BTCC: Donington Testing 98-05-01

News from www.btcc.co.uk 1/5/98

NISSAN AND REID ON TOP AT DONINGTON

The Nissan team this afternoon (Fri) capitalised on its Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship race- winning form with an impressive official testing performance at Donington Park ahead of Monday's fifth and sixth rounds of the series.

Anthony Reid led the way in his British-built Primera, pipping Volvo's Rickard Rydell to top spot by nearly a tenth of a second, with David Leslie third quickest to underline Nissan's new-found pace. Leslie ended Nissan's five-year victory drought by winning round three of the championship at Silverstone last Sunday.

Reigning champion Alain Menu was fourth quickest for Renault, with Honda's James Thompson - who was the Donington test pacesetter in March - fifth fastest. Less than a second covered the top 13 runners today.

Gianni Morbidelli brought the session to a premature halt when his Volvo's brakes failed at the end of the pit straight and he struck the Redgate Corner barriers, lightly damaging the car. The Italian was unhurt in the incident. Also in the wars was Audi's John Bintcliffe; he crashed out at Coppice, again without injury and only light panel damage.

Official qualifying, including the 'one-shot showdown', is at Donington Park on Sunday, with rounds five and six of the Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship scheduled for the afternoon of Bank Holiday Monday, May 4.

* Nigel Mansell - who makes his Auto Trader BTCC race debut at Donington in June - will be at the Leicestershire track on Monday to cheer on his Ford team-mates and to sign autographs.

Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship Official testing / Donington Park, Leicestershire / 1 May 1998 1 Anthony Reid GB Nissan Primera 1m 10.065s 100.56mph 2 Rickard Rydell SWE Volvo S40 1m 10.155s 3 David Leslie GB Nissan Primera 1m 10.181s 4 Alain Menu SWI Renault Laguna 1m 10.357s 5 James Thompson GB Honda Accord 1m 10.381s