Chris Smiley benefits from “big changes”

Chris Smiley insisted that “big changes” to his Honda Civic Type R had been key to securing a front row start for the latest rounds of the BTCC season at Croft.

The BTC Racing man was able to set his best time in the closing stages of the chaotic session to jump up to second spot and snare his best result of the campaign to date with the new FK8.

Having seen team-mate Josh Cook win twice already, Smiley will now seek to try and kick start his own campaign on race day and said he was confident of a solid showing on track.

“We made some big changes to the car in a test at Donington Park last week,” he said. “I came here feeling confident and I’d have been happy with a top five on the grid, so to be P2 is really pleasing.

“I think the rain midway through the session cooled the track down a little bit and it meant we could go quicker on our last run, but it was a messy session. When it is like that, sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t – and today it went our way.

“We know that the car will be good over a race distance and that leaves me excited about tomorrow.”