[adrotate banner=”10″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.
Its been three years since Gordon Shedden has stood on the top step of a BTCC podium. But the three time champion showed his class in a brilliant drive in race three at a wet Oulton Park.
Shedden started on pole position for race three of the day at Oulton and controlled the race from lap one. The Toyota driver came under pressure from the fast starting Jake Hill, who went from fifth to second on lap one. The Scot placing his car on all the right parts of the track as Hill made a mistake in the last few laps. It has been a tough season for Flash Gordon and Toyota so far. Prior to this weekend, his best result was a tenth place finish. But a win on home soil for Speedworks motorsport will give the team plenty of joy heading into the summer break.
Ash Sutton followed Shedden home in second place ahead of teammate Dan Rowbottom, who is making a habit of great race three results. Ingram finished fourth after what was looking like a poor race for the Hyundai driver as he struggled early on. Senna Proctor finished fifth in his first wet BTCC race, a very impressive result for the returning driver.
A race of attrition
Plenty of drivers came to grief in the last BTCC race of the weekend at Oulton Park. Seven drivers were classified as non finishers. Chris Smiley was the first to fall, he parked his Hyundai in the runoff at the Hislops chicane. Josh Cook then went too deep into Lodge corner trying to defend from Rowbottom for third place. Max Hall then did similar to Cook and got his Cupra stuck in the gravel, bringing out a safety car.
After the safety car went in, Max Chilton ran into the back of Mikey Doble at the Hislop chicane which saw Doble in the barrier and Chilton forced to complete the lap with his bonnet up. But that was the last safety car of the race, Nicholas Hamilton hit the wall at the first corner and Stephen Jelly’s Honda gave up but both cars were deemed in safe positions so racing could carry on.
Rainford weathers the storm at Oulton Park
Charles Rainford had a brilliant race three in the wet at Oulton Park after being disqualified in race two for technical infringements. The BMW’s normally go quite well in the rain, being the only rear wheel drive machines on the grid. And Rainford put that advantage to good use as he battled from 25th on the grid all the way up to ninth at the flag. The driver from Horsham did however lose out in a battle to, fellow Jack Sears Trophy competitor, James Dorlin who took the position back off Rainford in the last few laps.
Patterson’s bold strategy call pays off
Dexter Patterson has struggled a bit on his return to the BTCC after Cupra showed strong pace in pre-season testing. But he aced race three at Oulton Park today with a brilliant strategy call. Under the last safety car, Patterson dived into the pits to fit the soft tyre. A call that seemed a bit too early at the time, after he couldn’t catch up to the safety car queue, ended up to be a good one.
Once the track started to dry out a bit more, Patterson started to claw back some time as the runners on the wet rubber struggled and his tyres got warmer. It was a frantic last few laps but Patterson came away with 12th place which was enough to be the highest placed independant driver for the first time this season. He also managed to claim the fastest lap of the race, giving him an extra point to his championship tally.
With the summer break now upon us it is Ash Sutton who goes into it the championship leader. Six weeks seperates us from the next BTCC race weekend which will be at Croft Circuit. The rest of the season is sure to be just as close and chaotic as the first half.
Main image credit: BTCC