BTCC new boys take the fight to the top

Saturday, 17 September 2011 15:17

With a grid as mixed as the weather here at Rockingham, free practice was always going to throw up a surprise or two.

Wrathall and Austin took first blood, a big coup for the independent running teams and the first time two BTCC drivers in a first year team, in their rookie year, have taken the P1 positions in free practice sessions.

Both Frank's NGTC-spec Toyota Avensis and Rob's NGTC-spec Audi A4 fall under the recently introduced TOCA guidelines that have added 20kg in weight to all non-s2000 spec cars, a move that has received online criticism from some drivers. To put this into perspective, it's the equivalent of giving every non-s2000 driver around the same ballast as is added for finishing fourth (18kg).

The NGTC-spec turbo engines being run by both Frank and Rob have also been pegged back 0.05 bar.

Despite the restrictions the guys are having a great start to the weekend and look in a good position to score some points. However, this is Rockingham and anything could (and usually does) happen.

Elsewhere in the sessions, Plato took two second places to show the power the Chevrolet Cruze possess whilst newcomer Michael Caine finished a respectable 15th and 17th in his first run in the Airwaves Racing Ford Focus since he took to the track against an ice-cream truck in Croft!

With rain about to fall on qualifying, don't leave your Twitter streams, TSL timings and ITV.com coverage to get all the action - and of course, check out Girlracer.co.uk for post-quali reaction.