FABRIZIO Giovanardi says he has got a fight on his hands if he's to maintain his lead in the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship at Croft today.

Reigning champion Giovanardi - 12th on the grid and his Vectra VXR laden with the maximum success ballast of 45kgs - found the going tough in both practice sessions and afternoon qualifying.

And he doesn't expect things to get easier tomorrow when he lines up for race one half way down the 24-car grid.

Meanwhile, nearest championship challenger North-East raised Jason Plato will start third in his SEAT Leon TDI. He goes into today's first race 18 points behind Giovanardi.

The Vauxhall driver said: "We didn't find the best set-up from this morning; we changed a lot but we didn't go in the right direction.

"Tomorrow will be difficult. Croft is tricky at the best of times, and when you start so far back on the grid it will be tough.

"Still I'm looking forward to it and to securing some points."

Plato, whose Leon is carrying 36kgs of success ballast, "I had to abort my first flying lap because of traffic. After the three red flags it was all down to my final flying lap.

"It wasn't the perfect lap either because I made a couple of mistakes, but only Fabrizio is carrying more success ballast than me and he's way down in 12th and I'm up right up there in third, so I'm pleased to be only two-tenths off pole with the second heaviest car on the track."