As TCR UK returns to Oulton Park to race on the Island configuration, Adam Shepherd topped the times in Free Practice, in what is now the Area Motorsport run Hyundai i30 N TCR.
After suffering gearbox issues in testing on Friday, championship leader Max Hart set the early pace in the 15 minute session in his Jamsport Racing Hyundai, before the Essex and Kent duo and Lewis Kent (Hyundai Veloster N TCR) and Bradley Kent (Hyundai i30 N TCR) started to set quicker times.
Isaac Smith in the Race Car Consultants Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR and Daniel James Motorsports Alex Ley in his Hyundai i30 N TCR also got themselves into the mix early on as the times tumbled with the session moving towards it completion.
Shepherd would end the session fastest with a time of 1:27.479, with Brands Hatch race three winner Ley going second fastest, two tenths of a second behind Shepherd.
Last years opening race winner at the same venue, Jac Constable, was third fastest in his Power Maxed Racing CUPRA TCR, ahead of Hart and Lewis Kent, with both drivers setting times in the 1 minute 28 seconds bracket.
Chris Smiley, who secured the opening race victory or the 2022 season back in April, was sixth with a time of 1:28.130 ahead of Bradley Hutchison in the Bond It with MPHR Audi RS3 LMS TCR.
Jessica Hawkins, who took her first ever TCR UK win back in April at the same venue, ended the session in eight place ahead of Matthew Wilson in the JWB Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición with Bradley Kent rounding out the top ten.
Seventeen cars set competitive laps in the sessions with Jamie Tonks 11th ahead of Callum Newsham in 12th place, whilst championship contender Isaac Smith was 13th after setting comparable times with Hart early on.
Scott Sumpton (Hyundai), Ant Whorton-Eales (Subaru), Darelle Wilson (Vauxhall) and Neil Trotter (CUPRA) set the remaining times with Andy Wilmot (Hyundai) and Bruce Winfield (CUPRA) not setting a time.
