Dan Cammish (Redline Racing) secured his fifth win from six races in 2016 with a drive that left nothing to chance. The reigning champion made a perfect start to secure a clean sweep for the weekend with two pole positions, two fastest laps and two race wins. A delighted Cammish leaves Oulton Park with an increased lead in a championship he is emphatically claiming as his own:
“I got a great start, and when I didn’t have to lose time defending into the hairpin I knew I was clear. We had so much speed like we did last year and the car was great. I just concentrated on my own race and pulled away. It’s good for the championship and I needed a weekend like this to give me breathing space. Now it means I can even afford a DNF, but we were really strong at Croft last year.”
Cammish sprinted away from the standing start, conscious of defending from a determined Stephen Jelley (Team Parker Racing) after his bold move at the first corner in round five. No defence was necessary, and the Yorkshireman showed his pace as he pulled away to take the flag eight seconds from the pursuing Jelley.
While Jelley’s race in second may have been a lonely one, the battle for third involved most of the Pro category drivers. Tom Oliphant (Team Redline) lost out at the start, slipping to eighth, while Charlie Eastwood (Redline Racing) and Dino Zamparelli (GT Marques) were notable advancers. Zamparelli closed on Lewis Plato (Team Redline) to begin the challenge for third, while a short trip across the grass into Knickerbrook cost Eastwood his splitter, if not a position.
Plato was able to hold off Zamparelli, who in turn was defending from a charging Sharp. At the end of lap 14, Zamparelli got a good run on Plato at the exit from Lodge, pulling alongside the third-placed driver as they crossed the line and taking a podium place as the pair arrived at Old Hall. The focus then shifted to a close-fought contest for fourth which saw Plato hold the place after Sharp tried to pass on the outside of Lodge at the end of the penultimate lap, the reigning Rookie champion slipping back to finish eighth after losing traction on the run-off area.
Euan McKay (IN2 Racing) converted his strong pace into another race win in what was the 200
th race for the Pro-Am1 category, and earned himself the ‘Driver of the Weekend’ award in the process. The Rookie kept close to the pace of the Pro category runners and always had the measure of the consistent Sean Hudspeth (Parr Motorsport) who scored a second podium finish in second. Storming back from an early spin which saw him at the back of the field was Dan McKay (IN2 Racing), a gap of just five seconds to Hudspeth testament to an amazing performance on a circuit where overtaking is difficult. This combined result saw IN2 Racing presented with the ‘Team of the Weekend’ award.
Providing some of the best racing of the weekend was the Pro-Am2 category, Shamus Jennings (G-Cat Racing) making another fantastic start to lead in class at the end of the first lap. Category leader Mark Radcliffe (Intersport Racing) spun in his pursuit, leaving Tautvydas Barstys (Juta Racing) to pass Jennings for the lead, a position he maintained to the flag and earning the Lithuanian a place in the Pro-Am2 record books as winner of the category’s 200
th race. A three-way fight for second ensued with Jennings holding on to second from Iain Dockerill (Asset Advantage Racing) after Peter Kyle-Henney (Parr Motorsport) pirouetted exiting Knickerbrook.
Rounds seven and eight take place in two weeks’ time at Croft in Yorkshire. Last year on his home circuit Cammish was supreme, but the contest to be his challenger is closer than ever.
Points standings
1. Dan Cammish - Redline Racing - 125
2. Dino Zamparelli - GT Marques - 105
3. Charlie Eastwood - Redline Racing - 84
Pro-Am1
1. Euan McKay - IN2 Racing - 50
2. Sean Hudspeth - Parr Motorsport - 46
3. John McCullagh - Redline Racing - 45
Pro-Am2
1. Tautvydas Barstys - Juta Racing - 49
2. Mark Radcliffe - Intersport Racing - 49
3. Iain Dockerill - Asset Advantage Racing - 43