YORKSHIRE drivers James Thompson and John Bintcliffe both turned in high performance times during today's Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship warm-up session at Brands Hatch.

York's Thompson, driving the Honda Accord clocked the third fastest lap time of 44.775sec at 96.46mph, while Harrogate's Bintcliffe was sixth at 45.008sec at 96.27 mph.

Best time was achieved by Rickard Rydell, in the Volvo S40 turning in 44.609sec at 97.13mph.

Second was Nissan's Anthony Reid with 44.648sec at 97.04 mph.

Only 0.166 of a second divided Thompson from Rydell.

Thompson is desperate to get a British Touring Car Championship win under his belt. And if history repeats itself the York driver could well be a happy chap by the end of tomorrow.

For it was at last season's meeting that he chalked up his first and only victory of the championship.But this year's competition is proving to be a basket of unpredictables.

Thompson leads the drivers' championship after six races because he has been pretty consistent in chalking up a top three finishing place, but he has yet to win a race. In the six rounds so far held there have been a record-breaking five different winners.

"It's great to be leading the championship but it would be nice to start winning soon," said Thompson, nursing a four-point lead over closest rival, Volvo's Rickard Rydell. However, he is optimistic he can do it again at Brands, where he started practice as the only driver on the first day to go below 45 seconds.

On present form there is no reason why Thompson should not dominate both seventh and eighth Sprint and Feature Race rounds.

John Bintcliffe, the Harrogate-based Audi team driver, is also hoping to see a change of fortune in the new front-wheel drive car.

At special trials this week at Oulton Park he recorded the sixth fastest time and at Brands Hatch on Thursday, returned the ninth fastest time.

But Bintcliffe has so far had a frustrating season managing to muster just three points, a massive 53 behind Thompson.

The main feature race tomorrow with its obligatory pit stop to change a minimum of two wheels is over 50 laps covering 60-miles, 20 laps more than drivers usually tackle.

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