WestCoast Racing’s Kevin Gleason ended the second practice session for the TCR International Series at Spa-Francorchamps as the fastest driver, ahead of Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola in second.
Under continuing clear blue skies at Spa, Gleason posted the fastest time of 2:34.839 in the final two minutes of the half-hour session, having elevated himself to third on his previous lap.
The Honda Civic racer ended up just 0.083 seconds ahead of Oriola’s SEAT, despite the 7 km length of the circuit and long lap time.
Dušan Borković ended the session as the lead B3 Racing SEAT in third, although his team-mates Mat’o Homola and Attila Tassi both enjoyed time as the fastest driver earlier on in the session.
Tassi himself ended up third fastest, the Hungarian youngster topping the times with just over ten minutes to go before his rivals usurped him as the session gathered momentum.
Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay was fifth fastest and the leading Volkswagen racer, ahead of Craft-Bamboo Racing’s James Nash in sixth. The only other driver to be within a second of the pace was Homola, the pace setter after 17 minutes, who ended the session in seventh.
FP1 leader Sergey Afanasyev put his SEAT in eighth, ahead of championship leader Gianni Morbidelli’s Honda in ninth and Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Mikhail Grachev in tenth.
Pierre-Yves Corthals, this weekend racing an older-specification SEAT León Cup Racer, was 11th fastest. The Belgian posted his time after 12 minutes, when he was the early pace-setter, but he was unable to improve thereafter.
Defending champion Stefano Comini could manage just 13th fastest, as the Volkswagen Golf GTi cars struggled for pace somewhat in the session, with three of the five cars outside the top ten.
Neither of Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Peugeot 308 drivers managed to improve their times from first practice, with Jimmy Clairet ending the session in 16th, 2.807 seconds off the pace, and Grégory Guilvert in 17th a further six tenths back.
Session results
POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
1 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON | West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 11 | 2:34.839 | 0.000 | |
2 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA | Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 2:34.922 | 0.083 | |
3 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ | B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 8 | 2:35.201 | 0.362 | |
4 | 9 | Attila TASSI | B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 2:35.461 | 0.622 | |
5 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 9 | 2:35.466 | 0.627 | |
6 | 54 | James NASH | Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 2:35.499 | 0.660 | |
7 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA | B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 2:35.746 | 0.907 | |
8 | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV | Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 2:36.059 | 1.220 | |
9 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 10 | 2:36.073 | 1.234 | |
10 | 8 | Mikhail GRACHEV | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 11 | 2:36.186 | 1.347 | |
11 | 49 | Pierre-Yves CORTHALS | Ferry Monster Autosport | SEAT León Cup Racer | 10 | 2:36.291 | 1.452 | |
12 | 14 | Aku PELLINEN | West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 7 | 2:36.691 | 1.852 | |
13 | 1 | Stefano COMINI | Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 10 | 2:37.068 | 2.229 | |
14 | 48 | Antti BURI | Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 10 | 2:37.152 | 2.313 | |
15 | 7 | Davit KAJAIA | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 5 | 2:37.490 | 2.651 | |
16 | 30 | Jimmy CLAIRET | Sébastien Loeb Racing | Peugeot 308 Racing Cup | 9 | 2:37.646 | 2.807 | |
17 | 38 | Grégory GUILVERT | Sébastien Loeb Racing | Peugeot 308 Racing Cup | 9 | 2:38.258 | 3.419 | |
18 | 50 | Loris HEZEMANS | Ferry Monster Autosport | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 2:38.862 | 4.023 |