Adam Shepherd makes it a Donington double

Adam Shepherd made it two wins from two in the TCR UK season opener at Donington Park, coming through the field on a drying track to win the reverse grid encounter.

On a damp track, the field was split between wet and slick tyres, with pole man Will Beech going with wets on his Cupra in the hope of getting away from the pack early on.

Beech duly led the field down to Redgate at the start as fellow front row starter Cedric Bloch went backwards on slicks, although it was Steve Laidlaw who was the big mover as he rocketed from eighth to second by the Old Hairpin having also gone for wets.

Laidlaw wasted little time in getting to the front as he cleared Beech at the Old Hairpin on lap two and scampered away to build a healthy lead, with Beech dicing for second with Gregory Saunders.

Behind, Shepherd and Callum Newsham were looking to work their way forwards, with Newsham – from the back row – moving into the top six on lap three when he nipped ahead of Shepherd and Rod McGovern in one move at Redgate.

Newsham and Shepherd then closed in on Jeff Alden before passing the Audi man as conditions improved, with Shepherd then moving ahead of Newsham when he was delayed behind a slowing Alistair Camp just before he pitted to retire.

That put Shepherd into fourth and he and he passed Saunders for third at the Craner Curves on lap nine and then cleared Beech for P2, with Newsham wasting little time in following him through into the podium spots.

From more than twelve seconds back, Shepherd chased down leader Laidlaw and hit the front on the penultimate lap to take the win, with Newsham taking second on the final lap.

It left Laidlaw to settle for third ahead of a huge squabble for fourth that was eventually decided in favour of Finn Leslie, with Sam Laidlaw and Saunders rounding out the top six.

Beech slipped to seventh late on from McGovern, with Stewart Lines – after an engine change – coming from the back to ninth.

Alden rounded out the top ten as Gen1 winner.