BTCC: Donington testing

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Donington Park, 8/8/96

David Leslie's Honda Accord this afternoon (Thurs) knocked more than two-tenths of a second off the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit lap record in official Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship testing at the Leicestershire track.

Leslie -- who won his first BTCC race for Honda last month at Silverstone -- lapped the track in 1 minute 37.571 seconds, beating lap record holder and championship leader Frank Biela's Audi into second place.

Third place in the test rankings went to 1991 BTCC Champion Will Hoy's Renault Laguna. Reigning Champion John Cleland was 11th quickest in his Vauxhall.

The BTCC circus heads tomorrow (Fri) for Oulton Park in Cheshire for final testing before Sunday's rounds 19 and 20 of the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship. OFFICIAL TESTING TIMES DONINGTON PARK, 8/8/96 1 David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, 1m 37.571s, 92.24mph; 2 Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, 1:37.706; 3 Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, 1:37.892; 4 Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, 1:37.904; 5 James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, 1:38.173; 6 Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, 1:38.321; 7 Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, 1:38.382; 8 John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, 1:38.494; 9 Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, 1:38.678; 10 Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, 1:38.837; 11 John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, 1:38.866; 12 James Thompson (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, 1:38.981. -- Official BTCC website: Best in British Motor Sport http://www.demon.co.uk/racing