Josh Cook topped the times on his return to One Motorsport in the final official pre-season British Touring Car Championship test at Donington Park on Tuesday.
Cook posted his best lap of 1 minute 7.438 seconds in the afternoon session, with 21 of the day’s 23 runners also going quicker in the post-lunch session.
The Honda driver had been quick out of the blocks to lead the times early on, but after just over ten minutes on top of the time he was usurped by NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish.
NAPA’s Daniel Rowbottom and Power Maxed Racing’s Mikey Doble also had brief spells on top of the times, before Team Vertu’s Tom Chilton took over just under an hour into the session.
Chilton’s lap of 1:08.069 kept him at the top for almost three quarters of an hour, before Tom Ingram improved with a 1:07.832.
In the final minutes, quick laps came in fast and Ash Sutton briefly went top with a 1:07.508 before Cook reclaimed bragging rights with a lap of 1:07.438 with just ten minutes to go.
“The car feels good,” said Cook. “We made a lot of changes during the course of the day and made some good progress.
“We just need to assess what worked and what didn’t work and make sure we come back next week somewhere in the right ballpark.
“We know it’s going to be extremely close, it always is, and hopefully we’re going to be in the mix at the front.”
Four-time champion Sutton ended up a mere 0.003 seconds behind his long-time rival, ahead of team-mate Cammish in third.
Restart Racing’s Chris Smiley was fourth fastest as the leading Hyundai racer, ahead of Team Vertu’s Ingram in fifth.
Sam Osborne made it three NAPA Fords in the top ten with sixth, ahead of Chilton in seventh.
Series returnee Gordon Shedden was the leading Toyota driver in eighth, with the top ten being completed by Team Vertu’s Adam Morgan and PMR’s Doble.
West Surrey Racing drivers failed to break into the top ten, with Daryl DeLeon the leading rear-wheel drive entrant in 16th, 0.857 seconds off Cook’s pace.
18 of the 23 runners lapped within a second of the fastest lap of the day, with reigning hcampion Jake Hill just 19th, 1.036 seconds adrift.
Combined session results
POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
1 | 66 | Josh COOK | One Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R | 75 | 1:07.438 | – | |
2 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 72 | 1:07.441 | 0.003 | |
3 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 90 | 1:07.631 | 0.193 | |
4 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | Restart Racing | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 84 | 1:07.783 | 0.345 | |
5 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 57 | 1:07.799 | 0.361 | |
6 | 77 | Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 69 | 1:07.827 | 0.389 | |
7 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 44 | 1:07.848 | 0.410 | |
8 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 85 | 1:07.880 | 0.442 | |
9 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 77 | 1:07.888 | 0.450 | |
10 | 88 | Mikey DOBLE | Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 76 | 1:07.981 | 0.543 | |
11 | 32 | Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 78 | 1:07.985 | 0.547 | |
12 | 123 | Daniel LLOYD | Restart Racing | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 97 | 1:07.993 | 0.555 | |
13 | 93 | Max HALL | ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport | CUPRA Leon | 64 | 1:08.020 | 0.582 | |
14 | 17 | Dexter PATTERSON | ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport | CUPRA Leon | 71 | 1:08.048 | 0.610 | |
15 | 14 | Ronan PEARSON | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 65 | 1:08.247 | 0.809 | |
16 | 2 | Daryl DELEON | WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 105 | 1:08.295 | 0.857 | |
17 | 132 | James DORLIN | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 85 | 1:08.303 | 0.865 | |
18 | 40 | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 63 | 1:08.428 | 0.990 | |
19 | 1 | Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330i M Sport | 69 | 1:08.474 | 1.036 | |
20 | 12 | Stephen JELLEY | One Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R | 91 | 1:08.569 | 1.131 | |
21 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 95 | 1:08.671 | 1.233 | |
22 | 99 | Charles RAINFORD | LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 80 | 1:09.115 | 1.677 | |
23 | 28 | Nicolas HAMILTON | Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock | CUPRA Leon | 72 | 1:09.458 | 2.020 |
Morning session results
POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
1 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 29 | 1:07.799 | – | |
