Photo: PSP Images

Last-lap clash costs Dan Lloyd seventh straight win

Dan Lloyd appeared to maintain his total domination of the TCR UK Championship, by taking his WestCoast Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI to a seventh-successive victory in round seven of the series at Castle Combe.

However stewards decided Lloyd’s last-lap move at Quarry corner, in which he took the lead from the Honda Civic of Ollie Taylor, was too muscular and penalised the WestCoast Racing driver by one second.

Taylor was therefore declared the winner of a race decimated by a first-lap accident.

Lloyd lined up in second spot on the grid just three thousandths of a second behind Taylor’s Pyro Motorsport Civic. But off the line as the Honda assumed the lead the Volkswagen bogged down, Lloyd dropping to fourth behind team-mate Andreas Bäckman and the Essex & Kent Motorsport Hyundai i30 N of Lewis Kent.

“I didn’t load the car up enough,” Lloyd said later. “It was a bit strange to be honest, as the lights went off it just didn’t launch.”

Chaos ensued at Quarry bend on the first lap, sparking a safety car period, when the third WestCoast Racing Golf of Jessica Bäckman and the Verizon-Connect Honda Civic of Finlay Crocker made contact. Bäckman was pitched into the outside tyre wall while Crocker was sent across the apex of the corner where he was collected by the Maximum Motorsport Cupra of Stewart Lines.

Crocker retired on the spot, Lines in the pits, while after attention in the pits Bäckman was able to resume two laps down. With Robert Gilmour’s DPE Motorsport Alfa Romeo Giulietta having not started due to a burnt-out wiring loom, the competitive field was reduced to just six cars.

From the restart Taylor established a useful lead, while recovering from his startline issue Lloyd began to apply pressure to Kent, passing the Cupra with the 30-minute race at half distance.

The championship leader then swiftly closed on and dispatched team-mate Andreas Bäckman, and set about cutting the gap to Taylor as the race entered its closing stages.

Starting the final lap the Golf was on the tail of the Civic, and into Quarry Lloyd went for the inside, the two cars coming together pitching Taylor’s Honda sideways. Lloyd went through and duly took the win.

Not surprisingly opinions differed as to the contact.

“It went well until the last lap” said Taylor. “I managed the pace of the race quite well but made a couple of mistakes towards the end which allowed Dan to close up.

“I was conscious not to overshoot Quarry on the last lap, I covered the inside and next thing there was an almighty whack. The car went sideways and I just managed to keep it on the track, we were level pegging down to the chicane and I backed off to avoid taking us both off.”

Lloyd considered the contact a racing incident. “That was where I was quickest all race. I left a gap and I committed, and he came in a bit tighter. We made contact in the middle but it was a typical late touring car move.”

Race stewards took Taylor’s view and penalised Lloyd by one second, dropping him behind Taylor who became only the second winner in the history of TCR UK.

Bäckman came home third, very pleased with his podium place.

“I got a good start and had good speed in the early part of the race. I lost a bit of speed as Dan caught me but was able to hold on for third and I’m very happy with that.”