Enzo Hallman wins crazy GB4 finale at Oulton Park

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Enzo Hallman scored a maiden victory ahead of Douglas Motorsport team-mate Dayton Coulthard following a chaotic start to GB4 race three at Oulton Park.

Fortec Motorsports’ Luca Magnussen had been due to line up from reversed-grid pole ahead of Douglas’s Luke Hilton, but only five cars would end up starting the race from the grid.

As in the weekend’s earlier two races, rain arrived prior to the cars heading to the circuit. Hallman and Coulthard were among five drivers to switch to wet weather tyres in the assembly area. Fortec’s Thomas Ingram-Hill and Fox Motorsport’s Holly Miall and Caitlyn McDaniel were the other three.

KMR Sport’s Lily Watkins slid into the barriers at Shell Oils hairpin once the cars were released for their green flag lap to the grid, and the race was delayed. Several drivers headed for the pitlane to take wet tyres, while the remaining slick-shod cars waiting on the grid were soon wheeled off it to change tyres as well.

That left Hallman as the leading car on the grid in 17th ahead of Ingram-Hill, Coulthard, Miall and McDaniel. Fortec’s Jack Taylor headed the rest of the field that started from the pitlane.

Following a second green-flag lap, Ingram-Hill passed Hallman when the lights went out to lead into turn one, and the pair squabbled for most of the opening lap before Hallman prevailed into Lodger corner. Coulthard followed in the wheel tracks of his team-mate to grab second from Ingram-Hill at the beginning of lap two, while McDaniel slid off the road and tumbled down the order.

Taylor and Hillspeed’s points leader Daniel Guinchard reeled in and passed Miall before the second tour was completed, and Guinchard had moved ahead of Taylor by the time the pair had caught Ingram-Hill at the race’s halfway stage.

Guinchard grabbed third through Island bend, with Taylor soon moving ahead of his team-mate Ingram-Hill as well. The front two, meanwhile, were well clear – with Hallman leading Coulthard by seven seconds.

But it was another driver who was quickly moving into contention in the closing stages. Having fitted wets and then switched back to slicks while sitting at the back of pitlane queue prior to the start, Graham Brunton Racing’s Callum Baxter was the quickest driver on circuit by multiple seconds as the circuit started to dry.

The Canadian stormed through the field to take third away from Guinchard with one lap remaining. He gained 10s on Coulthard during the final lap, but just missed out on passing him by 0.099s at the chequered flag.

Hallman maintained his seven-second advantage to take victory in what became a 16-minute time-limited race. Had the Swede crossed the line 1.138s earlier, he may not have won as the contest would have been extended by a further lap. He also gained the maximum amount of points for positions gained because of his original grid position.

Guinchard extended his points lead by finishing fourth ahead of Taylor and Ingram-Hill. Douglas’s Luke Hilton was seventh ahead of Hillspeed’s Leandro Juncos and KMR’s Megan Bruce.

Ary Bansal was the highest finisher of Elite Motorsport’s title-contending trio in 10th, with team-mates Alex Kattoulas and Isaac Phelps failing to score in 21st and 22nd.

Miall slipped back to 11th, while Magnussen was another to have an early excursion and was the last finisher in 23rd.

Race results (9 laps)