Bruce Winfield fights back to claim race one win at Oulton Park
Area Motorsport’s Bruce Winfield became the first double winner of the 2023 TCR UK season after delivering a consummate drive in the opening race at Oulton Park.
Although he started from pole position, the Hyundai driver lost out to his team-mate Alex Ley at the start but slid past to seize the lead after a safety car period.
Rob Boston Racing’s Jac Constable finished second after a last-corner mistake from Ley denied him a runner-up spot.
Cbm with Hart GT’s Carl Boardley finished 10th after a track limits penalty but will start from pole position for the second race of the day.
Front-row starters Winfield and Ley got even starts off the line but it was Ley who seized the advantage into Old Hall for the first time.
Such was the pace of Ley on the opening lap that he managed to gap team-mate Winfield to the tune of over a second by the time the field came round for the second time.
Behind, Smiley initially dropped back to fourth after making a strong start but got back ahead of Jac Constable to take up the fight to the pair of Area Motorsport i30 N TCRs in front.
Making the best start was undoubtedly Carl Boardley, who charged his way up from a somewhat disappointing grid position of ninth to run sixth in the early stages as Callum Newsham’s miserable day got worse with a broken turbo forcing his retirement on the first lap.
Garry Townsend and George Heler then came together at the Island Hairpin on the fourth lap. Townsend got going again but suffered suspected suspension damage, while Heler’s similar Audi RS 3 LMS was stranded, bringing out the safety car and a well-deserved intake of breath after a frenetic start.
Ley maintained his margin at the head of the field at the restart, with Winfield again dropping back into the clutches of Constable.
Having duked it out before the safety car intervention, Boardley and Adam Shepherd resumed their battle for fifth place, with Boardley getting ahead of the Hyundai i30 N TCR.
Winfield then began to close in on Ley for the lead and nearly had a go at the inside of the Island hairpin with just over eight minutes remaining but Ley held firm.
The following lap, Winfield was handed the lead as Ley made an error at Island, handing the TCR UK points leader the place on the exit of the turn.
This squabbling brought Constable onto the back of Ley heading into the final five minutes. The Audi got close on several occasions and finally made the decisive move exiting Lodge on the final lap to snatch second place as Winfield cantered to victory.
Smiley hung on to finish fourth amid constant attacks from Boardley, who received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, and Shepherd.
Shepherd inherited fifth at the finish, with Joe Marshall heading Brad Hutchison, Jenson Brickley and Darelle Wilson at the finish.
Following his on-track penalty, Boardley dropped to 10th, but the Cupra driver was consoled by the fact that he will start from pole position for this afternoon’s reversed grid second race.
Race two at Oulton Park is scheduled to begin at 16:20 local time (17:20 CET)
