After suffering more technical faults in the last 3 events than I have in my whole BTCC career, a hard dose of consistency was all we needed and wanted from our weekend at Oulton Park!
Our team of engineers spotted some underlying issues in the data, so we made the decision to change the engine on Friday afternoon. The fault was only affecting performance in a small way so, it was more precautionary than anything else. It was then a big relief in practice when everything ran as it should.
Steady progress was made throughout Saturday, showing good pace in practice and then knocking in a lap in qualifying good enough for second on the grid for Race 1. It was quite a pressurised session when my first lap time was disallowed for exceeding track limits, so this meant I only had one more roll of the dice and it certainly helped to focus the mind. The Corolla gave me the confidence to find that extra bit of pace and I pieced together a tidy lap!
Oulton Park is notoriously hard to overtake at, so a front row start set us up for a strong race day. In fact, that qualifying lap saved our weekend as I didn’t have the pace in the first two races to compete with Ingram and Sutton. It’s like the track had evolved overnight as the feeling was so different to how the car had felt in qualifying.
Races One and Two were pretty draining, as I fought off the likes of Ash Sutton, Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington. I was really disappointed to be on the defensive and not on the attack, finishing 4th in both races, later promoted to 3rd in Race One after Gordon was given a 3 place penalty.
With only one more race to contend, it was crucial we made some major set up changes in a bid to loosen my Toyota up. I’m very relieved to say that they worked and I could feel on the warm up lap that the car had a more positive body language. Starting in 9th place after the reverse grid draw, I felt so much more competitive and was on the attack for the first time on Sunday. After avoiding a major pile up involving Dan Lloyd and Colin Turkington, I brought the car home safely in 6th place.
I was later promoted to 5th after my team mate, who had scored his maiden podium of the season, was given a 5 second penalty for starting outside of his grid box. A bitter sweet ending to the weekend!
There’s a lot to be said for being “consistent” and that word best describes our weekend at Oulton Park. We set ourselves up for success on Saturday with a front row qualifying performance and brought home the points on Sunday when we didn’t quite have race winning pace, ending the weekend as the second highest points scorer. More of that at Croft this weekend would be nice!
Croft is a firm favourite of mine. Not only is it the closest English circuit on the calendar at a mere 3.5 hour drive, but I also seem to gel with its fast and bumpy nature. Back in my Porsche Carrera Cup days with Celtic Speed in 2012, I scored a clean sweep of pole positions, race wins and fastest laps. It was absolutely epic! Since then, I’ve not been able to replicate that success in the BTCC but we did show real potential there last year with the Corolla. After topping the times in practice, we were gunning for pole position, but my engine blew up in qualifying. This meant I’d start from the back of the grid in Race 1 with my chances of a big points haul gone.
A repeat of 2012 would be fantastic and I’m gunning for that top spot, however my focus is on building our consistency, which most definitely takes priority at this moment in time. Our goal is to be as strong on Sunday as we are on Saturday and take it to them!
Keep track of all my results via TSL timing, qualifying is also live streamed on ITV.com on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, all three races will be broadcast live on ITV4 as well as ITV.com. Set your TV to record or tune in live from 11.00 for a full day of motorsport action. My weekend timetable and all relevant links are listed below:
MotoGP Silverstone Experience
On Aug 6/7 the MotoGP World Championship rolls into Silverstone Circuit for the Monster Energy British Grand Prix and I have a really exciting hospitality experience on offer.
You can enjoy a weekend of action from the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships at the home of British motorsport. Included in the package is access to two hospitality suites with trackside views, grandstand seating and a catering service providing hot breakfast and a 2 course lunch on both days.
Engage with customers, create new contacts and business opportunities, and share incredible experiences together at one of the greatest sporting spectacles on the planet!
The MotoGP Silverstone Experience: £1250 per person inc vat.
Individual or group bookings can be accommodated. I will also be attending the event to host and guide guests throughout the weekend. Extras such as, accommodation, circuit transfers and paddock passes can also be organised.
Please contact racing@rorybutcher.com for all enquiries.
