Civic Cup: Bruce Winfield Leads New Generation at Oulton Park

Bruce Winfield would take top honours in the opening round of the year as the new season began at Oulton Park amid an extremely wet July.

As the Milltek Sport Civic Cup enters a new era of British Motorsport, the Cup itself enjoyed live streaming for the first time on Social Media. The pack did not disappoint as the worsening rain made the first corner a treacherous line for many. Contact between the front row starters would bring out a red flag as Andrew Gaugler spun into the barrier on the run up to the second corner.

Polesitter Bruce Winfield would regain his position at the front for the restart. This time it would be Paul Taylor who challenged him to the outside, though thought better of risking his chances on the slippery grass and backed off before Cascades.

Winfield, Taylor and Alistair Camp would quickly form a breakaway top three as the polesitter went searching for the victory that eluded him throughout 2019. Not wishing to give up his chance of taking the all important championship lead, Winfield soon found his grove and with no-one in front of him, set about setting fastest laps. The 2:08.676 that he recorded proved to be almost two seconds quicker than the next quickest driver, epitomised the domination from the #37.

Across the line Winfield would take the flag by 5.9 seconds with a further 8.6 seconds separating second place Taylor from Camp, who will be eager to fight back in race two.

Further back, Jamie Tonks was best-of-the-rest during his maiden race. The #4 had started third and was challenging for the lead into the first turn but had fallen back by the time the field reached Shell Corner. Tonks proved boisterous though, holding his ground, even after a late challenge by the on-form David Buky.

Buky had qualified eighth, but thanks to superior confidence in his tyres at the start was almost immediately into the top five. His battle with Tonks would go until the last lap, finishing just 0.167 seconds behind the rookie.

Sixth would go to Morgan Bailey as Max Lewis proved the star of the show, jumping from sixteenth to seven during the rain soaked conditions. Ross Darlington had been in contention for sixth during the closing laps, but an off would see him cross the line in eighth. Rounding out the top ten would be Bradley Lane, jumping four places and Oliver Barsby for Revilo Industries.