MB Motorsport’s Jake Hill set the benchmark in the opening British Touring Car Championship practice session at Knockhill, edging out Mike Bushell by nearly a quarter-of-a-second.
Bushell, who currently holds the lap record around the 1.27-mile circuit, set the early pace as he did last time out at Oulton Park before Hill improved with his time of 50.757s putting him comfortably clear at the top.
Brands Hatch race three winner Tom Oliphant was only a thousandth-of-a-second behind Bushell in third, with Tom Ingram’s Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Corolla a further half-a-tenth behind in fourth position.
Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton completed the top five runners ahead of his team-mate Aiden Moffat, with the Scot placing sixth in the session on home soil.
Reigning champion and current standings leader Colin Turkington was seventh in his WSR-run BMW 330i M Sport ahead of the best of the BTC Racing Honda Civics of Josh Cook in eighth.
Cook, who won the opening race at Oulton Park last time out before an exclusion, was just ahead of fellow FK8 Honda Civic racer Dan Cammish in ninth as the first of the runners over half a second off the pace, with his time of 51.342s putting him 0.585s adrift of Hill’s benchmark.
Rory Butcher, who currently sits third in the championship standings just one point clear of Oliphant, could only manage tenth fastest in the new-for-2020 Ford Focus ST in opening practice at his home circuit.
Oulton Park race three winner Adam Morgan was next in the Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes-Benz A-Class in 11th position with the second Team Dynamics Honda of Matt Neal behind him in 12th.
Stephen Jelley’s BMW 1 Series would manage 13th, while BTC Racing’s Tom Chilton and Excelr8 Motorsport’s Senna Proctor rounding out the top 15 positions.
The third BTC Racing Honda of Michael Crees would get beached in the gravel at Duffus Dip in the final five minutes of the session, but the session remained green throughout.
The second British Touring Car Championship practice session at Knockhill is scheduled to get underway at 12:15 BST.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 24 | Jake HILL |  |
MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square | Honda Civic Type-R | 27 | 50.757 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 21 | Mike BUSHELL | |
Power Maxed Car Care Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 30 | 51.004 | 0.247 |
| 3 | 15 | Tom OLIPHANT | |
Team BMW | BMW 330i M Sport | 31 | 51.005 | 0.248 |
| 4 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | |
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters | Toyota Corolla | 29 | 51.056 | 0.299 |
| 5 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON | |
Laser Tools Racing | Infiniti Q50 | 27 | 51.126 | 0.369 |
| 6 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | |
Laser Tools Racing | Infiniti Q50 | 34 | 51.185 | 0.428 |
| 7 | 1 | Colin TURKINGTON | |
Team BMW | BMW 330i M Sport | 32 | 51.205 | 0.448 |
| 8 | 66 | Josh COOK | |
BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 33 | 51.227 | 0.470 |
| 9 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 26 | 51.342 | 0.585 |
| 10 | 6 | Rory BUTCHER | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus ST | 24 | 51.362 | 0.605 |
| 11 | 32 | Adam MORGAN | |
Carlube Triple R Racing with Mac Tools | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 26 | 51.381 | 0.624 |
| 12 | 25 | Matt NEAL | |
Halfords Yuasa Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 26 | 51.382 | 0.625 |
| 13 | 12 | Stephen JELLEY | |
Team Parker Racing | BMW 125i M Sport | 26 | 51.539 | 0.782 |
| 14 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | |
BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 29 | 51.607 | 0.850 |
| 15 | 18 | Senna PROCTOR | |
Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai i30 Fastback N | 28 | 51.608 | 0.851 |
| 16 | 4 | Sam OSBORNE | |
MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square | Honda Civic Type-R | 32 | 51.614 | 0.857 |
| 17 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | |
Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai i30 Fastback N | 34 | 51.705 | 0.948 |
| 18 | 31 | Jack GOFF | |
RCIB Insurance Racing with Fox Transport | Volkswagen CC | 23 | 51.739 | 0.982 |
| 19 | 19 | Bobby THOMPSON | |
GKR TradePriceCars.com | Audi S3 | 28 | 51.762 | 1.005 |
| 20 | 41 | Carl BOARDLEY | |
Team HARD. | BMW 125i M Sport | 27 | 51.789 | 1.032 |
| 21 | 180 | James GORNALL | |
GKR TradePriceCars.com | Audi S3 | 28 | 51.832 | 1.075 |
| 22 | 777 | Michael CREES | |
The Clever Baggers with BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 26 | 51.872 | 1.115 |
| 23 | 48 | Ollie JACKSON | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus ST | 27 | 52.128 | 1.371 |
| 24 | 44 | Andy NEATE | |
Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus ST | 26 | 52.644 | 1.887 |
| 25 | 32 | Jack BUTEL | |
Carlube Triple R Racing with Mac Tools | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 31 | 52.778 | 2.021 |