Templeton takes maiden GB4 win in red-flagged race three at Donington

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Fox Motorsport’s Branden Templeton took victory in a shortened GB4 reversed-grid race at Donington Park which finished under red flags.

The final contest of the weekend was reduced to 15 minutes in duration due a torrential rain shower earlier in the day which caused a delay to the schedule.

Conditions were dry for the start, with all drivers fitting slick tyres, and Graham Brunton Racing’s Mayer Deonarine lined up from reversed-grid pole.

The Canadian led into turn one ahead of Templeton who climbed from fifth on the grid to second. Jack Taylor held third for Fortec Motorsports ahead of GBR’s Callum Baxter who made up four places, while Elite Motorsport’s Alisha Palmowski moved up from ninth on the grid to fifth by the start of lap two.

Templeton took the lead on the second lap, built a two-second lead by the end of lap three, and continued to pull clear while a three-way battle raged for second. He eventually won by 7.7 seconds after the race was ended prematurely due to KMR Sport’s Chloe Grant becoming beached in the Macleans gravel trap.

Having both made their way past Taylor in the early stages, Baxter and Palmowski soon caught Deonarine. Palmowski made a couple attempts on the outside at Melbourne hairpin and Redgate to take third away from Baxter, who then capitalised on a slow exit from his pursuer at Macleans to build a small gap.

Baxter snatched second from his team-mate Deonarine two corners later at Fogarty. Palmowski then went wheel-to-wheel with Deonarine through Melbourne and Goddards before taking third on the run to Redgate, with the red flags bringing an end to the trio’s squabble.

Taylor finished a further couple of seconds adrift in fourth, while Brandon McCaughan prevailed in a frenetic battle for sixth, having battled his way from 14th on the grid and survived an airborne moment on the grass at Old Hairpin.

KMR’s Harry Burgoyne Jr, Fox’s Liam McNeilly and Fortec duo Linus Granfors and Dan Hickey were all less than one second behind McCaughan, with points leader Granfors struggling to make his way through the field from the back of the grid and losing time on the grass at Redgate at one stage.

Elite’s Finn Harrison recovered from a grid stall to finish 11th ahead of privateer Marcus Luzio.

Race result (7 laps)