Rory Butcher clinched the first victory since his off-season switch to Toyota Gazoo Racing UK after the Scotsman made an incredible start in the second BTCC bout at Oulton Park.
It was the seventh career success for Butcher but it looked unlikely with his Toyota Corolla lining up fourth on the grid, a position that he maintained off the line when the lights went out.
A ballsy move around the outside of Adam Morgan's Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport BMW at Cascades followed and then the #6 produced a dynamic double as he forcefully made his way past the Halfords Racing with Cataclean duo of Daniel Rowbottom and Gordon Shedden at Island Bend.
Butcher was already pulling clear by the conclusion of the first lap and he continued to extend that gap for the full 12-lap duration.
"It’s been a long time coming," said Butcher. "As I said yesterday, I’ve taken time to adapt to the car and recently we’ve kind of adapted it around my driving style and it just seems to be clicking now! I was sitting on the grid raring to go and knowing that I can make up places and once I got into the lead it was just a case of managing the lead and then on the last couple of laps to bring it home! It just goes to show that when you’ve got the car feeling right for you it can make all the difference. It’s the hard work from all the team that got us to this point.
"The car’s a lot of fun, if I’m honest! There’s nothing worse than not feeling at one with the car and at the moment we’ve really got it in that window. It’s just a lot of fun and you can play around with it more, just how I like to drive. I’m smiling from ear to ear and just looking forward to the rest of the season."
Rowbottom clinched second despite coming under race long pressure from Morgan – both drivers expertly taking their second podium of the day.
"When we started that race, I thought that if I could hang on to a top ten finish, we’d be okay," said Rowbottom. "But we got off the line okay, me and Rory had a bit of a spat in the hairpin on the first lap and that was it. I just had to control the race."
"Rory left like a rocket ship, he just disappeared," said Morgan. "Then it was three abreast going into Knickerbrook chicane and I just basically shut my eyes, hoped for the best and somehow we came out in P3! It was really good fun.
"A mega result for everyone at Ciceley Motorsport. That’s three podiums out of three races now so hopefully let’s make it four out of four."
Jake Hill quietly went about his business to earn an impressive fourth place in the MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square Ford, as the Kent driver continues to mount a genuine championship challenge.
Aiden Moffat's pacy performances continued with fifth for Laser Tools Racing as he fended off fellow countryman Shedden, the latter having been shuffled down the order on the opening lap.
Ash Sutton made stellar progress in the sister Laser Tools Racing Infiniti but he couldn't make it by Team BMW's Stephen Jelley. With both Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant hitting trouble during the day so far, Jelley has emerged as the German marque's main threat and the multiple race-winner has been driving beautifully at a circuit he really enjoys.
So Jelley held seventh from Sutton, whilst BTC Racing's Senna Proctor and Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com's Tom Ingram completed the top ten positions.
2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Race 2 – Oulton Park
1 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK 12 laps
2 Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +1.698s
3 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +2.500s
4 Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +2.944s
5 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +3.200s
6 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +4.653s
7 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +5.811s
8 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +6.035s
9 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) BTC Racing +6.305s
10 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +6.546s
11 Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +6.661s
12 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +6.826s
13 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +10.693s
14 Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +15.436s
15 Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +17.329s
16 Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +17.859s
17 Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +18.613s
18 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +20.108s
19 Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +20.317s
20 Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +20.575s
21 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing +23.129s
22 Jack MITCHELL (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +23.365s
23 Rick PARFITT (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +24.281s
24 Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +26.062s
25 Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +4 laps
26 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +7 laps
27 Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +9 laps