2 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 45 | 1:07.888 | 0.089 | |
3 | 93 | Max HALL | ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport | CUPRA Leon | 43 | 1:08.105 | 0.306 | |
4 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 18 | 1:08.242 | 0.443 | |
5 | 17 | Dexter PATTERSON | ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport | CUPRA Leon | 31 | 1:08.288 | 0.489 | |
6 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 29 | 1:08.308 | 0.509 | |
7 | 32 | Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 38 | 1:08.340 | 0.541 | |
8 | 132 | James DORLIN | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 54 | 1:08.383 | 0.584 | |
9 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | Restart Racing | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 42 | 1:08.398 | 0.599 | |
10 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 43 | 1:08.405 | 0.606 | |
11 | 88 | Mikey DOBLE | Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 36 | 1:08.449 | 0.65 | |
12 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 44 | 1:08.452 | 0.653 | |
13 | 66 | Josh COOK | One Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R | 37 | 1:08.466 | 0.667 | |
14 | 123 | Daniel LLOYD | Restart Racing | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 51 | 1:08.566 | 0.767 | |
15 | 1 | Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330i M Sport | 23 | 1:08.569 | 0.77 | |
16 | 14 | Ronan PEARSON | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 43 | 1:08.700 | 0.901 | |
17 | 12 | Stephen JELLEY | One Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R | 46 | 1:08.718 | 0.919 | |
18 | 40 | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 37 | 1:08.913 | 1.114 | |
19 | 77 | Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 36 | 1:09.091 | 1.292 | |
20 | 99 | Charles RAINFORD | LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 40 | 1:09.246 | 1.447 | |
21 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 44 | 1:09.438 | 1.639 | |
22 | 2 | Daryl DELEON | WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 55 | 1:09.735 | 1.936 | |
23 | 28 | Nicolas HAMILTON | Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock | CUPRA Leon | 52 | 1:09.785 | 1.986 |
Afternoon session results
POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
1 | 66 | Josh COOK | One Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R | 38 | 1:07.438 | – | |
2 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 43 | 1:07.441 | 0.003 | |
3 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 46 | 1:07.631 | 0.193 | |
4 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | Restart Racing | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 42 | 1:07.783 | 0.345 | |
5 | 77 | Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 33 | 1:07.827 | 0.389 | |
6 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 28 | 1:07.832 | 0.394 | |
7 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 26 | 1:07.848 | 0.410 | |
8 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 42 | 1:07.880 | 0.442 | |
9 | 88 | Mikey DOBLE | Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 40 | 1:07.981 | 0.543 | |
10 | 32 | Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 40 | 1:07.985 | 0.547 | |
11 | 123 | Daniel LLOYD | Restart Racing | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 46 | 1:07.993 | 0.555 | |
12 | 93 | Max HALL | ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport | CUPRA Leon | 21 | 1:08.020 | 0.582 | |
13 | 17 | Dexter PATTERSON | ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport | CUPRA Leon | 40 | 1:08.048 | 0.610 | |
14 | 14 | Ronan PEARSON | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 22 | 1:08.247 | 0.809 | |
15 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | Team Vertu | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 32 | 1:08.272 | 0.834 | |
16 | 2 | Daryl DELEON | WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 50 | 1:08.295 | 0.857 | |
17 | 132 | James DORLIN | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 31 | 1:08.303 | 0.865 | |
18 | 40 | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 26 | 1:08.428 | 0.990 | |
19 | 1 | Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330i M Sport | 46 | 1:08.474 | 1.036 | |
20 | 12 | Stephen JELLEY | One Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R | 45 | 1:08.569 | 1.131 | |
21 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 51 | 1:08.671 | 1.233 | |
22 | 99 | Charles RAINFORD | LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR | BMW 330i M Sport | 40 | 1:09.115 | 1.677 | |
23 | 28 | Nicolas HAMILTON | Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock | CUPRA Leon | 20 | 1:09.458 | 2.020 |