TCT: Taylor Extracts Maximum for Race 2 Win at Oulton

Ollie Taylor took his third TCR series victory in the second Dunlop Tyres Touring Car Championship race from Oulton Park.

It was a sensational drive for the Maximum Motorsport driver, who had been leading the opening race until a late incident took him out of the action. Taylor would encounter no such issues this time, swerving through from the back row of the grid to give him the win. He would eventually finish ahead of Henry Neal, who like Taylor had started at the back after their clash in the opening endeavour.

An excellent start for the rear wheeled Audi A4 ‘Sherman’ saw Alex Day take the lead on the run into the first corner. The HMS Racing Audi quickly gapped Carl Swift, but eyes were soon turned to the encroaching Ollie Taylor.

Taylor had started on the back row after the race one incident, but jumped three places on the opening lap, overtaking Swift soon after. The three leaders had pulled away from the pack by only the second lap and pressure was now on Day to hold off the 2018 TCR UK-vice champion.

On the run past Knickerbrook, Taylor finally got the run on the leader, dropping the Audi further behind as the clock ran down, as the Cupra TCR sailed home to claim his maiden win of the championship.

Like Taylor, Neal had started on the back row, but didn’t make up the same ground in the opening laps. His superior speed was still on display though, setting the fastest lap as he caught the leading trio. Neal got past Swift on the ninth lap, though the two came close to contact on the far side of the corner, dropping him a few seconds behind. After inheriting second from Day, the Honda Civic Type R eventually closed in to within half a second of Taylor as the flag came out.

Swift would claim the final podium place after Day in the Audi A4 spun at Island hairpin, having been under pressure from Henry Neal. The result gives Endurance Financial driver an early championship lead after the first weekend at Oulton Park.

In the battle for fourth, it was once again another close fight between James Turkington and Sunny Wong. The Hong Kong driver made a mistake, dropping to the rear, but fought back within only a handful of laps. Turkington held his ground though, earning a well deserved fourth place. Sixth would go to Guy Colclough. The Cupra TCR DGS had remained on the tail of Turkington / Wong for much of the first half and takes away a great deal of experience for the DAT Racing outfit.