie Jackson AmD Volkswagen 1m13.130s + 2.163s 21. Nick Foster WSR BMW 1m13.666s + 2.699s 22. John Thorne Thorney Vauxhall 1m16.652s + 5.685s 23. Tony Hughes Speedworks Toyota 1m18.000s + 7.033s
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