BTC Racing’s Senna Proctor eventually took the result that his pace clearly deserved as the Yorkshireman claimed victory in the final Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship encounter at Oulton Park.
Drama ensued from the outset – as it has done throughout the weekend – when the race was red flagged on the first of two occasions, the latter incident ending the race ahead of schedule.
The first accident involved a pirouetting Ford Focus of Sam Osborne, which had been sent spiralling off-track by another rival, which then caught out the likes of Jack Mitchell (Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct), Jade Edwards (PHSC with BTC Racing), Jack Butel (EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com) and several others, who were all involved in subsequent contact.
The restart was no less dramatic – this time it was reigning champion and standings leader Ash Sutton spinning out of the race as he attacked Proctor for the lead. The duo, who are good friends off-track, went side-by-side through turn one before almost inevitable contact sent the #1 car sliding down the order.
Sutton's race was run as he tried to return when contact with Laser Tools Racing team-mate Carl Boardley finally ended his challenge.
Ironically, Boardley was involved in the accident that brought a high-speed end to proceedings with both him and Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Rory Butcher careering into the barrier on lap eight.
When the dust settled on track it was Proctor winning from Stephen Jelley, the latter having been Team BMW's brightest light throughout the weekend.
Scotsman Gordon Shedden completed the podium as the Halfords Racing with Cataclean star enjoyed his most promising weekend of the season so far, as did Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat, who secured a top six hat-trick on the day.
Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Dan Rowbottom (Halfords Racing with Cataclean) – arguably vying for 'Driver of the Day' bragging rights between them – ended the action in fifth and sixth respectively.
Jake Hill (MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square) and Colin Turkington (Team BMW) scored solid championship points in seventh and eighth, whilst Tom Chilton (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Chris Smiley (Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com) completed the top ten order.
Senna Proctor said:
“I made such a mess of race one, it’s nice to be able to repay the team for all the hard work they’ve put in. Now I won’t go home kicking myself so much tonight. Obviously, we’d have preferred the race one win over the race three, but we’ll take it nonetheless.
“The first start was good, I had talked to Ash before and he just got tucked in front of me and I was happy to go with him really. Then on the second start, I got a cracking start and a bit of a run on him into turn one, and he just seemed to try and hang it around the outside. It was a case of 'two doesn’t go into one' and as he went on the exit curb and joined back on, I clipped him. It’s not the way I race. In my opinion, it was a racing incident. I’m just sorry to Ash for what happened, obviously we’re good mates so I hope it doesn’t affect that.
“I’m taking away that I need to get some practice starts done and not listen to as many people pre race one. But it was good! And I’d just like to say, this win is for the marshal that lost their life at Brands Hatch yesterday.”
Stephen Jelley said:
“It’s great! The car was mega, me and my engineer have managed to get it absolutely sweet, so it was just about doing the job. I’ve got the equipment there and I’ve just got to deliver myself – which we’ve done. Senna just got away there and 110% during the race I was just trying to peg it back.
“Three good points-scoring finishes and after a disaster for me at Brands Hatch, it’s really nice to get back and have a solid weekend.”
Gordon Shedden said:
“Really good points, two podiums and a sixth, mega! That’s just what we needed at this time of the year. Looking forward to the next one.
“I can’t wait for Knockhill, we’ve just had the news we can have a crowd which is fantastic so I really hope that we can get a massive amount of support for myself, Rory, Aiden and everyone in the support package as well! We really need that, the extra spring in our step from a Scottish crowd!”
2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 3 – Oulton Park
1 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) BTC Racing 8 laps
2 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +2.183s
3 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +4.313s
4 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +7.478s
5 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +7.999s
6 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +9.136s
7 Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +9.475s
8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +10.215s
9 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +12.280s
10 Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +13.471s
11 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +13.769s
12 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +14.415s
13 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +14.871s
14 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +15.298s
15 Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +16.156s
16 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +16.491s
17 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +18.774
18 Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +19.342s
19 Rick PARFITT (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +21.356s
20 Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +22.744s
21 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +49.238s
22 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +13.351s
23 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +14.603s
24 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +8 laps
25 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +8 laps
26 Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +8 laps
27 Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +8 laps
28 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +8 laps
