James Nash topped the second free practice session for the TCR International Series at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, putting his rebuilt SEAT 0.175 seconds ahead of WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli.
Nash hit the top of the times with around three minutes left in the session, putting his Craft-Bamboo Racing SEAT at the top just hours after his team had finished repairing it following a 130 mph shunt in Friday’s third test session.
“We’ve still got a few little niggles but to top the timesheets so early on is amazing,” said Nash. “I actually haven’t [gone quickest] this year in the free practice sessions, so not only have we got a damaged car, we’re all a little over-worked, a bit injured and we still can do it. It’s really promising for qualifying.”
Nash’s team-mate Pepe Oriola was third fastest, 0.374 seconds adrift, having earlier been the fastest driver at the half-way stage of the session with his time of 1:44.557.
The leading Volkswagen Golf GTi was that of Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay in fourth, ahead of the second WestCoast Racing Honda of Mikhail Grachev in fifth, both drivers within half a second of the outright pace.
Local Honda Civic TCR racer Kantadhee Kusiri, racing for the eloquently-named Eakie BBR Kaiten team, was the top Thai racer in sixth and the only one of the local contingent to feature inside the top ten.
Petr Fulín put the sole Mulsanne Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta in seventh fastest, ahead of first practice pace-setter Mat’o Homola in eighth, who had a mixed session that included a spin at the half-way stage.
Leopard Racing’s Stefano Comini and WestCoast Racing’s Rafaël Galiana completed the top ten, the latter performing much better than at any other stage in the weekend so far.
Qualifying takes place at 15:30 local time (09:30 BST, 10:30 CEST) and will be broadcast live online.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 54 | James NASH |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 12 | 1:44.183 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 15 | 1:44.358 | 0.175 |
| 3 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 14 | 1:44.557 | 0.374 |
| 4 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 14 | 1:44.561 | 0.378 |
| 5 | 8 | Mikhail GRACHEV |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 13 | 1:44.648 | 0.465 |
| 6 | 15 | Kantadhee KUSIRI |  |
Eakie BBR Kaiten | Honda Civic TCR | 14 | 1:44.656 | 0.473 |
| 7 | 22 | Petr FULÍN |  |
Mulsanne Racing | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 12 | 1:44.886 | 0.703 |
| 8 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 12 | 1:45.167 | 0.984 |
| 9 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Leopard Racing | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 15 | 1:45.382 | 1.199 |
| 10 | 35 | Rafaël GALIANA | |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 13 | 1:45.596 | 1.413 |
| 11 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 12 | 1:45.718 | 1.535 |
| 12 | 44 | Jack LEMVARD | |
Vattana Motorsport | SEAT León Cup Racer | 9 | 1:45.763 | 1.580 |
| 13 | 13 | Narasak ITTIRITPONG | |
Vattana Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR | 11 | 1:45.867 | 1.684 |
| 14 | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León TCR | 13 | 1:45.925 | 1.742 |
| 15 | 7 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 11 | 1:46.041 | 1.858 |
| 16 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
B3 Racing Team Hungary | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 1:46.060 | 1.877 |
| 17 | 53 | Kari-Pekka LAAKSONEN |  |
LMS Racing | SEAT León Cup Racer | 15 | 1:46.640 | 2.457 |
| 18 | 32 | Luigi FERRARA | |
Top Run Motorsport | Subaru Sti TCR | 11 | 1:46.679 | 2.496 |
| 19 | 55 | Munkong SATHIENTHIRAKUL | |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf Gti TCR | 4 | 1:46.746 | 2.563 |
| 20 | 58 | CHEN Jian Hong |  |
Kratingdaen Racing Team | SEAT León Cup Racer | 9 | 1:46.848 | 2.665 |
| 21 | 12 | Alexander MIES |  |
Kratingdaen Racing Team | SEAT León Cup Racer | 13 | 1:46.885 | 2.702 |
| 22 | 11 | Grant SUPAPHONGS | |
Kratingdaen Racing Team | SEAT León Cup Racer | 3 | 1:47.278 | 3.095 |
| 23 | 97 | Paritat BULBON | |
Sloth Racing | SEAT León Cup Racer | 9 | 1:49.431 | 5.248 |
| 24 | 66 | Nattachak HANJITKASEN | |
TBN MK Ihere Racing Team | Honda Civic TCR | 0 | No time | N/A |