Photo: PSP Images

James Dodd on the verge of Super Touring glory heading in to Oulton Park finale

By

All eyes will be on James Dodd at the Oulton Park Gold Cup as he aims to become the first winner of the HSCC Super Touring Championship.

The Honda Accord driver takes a 12 point lead in to the closing rounds of the season, meaning he only needs to finish ahead of Stewart Whyte in the weekend’s opening encounter to clinch the title.

The odds are stacked firmly in the favour of Dodd, who has only finished behind Whyte once this season, when he came second to his fellow Honda driver in the opening race at the Brands Hatch Historic Superprix. Dodd is also unbeaten at Oulton Park in the Super Touring Car Championship, winning all four races at the Cheshire circuit since last year’s Gold Cup.

Although out of the running for the top spot, John Cleland could still take his Vauxhall Vectra to second in the championship come Sunday afternoon, lying just five points behind Whyte. Cleland was on form at the Oulton Park BTCC round earlier in the season, finishing second to Dodd in both races, and if results are to follow suit at the Gold Cup, he could find himself leapfrogging fellow Scot Whyte in the final round of the year.

Currently tied with Cleland in third in the standings is Mark Wright in the Ford Escort MkII, but as a result of being the sole entrant in his class at the Gold Cup, he can only take a maximum of four points from the weekend, resulting in third overall being his highest possible championship placing depending on how Cleland finishes.

He has, however, all but wrapped up the highest GA class scorer, holding a 17 point advantage over nearest challenger Mark Smith in the BMW E3 M3. Smith currently sits in joint ninth place with Craig Davies, another GA category contender in the Ford Sierra RS500, although Davies will not be competing this weekend.

Both Patrick Watts and Simon Garrad, who hold fourth and fifth place in the standings respectively, will miss the season finale, opening the door for the Mazda 323F of Kingsley Ingram to potentially sneak in to the top five overall in his ST2 class car.

Finally, one to watch in the closing two races of the year will be Paul Smith, who brings his Audi A4 out for only the second time, having raced his BMW at Thruxton and Oulton Park previously. He did compete in the Audi at Silverstone, however, finishing the second race of the weekend in tenth despite starting at the back of the grid.

PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST – ROUNDS 9 & 10 – OULTON PARK GOLD CUP

1 – Stewart Whyte – Honda Accord
3 – James Dodd – Honda Accord
4 – Graeme Dodd – Nissan Primera
7 – Paul Smith – Audi A4
8 – Darren Fielding – BMW E36
17 – Mark Smith – BMW M3
22 – Ric Wood – Ford Capri
27 – Kingsley Ingram – Mazda 323F
31 – Roger Lavender – BMW E36 M3
36 – Keith Butcher – Nissan Primera
60 – Mark Wright – Ford Escort
67 – Tony Absolom – Vauxhall Cavalier
70 – David Jarman – Nissan Primera
79 – Mark Jones – Renault Laguna
98 – John Cleland – Vauxhall Vectra

TIMETABLE (ALL TIMES BST)

Saturday
Qualifying: 12:25 – 12:45

Sunday
Race One: 13:15 – 13:35

Bank Holiday Monday
Race Two: 13:50 – 14:10