Tom managed to score points in each of the three races at Oulton, but a 6th place was the best of his finishes after a bruising encounter in Cheshire……
After the disappointments at Croft three weeks ago when mechanical problems cost Tom a certain podium, he was hoping for better luck in the latest rounds at the picturesque Oulton Park venue. Set up difficulties in qualifying however, put him on the back foot from the start and despite his best efforts, he could manage only 6th place finishes in the first and third of the races and a hard fought 9th, having been forced into the pits to replace a punctured tyre in the second.
Free practice on Saturday had given reasonable hope for success and as Tom and the VXRacing team improved the car’s set-up with each of the sessions, a good qualifying performance looked to be on the cards. However a couple of changes before the afternoon’s session lost the Vectra it’s edge and Tom struggled with its handling, only able to record a time good enough for 10th place on the grid.
Tom had to make amends for the disappointing qualifying performance and in the first of the day’s races managed to improve several places to finish 6th;
“The car was a little slow over the first few laps with a full fuel load and I had to be patient. My main concern was not to lose any places early on and then attack when the car came good in the second part of the race. I managed to look after my tyres and I’m pleased to have moved up to 6th on the grid for the next race.”
Race two saw a fantastic start from Tom, but when the field got to the hairpin for the first time it all came to nothing. Challenging around the outside of the bunched up pack, Tom looked to have pulled off a classic move, only to have his Vauxhall hit in the side forcing him off the track and picking up a puncture in his front tyre.
Having to pit to change the shredded tyre cost Tom a lot of time and places, but he was fortunate that another incident had led to the introduction of the safety car at the same time. He emerged from the pits with a fighting chance and set about making up places when the racing resumed. Tom’s progress in the rain soaked race was impressive, several brave and well timed moves taking him further towards the front of the field until a collision with Matt Allison’s SEAT hit Tom into a spin and a lot of his good work was undone.
In the final few laps of the race Tom managed to make up some of the lost ground, but a 9th place finish was small reward for his efforts.
“I love racing in the wet, you have got to have good feel for the car and the grip. I was pleased with that drive apart from being knocked off which prevented it from being a really good result even though I had to pit for a new tyre.”
Tom’s luck wasn’t there either when the draw was made for the reverse grid for the final race, just missing out when only the top eight results would be reversed. He therefore had to start the final race from 9th on the grid.
Another great start helped to gain a couple of places, but in what turned out to be a fairly uneventful race, Tom managed to bring his Vauxhall Vectra home in 6th place to at least keep up his record of points scoring finishes. Only once in the 15 races held so far this season has Tom not scored points and that was due to the driveshaft failure at Croft. His consistency has earned him his 5th place in the driver’s championship, but it is wins he wants and Tom feels he has now got the set-up on his VX Racing Vectra exactly where he wants it and feels the second half of the season will bring the results.
