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Oulton Park provides promise but frustration for Palmer

Will Palmer finished a disappointing eighth and twelth last weekend at Oulton Park, despite running in the top six in both races at the Cheshire circuit.

The troubles started for Palmer in qualifying, where everyone went out on slick tyres on what was a dry track, only for it to start raining near the start of the session before anyone could put a lap in. Caught out by the sudden loss of grip, Will went off at the fast Druids corner, and unfortunately became stuck in the gravel, meaning he was unable to record a time. This meant that Palmer would start both races from last on the grid, in thirteenth place.

In race one, which was dry, Will got a good start to move up to tenth after the first two corners, before a safety car period on lap three (caused by a crash at Old Hall from Ollie Chadwick) saw him move up to eighth. After the restart, Will got his head down to move up to sixth before another safety car intervention.

Going on to the last lap, still in sixth place, an attempt around the outside of Ollie Basey-Fisher led to Will being passed by Harry Woodhead and Keith Donegan, meaning he finished eighth.

In race two, a good start once again ensured that Palmer was into tenth place after a move around the outside of Tom Jackson at Cascades and an out-braking manoeuvre on Ricky Collard at Island hairpin. The next lap, a pass on the inside into Old Hall on Ollie Basey-Fisher left Palmer in ninth place.

A red flag situation followed due to a large crash by Ricky Collard at Old Hall. As the timekeepers counted back to the previous lap, Will fell back behind Basey-Fisher and Donegan, who he had also passed on that lap.

After the restart, Palmer began charging back through the field, passing Basey-Fisher at Druids up the inside before also passing Ollie Chadwick on the inside to Old Hall two corners later. Following another pass on Keith Donegan, Palmer found himself just adrift of Harry Woodhead, and Will demonstrated his pace by quickly catching him, being the quickest car on track at the time.

However, an attempt to repeat the move which had been successful on Ollie-Basey Fisher at Druids on Woodhead ended in disaster for Palmer, as he had to spin into the gravel to avoid a collision, and though he was pushed back onto the circuit a lap down, he could only finish twelth in the end.

Speaking afterwards, Will said: "Overall a very disappointing weekend in terms of results, but I was very happy with the pace we had, especially in race two, where I think for most of the race I was the quickest car on track. Another positive to take from this weekend was my overtaking, as although the final attempt did not work, it had generally been very good with lots of moves at some very fast corners. Snetterton, the next round I am competing in, is a track I know well, and I will be aiming certainly for podiums, and hopefully a race win."

Will has a two month break now before Snetterton 300 in early August for the sixth round of the Ginetta Junior Championship, as he is unable to compete at Croft in two weeks time.

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