Tarporley racing driver Tom Oliphant enjoyed his ‘day of days’ at Brands Hatch to earn his first-ever victory in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.
The Team BMW star did not put a wheel wrong in race three to clinch a sensational maiden win.
Oliphant arrived at the Kent venue in an optimistic mood after kicking off his campaign at Donington Park the week before with a podium finish.
And he again underlined his speed in qualifying behind the wheel of his BMW 330i M Sport.
He set an identical time to team-mate Colin Turkington – a 1:31.453 – to secure sixth place on the grid for the opening encounter, while carrying 30kgs of success ballast.
The 29-year-old dug deep after contact sent him tumbling down the order on the opening lap in race one.
He bounced back from the lower end of the top 20 and recovered to cross the line in eighth.
Lining up on the fourth row for race two, Oliphant found himself in the thick of the action again as he battled hard, dropping back to ninth at one stage before managing to fight back to seventh.
Oliphant’s crowning glory came in race three – the 15-lap reversed grid encounter.
Starting sixth, the former Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion made a stunning start to launch into third place by Paddock Hill Bend.
Hounding the top two on the opening lap, Oliphant got a great run on the leaders exiting Clearways.
And going three-wide down the start-finish straight, he made a bold move around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend to take the lead.
Oliphant remained out front but had to showcase his defensive driving skills as he was chased by Ash Sutton for the remainder of the race.
Despite Sutton’s best efforts, Oliphant wasn’t to be denied and he crossed the line to enter the BTCC Winners’ Circle for the first time.
Oliphant has now moved up to third in the Drivers’ Championship, 25 points behind team-mate Turkington.
He said: “I’m lost for words – I can’t believe I’m a BTCC race winner!
“We’d been in the thick of the action in races one and two so I knew I had to make race three count and try come away with a big result.
“I made a great start and the overtake for the lead was spectacular, I saw my opportunity and took it.
“Once I got into the lead and saw that Ash was in my mirrors I just thought that I couldn’t have had a worse person behind me because he was always going to give me a hard time.
“We didn’t have the best tyres but the car was mega – huge credit to the whole team – and I was so up for the fight.
“I knew where our car was strong and where we needed to cover Ash, thankfully it all came together in the end.
“That victory is for my Dad, girlfriend Gen and the whole family, they’ve been with me through the highs and the lows over the past ten years and it is as much their win as it is mine!”
Next on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship schedule is a trip to Oliphant’s home circuit, Oulton Park, on August 22/23.
(Images courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography)
Recent Comments