Jason Plato dominates first practice with record pace
Jason Plato stormed to the top of the time sheets in FP1 at Oulton Park, going half a second under his own lap record around the Island circuit.
The Team BMR driver’s times came in the second half of the session, after the first half saw a battle between team-mate Aron Smith and West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard for the top spot.
Some light drizzle at the start of the session added some extra concern for the drivers, but it would only last less than five minutes and soon the Cheshire circuit was drenched in sun. While the first ten minutes saw drivers going through the motions, the first real flying laps came in the second quarter, with Collard hitting the top spot.
Aron Smith then jumped to the head of the field, improving his lap times by a second each time he crossed the timing line. A game of hot potato then ensued between Smith and Collard, with the two trading fastest laps almost every time they crossed the line. Eventually Smith came out on top, setting a best time of 1:26.788, just over half a second off the qualifying record set by Plato in the 2013 event.
Andrew Jordan then joined the party towards the halfway stage, posting a 1:26.552, with Tom Ingram and Jason Plato following the MG across the line, posting the third and fourth fastest times of the session.
Plato then turned up the wick, posting a time just 0.005 off the lap record, before obliterating his own fastest lap with a 1:25.671, the only driver to do so in the opening 40 minute session.
Tom Ingram posted a late 1:26.307 to place himself second in the standings, with Jordan, Smith and reigning champion Colin Turkington rounding out the top five. Jack Goff, Andy Priaulx, Josh Cook and the Hondas of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal rounded out the top ten.
