Our annual trip north took place just recently, and what a weekend it was. Oulton Park always provides superb racing, and the penultimate round of the championship did not disappointment. We celebrated, crowned a champion and enjoyed a great day of racing.
310R
Our 310R title race was already feeling the heat before Oulton Park, now with one round to go the race to championship honours is most definitely ignited.
David Baldwin has been the man to beat for the last few rounds, sitting in prime position at the head of the standings, however his chief rivals have gradually been trying to close in. With two races at Oulton Park, Baldwin’s main aim was to collect as many points as possible, and hopefully break away from the chasing pack.
With all important ‘extra’ points up for grabs for pole position and the fastest lap in each race, those are as vital as the race points at this stage. After a superb final lap in qualifying, it was Caroline Everett who secured pole position for race one, and those all-important pole position points. With Everett currently sitting second in the title race, any advantage is a bonus.
Onto the first race and it was David Yates who shot into the lead out of Old Hall on the opening lap, as Everett settled in second and Paul Sethi held onto his third place starting position. As the grid navigated its way around lap one, Sethi was soon a man on a mission, as he sailed passed Everett for second place and set about chasing down leader Yates. As lap two came around it was Sethi who briefly led the way, before a damaged nose cone put paid to his race.
Before long, Yates was soon defending his lead from the charging Stephen Clark, as he, Don Henshall and Ben Winrow battled their way through the pack towards the head of the field.
A move around the outside of Yates launched Clark into the lead, however this race was far from over. With Henshall, Clark, Yates, Winrow and Everett in line, the top five began to edge away, however championship leader, Baldwin, still had them in his sights, keen to make this battle a six-car train.
As Henshall, Clark and Winrow battled for supremacy around the final lap, it was unclear to see who would cross the line first. However, as the trio rounded Lodge corner for the final time, a coming together between Clark and Winrow saw them both slip down the order, as Henshall claimed victory. Behind, it was Baldwin who enhanced his title charge, ahead of the returning Mark Roberts, John Shiveral and Yates. Clark crossed the line seventh, with Winrow ninth and pole sitter Everett 11th, just behind Simon Sharrock.
Race two arrived, and with it a reverse of the top 10 finishing positions from race one. This launched Sharrock to the head of the field, with Winrow alongside, and hoping to make amends for his earlier result.
A strong run around the outside into Old Hall saw Winrow claim the lead straight away, with Sharrock in second place. As the opening laps developed, and Winrow controlled the pace at the front, it was Jake Poole who elevated himself to second place, as Clark followed behind in third.
Before too long it was a Winrow-Clark battle once more, as the duo swapped places whilst jostling for the lead. With a slight advantage over the chasing pack, the lead duet raced their way towards the chequered flag, swapping positions as they went. After 25 minutes of racing, it was Winrow who claimed victory, ahead of Clark by just 0.125 seconds, with Henshall in third place. Roberts followed in fourth place, ahead of Baldwin, Yates and Everett. Henshall was also awarded the Chapman Trophy at Oulton Park.
420R
It was an exciting weekend for our 420R championship at Oulton Park. With Anthony Barnes on the cusp of championship success, another successful weekend was enough to sway the 420R title in his favour.
Following Saturday morning qualifying, it was a perfect start to the day for Barnes, with pole position. As the first 420R race began, it was Barnes and second placed Mark Stansfield who immediately leapt to the head of the field, sitting side by side for the first half of the opening lap.
As the rhythm temporarily settled, it was Barnes who led the way, with Stansfield and Gary Smith hot on his heels. Keen to claim the advantage for himself, Stansfield mirrored Barnes lap after lap, with the pair racing just millimetres adrift.
As the pair rounded Shell some laps later, Stansfield saw his opportunity, as he slipped by Barnes on the inside, followed by the trailing Smith.
With Justin Armstrong making it a four-way battle for the lead, all eyes were on the head of the pack to see who would emerge first. With a 1.5 second advantage, Stansfield soon began to edge away from his pursuers, as Barnes battled a lose wing.
Before long, Barnes had fought back to second place, and the gap between him and Stansfield had diminished somewhat. As the last few laps came into play, Barnes saw his chance to reclaim the lead, just in time for the chequered flag. Stansfield held on for second place, less than half a second behind, with Armstrong narrowly securing third ahead of Smith. Russ Olivant steered his way up to a fifth-place finish.
Steve Riley claimed the 420R Sportsman race victory, his first of the season, also finishing in a strong sixth place overall. Ian Cowley enjoyed another solid race to secure second place and another 420R Sportsman podium finish, whilst Matt Spark rounded out the top three.
As our 420R grid took to the track for the final time, it was Jose Magalhaes who lined up in pole position, following a reverse of the top 10 finishing positions from race one, with Spark alongside, all set for a strong 420R Sportsman showing.
As the opening lap unfolded, it was Magalhaes who led the way, soon tailed by Lewis Tootell. Keen to take the lead for himself, Tootell launched an attack for supremacy before taking the lead just a few corners later.
The pair continued their battle one lap later, with Magalhaes reclaiming his advantage. Behind, Spark was running well holding onto third place, despite the best efforts of Olivant. With action aplenty throughout the field, it was difficult to know where to look first.
Biding his time and looking to secure a strong, clean result, Barnes toured in sixth place for the opening few laps, before working his way through the pack, picking off positions one by one.
Before long Stansfield has navigated his way to the head of the field, followed by Barnes. Seeing his opportunity with just over 13 minutes to go, Barnes swept by Stansfield for the lead. Unable to shake his opponent, Barnes toured closely followed by Stansfield lap after lap. As the pair battled, Jamie Winrow, who had worked his way through the pack, was soon on the heels of the lead duo, challenging for position.
As the final five minutes arrived, the lead trio followed one another, separated by less than one second. With Barnes and Stansfield vying for position, Winrow quickly closed in. This top three scrap soon became a five-way tussle just one lap later, as Armstrong and Olivant joined in the fun.
With five drivers nose to tail, it was anyone’s guess who would exit Lodge corner ahead. After 25 minutes of racing, it was Barnes who claimed another victory, and the 2023 420R championship title. Winrow held on for second place, mere millimetres ahead of Stansfield, whilst Armstrong and Olivant finished in fourth and fifth places, respectively. With one second exactly separating the top five, it was certainly an exciting end to the 420R action at Oulton Park.
Riley enjoyed double 420R Sportsman success at Oulton Park, this time claiming victory ahead of Spark and Cowley.
With just one round left to go, there are still two championship titles up for grabs. Our 310R title is yet to be settled, as is our 420R Sportsman title. In terms of the 420R Sportsman title race, it is Gary Tootell who currently leads the way, ahead of Matthew Welch and Ian Cowley. David Baldwin still leads the way in the 310R championship battle following Oulton Park, with Everett, Clark, Winrow and Shiveral breathing down his neck.
With two races to come at our Donington Park season finale and dropped scores to take into account, we are in for a thrilling end to our 2023 season. If you would like to join us at Donington park and have not yet booked your place on the grid, head over to our website: https://7raceseries.co.uk/track/donington-park-gp/