Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport's Jake Hill ended a quite sensational day of Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship racing at Oulton Park by making a last lap move for victory in the reverse grid race.
Long-time leader Mikey Doble and team-mate Árón Taylor-Smith had to settle for a still impressive two-three for Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing.
Kent driver Hill is in the form of his life, having taken a double-double at Snetterton and Thruxton respectively during the previous two race weekends, but he has had to remain patient at Oulton Park this weekend.
He narrowly missed out on the 'Quick Six' qualifying yesterday and had to settle for seventh on the grid, but he worked his way forward during race day to take fifth, third and a victory from the three races.
You had to feel for pole-sitter Doble, who led the finale almost from start to finish, but the pressure eventually told as Hill went side-by-side with the Vauxhall on the final tour. The pair ran through the chicane together, touched slightly, but it was the #24 that emerged ahead with a brilliant move.
Taylor-Smith made it a double celebration for PMR by completing the podium, ahead of Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS' Tom Ingram.
The NAPA Racing UK duo of Dan Cammish and Dan Rowbottom were next in the order but team-mate Ash Sutton faced heartbreak for the second successive race - this time wheel arch damage forcing him out of contention. This is the sort of bad luck we haven't seen for Sutton in a long time, and the reigning championship has unfortunately haemorrhaged points here in Cheshire.
Team BMW's Adam Morgan was seventh, ahead of race two winner Josh Cook in his LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ Toyota.
Restart Racing's Chris Smiley rounded off a brilliant day with ninth, whilst Aiden Moffat surged through the pack to take tenth in the #16 Toyota Corolla.
Jake Hill said: "That was tough. A fantastic race with Árón (Taylor-Smith) and Mikey (Doble) at the end there. Credit to them because they did a great job and it was just a really enjoyable touring car race from my point of view – just hard fought battling and it was absolutely awesome. As much as I feel sorry Mikey, I’ve got a championship to try and win and I had to get the move done. Credit to him for leaving me a bit of space, but, what a move!"
Oulton Park - Race 3 - Final Classification
P/ | No/ | Name/ | Entry/ | Laps/ | Time/ | Gap/ | Best/ | On/ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24 | Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | 15 | 21:42.189 | 1:25.484 | 10 | |
2 | 88 | Mikey DOBLE | Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing | 15 | 21:42.938 | 0.749 | 1:25.893 | 7 |
3 | 40 | Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing | 15 | 21:44.599 | 2.41 | 1:25.729 | 6 |
4 | 80 | Tom INGRAM | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 15 | 21:45.045 | 2.856 | 1:25.904 | 2 |
5 | 27 | Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | 15 | 21:45.903 | 3.714 | 1:25.975 | 4 |
6 | 32 | Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | 15 | 21:46.339 | 4.15 | 1:25.785 | 5 |
7 | 33 | Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | 15 | 21:48.947 | 6.758 | 1:25.545 | 11 |
8 | 66 | Josh COOK | LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ | 15 | 21:49.663 | 7.474 | 1:26.110 | 3 |
9 | 222 | Chris SMILEY | Restart Racing | 15 | 21:51.933 | 9.744 | 1:26.206 | 2 |
10 | 16 | Aiden MOFFAT | LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ | 15 | 21:54.663 | 12.474 | 1:26.060 | 3 |
11 | 14 | Ronan PEARSON | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 15 | 21:57.180 | 14.991 | 1:25.788 | 6 |
12 | 12 | Rob HUFF | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | 15 | 21:57.254 | 15.065 | 1:25.936 | 3 |
13 | 18 | Daryl DELEON | Duckhams Racing With Bartercard | 15 | 22:02.906 | 20.717 | 1:26.298 | 3 |
14 | 11 | Andrew WATSON | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | 15 | 22:03.091 | 20.902 | 1:26.181 | 6 |
15 | 20 | Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | 15 | 22:12.927 | 30.738 | 1:26.131 | 8 |
16 | 29 | Scott SUMPTON | Restart Racing | 15 | 22:22.097 | 39.908 | 1:26.729 | 4 |
17 | 22 | Nick HALSTEAD | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 15 | 22:46.107 | 1:03.918 | 1:29.492 | 4 |
18 | 1 | Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | 15 | 22:59.406 | 1:17.217 | 1:25.406 | 5 |
DNF | 77 | Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | 10 | 14:50.123 | 5 Laps | 1:26.346 | 4 |
DNS | 3 | Tom CHILTON | Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS | 0 | 0 | 0 |