When planning our photo coverage of British GT’s opening rounds from Oulton Park on Easter Monday last year, we thought we’d look for something a little different.
Photographer Howard Fielding suggested that for Race 2, he should position himself on the run down from Hilltop towards Hislops. You get a fantastic view of the battles raging down the Avenue and through Cascades, which would allow him to prepare for action shots as the cars came back into view, having looped then crested. That was, of course, assuming that all would make it that far …
Making their way towards the gantry for the rolling start, Jules Gounon and Adam Carroll held the front row. A little further back, the WPI Lamborghini Huracan of Phil Keen was in P6, the 2Seas Mercedes-AMG of Lewis Williamson was in P9, and behind him, Will Tregurtha’s borrowed Bentley Continental was in P11. Gounon made a cracking start. So too did most of the chasing pack; Jamie Caroline getting ahead of Keen, but then also getting a little out of shape as he sparred with Marcus Clutton’s McLaren for the faster line. Williamson, meanwhile, saw a gap emerge as Keen lagged, and hurled his yellow Mercedes across the apex kerb at Old Hall, only for Keen to sense the threat and hurry to close the door.
With both cars’ exits compromised, the Bentley’s natural speed carried Tregurtha straight onto the Mercedes’ tail, but with the long run out of Cascades looming, Tregurtha decided to switch to the outside, hoping to limit his time on the brakes. Williamson, however, was focused on Keen, who had left just enough space for the Mercedes to show its nose down the inside, forcing the Huracan to the middle of the track and into the Bentley’s path. The resulting contact wasn’t hard but it was enough to send Keen spinning towards the grass, leaving Tregurtha no option other than to take his chances on the green stuff and hope that he could rejoin ahead of the GT4 cars behind.
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