Chilton on top at Snetterton

Tom Chilton storms to the quickest time in BTCC testing at Snetterton
Tom Chilton (GBR) - Team Aon Ford Focus ST
Tom Chilton (GBR) - Team Aon Ford Focus ST
© Jakob Ebrey Photography

Tom Chilton set the quickest time of testing at Snetterton as teams continued preparations for the second half of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Chilton set a best time of 1min 11.408secs late in the day to outpace the Chevrolet of Alex MacDowall, with the Team Aon driver being the only one of the front-runners to go quicker during the afternoon session - which was affected by wet weather conditions.

The LPG-powered Ford Focus ultimately ended up half a second clear of MacDowall's Chevrolet, with the rookie having earlier managed to edge out Paul O'Neill's Honda Integra to lead the way during the morning.

Jason Plato was fourth quickest at the wheel of the second Chevrolet and will hope to benefit from the fact that main title rival Matt Neal was only at the circuit in a watching capacity after the Honda team elected not to run.

James Nash and Andrew Jordan rounded out the top six ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole, with the leading BMW of Mat Jackson in eighth place.

Only eleven of the 16 drivers present went out on track during the afternoon after the rain arrived, with O'Neill, Jordan, John George, Andy Neate and Martin Johnson only running during the morning.

Snetterton test times:

1. Tom Chilton Team Aon Ford Focus ST1min 11.408secs
2. Alex MacDowall Silverline Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze1min 11.958secs
3. Paul O'Neill sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integra1min 11.971secs
4. Jason Plato Silverline Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze1min 11.974secs
5. James NashTriple Eight Vauxhall Vectra1min 12.120secs
6. Andrew Jordan Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra1min 12.406secs
7. Tom Onslow-Cole Team Aon Ford Focus ST1min 12.558secs
8. Mat Jackson Airwaves BMW BMW 320si1min 12.669secs
9. Rob Collard West Surrey Racing BMW 320si1min 12.715secs
10. Steven Kane Airwaves BMW BMW 320si1min 13.074secs
11. Andy Neate West Surrey Racing BMW 320si1min 13.364secs
12. John George sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integra1min 13.976secs
13. Shaun Hollamby AmD Milltek RacingVolkswagen Golf 1min 14.257secs
14. Arthur Forster Forster Motorsport BMW 320si1min 14.466secs
15. Martin Depper Forster Motorsport BMW 320si1min 14.984secs
16. Martin JohnsonBoulevard Team RacingVauxhall Astra1min 15.859secs

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