Photo: PSP Images

Dan Lloyd bounces back to secure Race 2 honours at Castle Combe

Dan Lloyd re-imposed his authority on the TCR UK Championship with victory in Race 2 at Castle Combe.

The WestCoast Racing driver led every lap from pole position and secured victory despite a late safety car period that threatened to affect his dominance.

Race 1 winner Ollie Taylor fought his way up from the back of the grid to take second, but failed to make the most of the safety car period caused by a high-speed accident between Stewart Lines and Jessica Bäckman.

Having failed in a bid to secure the race two pole position with a deliberately mediocre second-fastest qualifying lap, Lloyd found his WestCoast Volkswagen Golf promoted to top spot by the non appearance on race day of Wilson’s Vauxhall Astra, the DW Racing entry unable to source a replacement steering rack.

Slight wheelspin off the line saw Lloyd’s Volkswagen run side-by-side to the first corner with the Maximum Motorsport Cupra of fellow front-row starter Carl Swift, before the Golf moved ahead and pulled inexorably away, 5.5 seconds clear within five laps.

Making impressive progress through the field was race one winner Ollie Taylor. Having started his Pyro Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R from sixth on the eight-car grid he was up to fourth on the first lap, and then took third from Lewis Kent’s Hyundai i30 N at Tower on lap four. Kent came straight back at the Honda and made brief contact, running across the grass and dropping back.

Behind these the two WestCoast Racing Volkswagens of siblings Andreas and Jessica Bäckman fought mightily, Andreas eventually assuming the advantage with a very late lunge at the chicane. Both then overcame the steadily declining Kent.

Taylor forced his way past Swift for second on lap seven, but by now Lloyd was over seven seconds clear and almost in cruise mode. The Honda was unable to reduce the gap despite quickly building an advantage over the field. Third to eighth now ran as one pack, Swift holding the rest back despite picking up a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.

Lloyd’s advantage was then wiped out by the safety car period sparked by a high-speed accident at Camp corner. Sometimes bitter rivals Stewart Lines and Jessica Bäckman made contact and both cars hit the tyre barrier at unabated pace – the two drivers stepping out angry but unhurt.

Lines was later disqualified and four penalty points added to his licence for the accident.

By the time the damage was repaired just four minutes of the race remained and Taylor was caught out by the safety car pulling in, Lloyd re-establishing his advantage and taking the victory by 1.7 seconds.

“I got a little wheelspin at the start but after that it was a case of getting my head down and driving consistently,” said Lloyd. “The way we had the car set up it was as strong at the end as at the start.”

“That was good fun,” Taylor said afterwards. “But with Dan starting up front second was always the best we were going to get. Once I got past the others I think Dan and I were pretty even on pace so I needed to hope for a safety car period.

“When it happened I thought we were going to get another lap under the safety car, and I couldn’t see it behind Dan’s car when it pulled off – by the time I realised Dan was gone.”

Andreas Bäckman briefly thought he had secured his second podium of the day, with the Alfa Romeo of Derek Palmer making the most of others’ misfortune to take fourth place after another trying weekend for his DPE Motorsport team.

But after the race Swift successfully appealed his penalty, the Maximum Cupra restored to third spot after the podium celebrations had taken place.