BTCC: Silverstone testing

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Official Testing: Silverstone, 5/7/96 THE Volvo team made all the running at Silverstone today (Fri) in final official testing for next weekend's (Jul 13/14) twin rounds of the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship.

Top of the timesheets was Swede Rickard Rydell, whose best lap of the Grand Prix circuit was more than a second inside the unofficial benchmark set by Renault's Will Hoy earlier in the month. Rydell's Volvo 850 running mate, Kelvin Burt, was second fastest.

Alain Menu -- double winner last time out in the championship -- was third fastest for Renault and the only other driver to break the 1m 56s barrier.

The Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship is chief support to next weekend's Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with round 15 of the series taking place on Saturday (Jul 13) and round 16 on Sunday, immediately after the Grand Prix. OFFICIAL BTCC TESTING TIMES Silverstone (GP circuit), 5/7/96 1 Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, 1m 55.514s, 98.29mph; 2 Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, 1:55.701; 3 Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, 1:55.986; 4 David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, 1:56.364; 5 Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, 1:56.416, etc. -- Official BTCC website: Best in British Motor Sport http://www.demon.co.uk/racing