Adam Shepherd dominates TCR UK opener at Oulton Park
Adam Shepherd converted pole position into an opening TCR UK race victory in a safety car affected encounter at Oulton Park.
The Capture Motorsport Cupra León Competición driver led for the duration and was never truly threatened in the 20-minute plus one lap affair.
Brad Hutchison finished second after a superb divebomb overtake on Sam Laidlaw at Cascades while Callum Newsham bounced back from a disappointing qualifying to claim the final step on the podium.
From pole position, Shepherd got a good launch and maintained his lead into Old Hall for the first time, with Sam Laidlaw in close company behind.
Steve Laidlaw failed to get away from third on the grid and fell all the way down the order which allowed Hutchison past while momentarily delaying series points leader Callum Newsham.
Newsham did recover halfway around the opening lap and perfected a late divebomb to the inside of Finn Leslie’s Hyundai under braking for the Knickerbrook chicane to move up to fourth.
Out front, Shepherd opened up a handy 1.3-second margin over Sam Laidlaw but the advantage was soon reduced to nothing after the safety car was deployed following an incident for Harry Bloor at the exit of Knickerbrook.
A lengthy recovery of Bloor’s car followed which left just under five minutes left at the restart. Much like he had at the start of the race, Shepherd got away well and left Laidlaw having to fend off the Cupra of Hutchison at Old Hall.
Laidlaw ran slightly wide, which allowed Hutchison to get down the inside at Cascades to brilliantly claim second place, with Newsham also swarming behind in his Hyundai.
Newsham grabbed third on the inside of Island hairpin and Laidlaw was left scrambling on the exit as Leslie also tried to find a way through.
Meanwhile, Shepherd was comfortable in the lead and pressed home his advantage in the closing stages and easily took the victory by 3.591s from Hutchison.
Newsham came under pressure from Sam Laidlaw in the final laps, but was able to keep the Cupra behind, eventually coming home just three-tenths of a second clear of his rival at the line.
Leslie completed the top five, two seconds clear of the recovering Steve Laidlaw.
Will Beech was sevenths, ahead of Gregory Saunders – who lost all of his qualifying times due to speeding in the pit-lane – with Rod McGovern and race two reversed grid polesitter Mark Smith tenth.
The second race of the day is scheduled to take place at 16:35 BST.
