Two season debutant winners in tight racing action at Oulton Park

The second round of the 2024 Ferrari Challenge UK race series commenced today at Oulton Park, a scenic circuit renowned for its challenging corners and undulations. Optimal weather conditions graced the 2.7-mile track, allowing the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell drivers to extract maximum performance from their Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo race cars.

Trofeo Pirelli. Sunshine warmed the Oulton Park international circuit increasing track temperatures and improving tyre performance. The front three of Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst), Andrew Morrow (Charles Hurst) and Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) took full advantage of the optimal conditions, pushing from lap one to build a gap from the rest of the pack. As the race settled into a rhythm, Yates and Morrow pushed even harder, moving clear in what was promising to be an intense battle between the two Charles Hurst drivers.

Halfway through the race, having established a 2-sec gap to Morrow, race leader Yates suffered a technical issue forcing him to retire. Morrow was handed the lead, with fellow beneficiaries Vangala and Ajay Litt (Carrs Exeter) both moving up into respective podium places. From there, the order was set: Morrow took the chequered flag, Vangala secured his highest finish in the Trofeo Pirelli class to date, and Litt secured an impressive podium step on what became a remarkable racing debut.

Coppa Shell. Spectators witnessed a hotly contested battle in the Coppa Shell class. Straight from the start, an in-form Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) crafted a clever move on Trofeo Pirelli driver Haymandhra Pillai (Jardine Colchester) to keep clear of Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) who was determined to achieve success on his home track. As the race wore on, Hunter pushed to catch Rees, but the Dick Lovett driver skilfully consolidated his leading position and kept Hunter at bay.

Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon) started well and maintained his position in the early stages; however, a focused Gary Redman (Graypaul Nottingham) found a way to close the gap. Dewhirst responded in kind, upping his ante to keep Redman at bay. Steve Dopson (Dick Lovett Swindon) took advantage of optimal track conditions and pulled together a sequence of impressive laps to catch up with Redman, passing him with just four minutes of the race remaining.

Oulton Park, Saturday 11 May 2024

The second round of the 2024 Ferrari Challenge UK race series continued today at Oulton Park, where spectators and drivers enjoyed the fine weather conditions offered at the dynamic international circuit.

Qualifying 1. In Trofeo Pirelli, Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) signalled his intent to avenge Friday's early retirement by skilfully stitching together a 1:37,925 lap time to secure P1. In Coppa Shell, Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) waited until the final lap to pull out his best time, usurping Friday poleman Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) by 0.008 sec with a 1:40,742.

Trofeo Pirelli. A technical issue saw Charles Hurst driver Andrew Morrow start the race from the pitlane, leaving him with plenty of work to do. The grid rapidly converged into the first few corners, but it was Yates who quickly found form. Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) and Haymandhra Pillai (Jardine Colchester) engaged in an early battle for second place before a lap 2 racing incident between Ajay Litt (Carrs Exeter) and Coppa Shell driver Hunter forced the Carrs Exeter driver to pit, resulting in a red flag.

The race dynamic changed significantly upon the restart, with the 15-minute countdown encouraging a sprint-like urgency. Morrow worked his 488 Challenge Evo hard, moving up in the order from 9th to 4th in just a handful of laps, and swept past an unrelenting Pillai with just minutes to spare. Vangala saw Morrow approach but kept a cool head and drove with composure to defend second. Leading the pack, Yates delivered an assured racing performance to bring home his first Trofeo Pirelli win.

The results from this round leave things tightly contested at the top of the Trofeo Pirelli standings, with Gilbert Yates and Pranav Vangala tied on 38 points, just 2 points behind leader Andrew Morrow in the standings.

Coppa Shell. The second Coppa Shell race was a memorable affair, as Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester) pushed hard and managed to create a gap ahead of Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon), who made a brilliant move on Robert Rees (Dick Lovett Swindon) in the first corner to secure second position.

Frustratingly for Hunter, the incident with Litt saw the Stratstone Manchester driver enter the gravel trap and exit the race. The resulting red flag lifted with just 15 minutes to go, and the drivers pushed hard to claim their spot on the podium. Rees pushed race leader Dewhirst all the way, but the Coppa Shell debutant expertly dealt with the pressure to maintain track position and resign Rees to second place. The result gives Dewhirst his maiden victory of the season, whilst a delighted Dopson enjoyed his first taste of podium action in a clean sweep for Ferrari dealer Dick Lovett.

In the Coppa Shell standings, Robert Rees extends his lead to 63 points, with 3 out of 4 race wins so far.

Next Race. The next round in the Ferrari Challenge UK race series takes place between Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 June 2024 at Snetterton, Norfolk. Both qualifying and race sessions can be spectated live at the circuit or online at live.ferrari.com.

Photo credit: Ferrari North Europe
posted on conceptcarz.com

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