Tarquini heads the field in Practice 1

SR-Sport’s Gabriele Tarquini was quickest in first practice this morning ahead of tomorrow’s Race of Italy at Monza.

The defending champion knocked BMW Team RBM’s Andy Priaulx off the top spot at the half way point setting a fastest time of 2:01.324 around the 5.793 kilometre Autodromo Nazionale. It was a trio of manufacturers filling the top spots once again with Rob Huff improving in the final minutes to record the second fastest time of 2:01.480 in his Chevrolet Cruze. After leading to the half way point Priaulx (2:01.562) finished the session third.

Chevrolet’s Yvan Muller (2:01.614) and SR-Sports’s Jordi Gené (2:01.682) completed the top five while yesterday’s quickest man, Augusto Farfus (2:01.706) was sixth in his BMW 320si.
Danish rookie Michel Nykjær (2:01.775) was seventh ahead of SR-Sport team mates Tom Coronel (2:01.844) and Tiago Monteiro (2:01.861).

After oil pressure problems yesterday, rookie Fredy Barth (2:01.980) rounded out the top ten in first practice today. Another Dane, Kristian Poulsen (2:02.020) was the top Independent finishing 11th overall in his BMW 320si.

After being quickest Independent in Friday’s test, Stefano D’Aste did not complete a flying lap, stopping out on track at the first chicane with gearbox problems.

The session was very close, with 14 cars within the same second, though a number of times were disallowed due to drivers cutting chicanes.