Matt Neal led the way during an extremely close opening practice session at Brands Hatch this morning, posting a time of 1:33.344 to lead his two main title rivals in the overall classification. The Honda driver edged ahead of Chevrolet’s Jason Plato with his personal best effort, while team-mate Gordon Shedden completed the top three.
Pleasant conditions welcomed the drivers for the penultimate event of the season at the Kent circuit, with Neal making the most of the conditions early on. Tom Boardman, who recently clashed with Plato and earned a significant fine, was best of the rest in fourth place, with Alex MacDowall and James Nash in close presence.
Andrew Jordan and Paul O’Neill occupied seventh and eighth with their respective times as the chequered flag came out, while Mat Jackson and Tom Chilton rounded out a top ten separated by just 0.910 seconds. Series newcomers Ollie Jackson and Chris Swanwick ended up 14th and 28th quickest.
Second practice begins at 12.20pm local time (BST)
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  M. Neal | Honda Racing | 01:33.344 | 16 |
| 2. | J. Plato | Silverline | 01:33.464 | 10 |
| 3. | G. Shedden | Honda Racing | 01:33.484 | 16 |
| 4. | T. Boardman | Special Tuning | 01:33.500 | 14 |
| 5. | A. MacDowall | Silverline | 01:33.590 | 11 |
| 6. | J. Nash | Triple Eight | 01:33.718 | 13 |
| 7. | A. Jordan | Pirtek | 01:33.817 | 14 |
| 8. | P. O'Neill | Tech-Speed | 01:33.954 | 12 |
| 9. | M. Jackson | Airwaves | 01:33.959 | 15 |
| 10. | T. Chilton | Team Aon | 01:34.254 | 9 |
| Full results | ||||
| Honda Racing Team | |
|---|---|
| 17 Oct '11 | Shedden hails ‘mega’ second place |
| 16 Oct '11 | Neal claims 2011 title as Chilton wins |
| 16 Oct '11 | Shedden boosts title hopes with victory |
| 16 Oct '11 | Neal wins opening race at Silverstone |
| BTCC: Brands Hatch 2011 | |
| 3 Oct '11 | Honda duo now focus on Drivers’ title |
| 2 Oct '11 | Neal moves back ahead with victory |
| 2 Oct '11 | Plato takes title lead after Race 2 win |
| 2 Oct '11 | Plato wins to close in on rivals |
| Matt Neal | |
| 15 Oct '11 | Neal storms to pole at Silverstone |
| 14 Oct '11 | Neal preparing for ‘tough’ Silverstone finale |
| 13 Oct '11 | Harvey tips Neal for 2011 title glory |
| 13 Oct '11 | Tim Harvey’s preview to the BTCC shootout |
| BTCC | |
| 30 Aug '12 | Calendar issued for 2013 season |
| 17 Aug '12 | Louise Goodman to race Mini at Knockhill |
| 5 Apr '12 | BTCC video: Multiple car pile-up at Brands |
| 19 Mar '12 | BTCC reveals 25-car entry list for 2012 |
| Matt Neal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| More Matt Neal photos | |||
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