Charles Rainford claimed the third win of his British Touring Car Championship Career at Oulton Park‘s Race 3, appearing in command throughout.
The result is also his second victory in consecutive race meetings, having won Snetterton’s Race 1 on a day that much contrasted Cheshire’s gloomy skies.
It took until lap five for Rainford to get past the Restart Racing Hyundai of Chris Smiley, owing to a safety car, but he never looked back.
Despite pressure from Ricky Collard throughout, the WSR man’s lead never looked to be under challenge.
“It was decently managed,” Rainford told BTCC media.
“Obviously a bit risky with Chris, but fair play to him. He left me loads of space on the outside of Cascades. After that I was just trying to get my head down. Obviously built a nice gap before the second safety car.
“But even after that, the pace was just unbelievable in my BMW. So that’s just full credit to the guys and girls at West Surrey Racing.”
Recovering a poor Saturday is the perfect start to the summer break for Charles Rainford
Rainford finished P13 in Saturday’s Race to Pole, with teammate Daryl De Leon down in P15.
The lack of pace from high-flying WSR was surprising, but quickly rectified by Sunday’s Race 1. Rainford brought himself through the field just enough to benefit from Race 3’s reverse grid, and now wants to push on for further success.
“I went the wrong way and set up. I pushed for something that actually didn’t end up working. And that was down really mainly to the greasy conditions in FP1.
“So we’ve been fighting back since then. We decided to take a gamble and hope it was going to be dry, and that’s how it played out today.
“Obviously, we’ve been working hard as ever because we’re there or thereabouts. And I want to finish in that top three this season.”
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