Dan Cammish snares victory in Oulton Park Qualifying Race
Dan Cammish will start Sunday’s opening British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park from pole position after winning the fourth Qualifying Race of the season.
MB Motorsport’s Aron Taylor-Smith had taken the chequered flag on the road in first but was subsequently handed a five-second time for a safety car restart infringement, which ultimately dropped him to fifth.
Taylor-Smith’s demise promoted Josh Cook up to second while multiple champions Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram locked horns on their way to finishing third and fourth respectively.
The race began in dramatic fashion with Taylor-Smith fending off Cammish as the field streamed into the Island Hairpin, while further back, Tom Chilton was pitched into the armco barrier following contact from behind.
More drama ensured into Hislop’s as a late braking move by one of the Restart Racing Hyundai’s forced Gordon Shedden and Dan Rowbottom across the grass. They would both visit the pit lane though for Shedden, his race was run due to damage.
On lap two, Nicolas Hamilton then found himself in strife heading down to the Island Hairpin as he slammed into the barrier. With his Hyundai needing to be recovered, the safety car made its one and only appearance, and crucially served up one of the race’s critical moments.
Under the series’ new regulations, cars are not permitted to weave when the lights of the safety car go out. Unfortunately for Taylor-Smith, his Toyota did just that heading into the final corner and he was quickly handed a time penalty for the offence.
The Corolla driver would remain out front while behind him, Cammish held off Cook for the eventual race lead. The two scrapped all the way to the finish however Cammish was able to hold firm to secure top spot.
Behind Cook came Sutton and Ingram, who clashed at Druids with a handful of laps remaining. On corrected times, they both slotted in ahead of Taylor-Smith, who was classified in fifth.
Mikey Doble finished sixth ahead of the lead Plato Racing Mercedes of Adam Morgan, Dexter Patterson, Aiden Moffat and Chris Smiley, who completed the top ten.
