Menu quickest in final practice

Alain Menu completed a clean sweep of Saturday practice sessions in the final half hour of running before Suzuka World Touring Car Championship qualifying.

Earlier Menu had edged out Chevrolet team-mate Yvan Muller by a tiny margin, but in practice two it was the RML squad’s third driver Rob Huff who took the close second place, 0.058 seconds down on Menu.

Muller was only fourth this time, behind surprise third-place man Fernando Monje’s SEAT.

Gabriele Tarquini held the top spot for a while before the Chevrolets flexed their muscles and pushed the SEAT back to fifth.

That left Tarquini just in front of the car he will race next year – the new Honda driven by ex-SEAT man Tiago Monteiro for its debut in Japan.

Hiroki Yoshimoto was again the best of the local guests in seventh, followed by regulars Pepe Oriola, Norbert Michelisz and James Nash.

Tom Coronel only completed a handful of laps and was slowest, amid exhaust problems on his ROAL BMW.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/wtcc/menu-quickest-in-final-practice

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze