In free practice for the fifth round at Oulton Park, Chris Smiley topped the times again, stealing the thunder of the British Touring Car Championship big guns. The Northern Irishman leads the Independent standings in his Restart Racing Hyundai i30 N Fastback.
The faster second session started on a damp track, but it soon dried out after a heavy shower. By the end, three drivers had surpassed Dan Rowbottom’s FP1 time.
Tom Ingram and Aron Taylor-Smith improved their times, but Smiley ultimately set the fastest lap, followed closely by Taylor-Smith in the Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota Corolla GR Sport.
The Alliance Fords dominated FP1 but struggled in the quicker conditions of FP2. Rowbottom’s time was fourth overall, while Sutton finished sixth, and Cammish was in third.
Overall top 10 times included Morgan and Lloyd’s Hyundais, Shedden’s Toyota, and Doble’s Vauxhall Astra. The WSR BMW team faced challenges, with none of their drivers in the top 10.
FP2 results will determine qualifying groups, with Ingram, Rowbottom, Sutton, and Cammish in different groups among the championship’s top four.
