WSR's Charles Rainford took victory in Round 12 of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park, becoming the second repeat winner of the campaign.
Restart Racing's Chris Smiley started the race on pole, but with a gaggle of Goodyear soft tyre runners behind him, it was always going to be a tall order to hang on at the front.
Rainford's BMW 330i M Sport fired off the line and was quickly into second on the approach to Old Hall Corner for the first time.
There was drama behind as the Toyota of Árón Taylor-Smith slid luridly through the first turn on cold tyres. As the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver tried to correct the error he collected the #33 Mercedes of Adam Morgan – ending both of their races on the spot.
A safety car was called to retrieve the strike #50 Toyota Corolla and Morgan's Cataclean Plato Racing machine, with Rainford poised to make his move for the lead shortly after the restart.
Rainford got a great exit from Old Hall and completed a daring move around the outside of Smiley before they reached Cascades.
The Team VERTU duo of Ricky Collard and Tom Ingram were next by the fading Hyundai of Smiley as they looked poised to attack Rainford ahead of them.
There was some respite during a second safety car period when Tom Chilton (Team VERTU) made contact with Lewis Selby's NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus Titanium, as both cars ended up in the barrier at Cascades.
In truth, Rainford had the measure of his pursuers and claimed his second win of the season in commanding fashion from Collard and Ingram.
Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) and Josh Cook (Speedworks Corolla Racing) were fourth and fifth, whilst Cataclean Plato Racing's Dan Rowbottom produced arguably his best performance of the season with sixth.
The #32 Mercedes man hounded Smiley's Hyundai during the latter stages of the race before he eventually made an impressive move stick for his second top six finish of the campaign.
Dexter Patterson (Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing), Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) and Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten.
Charles Rainford, WSR, said:
Ricky Collard, Team VERTU, said:
Tom Ingram, Team VERTU, said:
Race 3 - Oulton Park – Result:
| P/ | No/ | Name/ | Entry/ | Laps/ | Time/ | Gap/ | Best/ | On/ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Charles RAINFORD | WSR | 18 | 31:18.677 | 1:24.636 | 6 | |
| 2 | 11 | Ricky COLLARD | Team VERTU | 18 | 31:19.996 | 1.319 | 1:24.747 | 7 |
| 3 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | Team VERTU | 18 | 31:20.335 | 1.658 | 1:24.458 | 7 |
| 4 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | 18 | 31:21.021 | 2.344 | 1:24.816 | 15 |
| 5 | 66 | Josh COOK | Speedworks Corolla Racing | 18 | 31:21.567 | 2.890 | 1:24.593 | 14 |
| 6 | 32 | Daniel ROWBOTTOM | Cataclean Plato Racing | 18 | 31:29.733 | 11.056 | 1:25.859 | 15 |
| 7 | 22 | Chris SMILEY | Restart Racing | 18 | 31:30.715 | 12.038 | 1:25.908 | 15 |
| 8 | 17 | Dexter PATTERSON | Steel Seal with Power Maxed Racing | 18 | 31:31.128 | 12.451 | 1:26.266 | 14 |
| 9 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | 18 | 31:31.364 | 12.687 | 1:26.327 | 16 |
| 10 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | 18 | 31:36.025 | 17.348 | 1:26.733 | 14 |
| 11 | 88 | Mikey DOBLE | LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing | 18 | 31:36.448 | 17.771 | 1:26.503 | 14 |
| 12 | 28 | Nicolas HAMILTON | Team VERTU | 18 | 31:38.802 | 20.125 | 1:26.839 | 15 |
| 13 | 77 | Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | 18 | 31:38.962 | 20.285 | 1:26.487 | 7 |
| 14 | 132 | James DORLIN | Restart Racing | 18 | 31:39.454 | 20.777 | 1:26.758 | 8 |
| 15 | 2 | Daryl DE LEON | WSR | 18 | 31:39.691 | 21.014 | 1:26.505 | 6 |
| 16 | 19 | Max BUXTON | Speedworks Corolla Racing | 18 | 31:40.060 | 21.383 | 1:26.818 | 16 |
| DNF | 15 | Lewis SELBY | NAPA Racing UK | 8 | 15:38.747 | 10 Laps | 1:26.774 | 7 |
| DNF | 3 | Tom CHILTON | Team VERTU | 8 | 15:38.754 | 10 Laps | 1:26.739 | 7 |
| DNF | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | ||
| DNF | 50 | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | ||
| DNF | 33 | Adam MORGAN | Cataclean Plato Racing | 0 | 0.000 | 0 |
