Charles Rainford delighted by ended the British Touring Car Championship weekend at Oulton Park in the best possible fashion by winning the final race of the meeting, capping a hard-earned recovery after a difficult start to the event.
The WSR driver had arrived in Cheshire on the back of a strong Snetterton weekend and holding third in the standings, but a challenging Saturday left him with work to do before Sunday’s three races.
Mixed weather played its part from the outset, as Rainford admitted that a damp free practice session on Saturday had left him chasing the ideal set-up thereafter.
That context made his Sunday trajectory all the more impressive: from 15th in race one, to ninth in race two and then victory in the partially reverse-grid race three.
“The car was amazing in that race,” said Rainford to TouringCars.Net. “We’d been trying to dial it in ever since Saturday. The damp free practice put us a step behind and we’d been chasing it from there.
“We decided to roll the dice in race one, go onto the hard tyre and commit to a dry day, and thankfully that’s what we got.”
That gamble could easily have been undone by the threat of late rain, but the conditions held just long enough for Rainford to make the most of his chance.
Rainford admitted he had been closely watching the support-race lap times as the circuit dried.
“Once I saw the Porsche lap times and realised it was dry, I said, ‘Get us out there now.’ It only started spitting again once we got into Parc Ferme [after the race], so someone was definitely looking out for me today.”
In the finale itself, Rainford made immediate progress at the start, using the BMW’s rear-wheel-drive traction to pass Sam Osborne into Old Hall, before dispatching Chris Smiley for the lead at Dentons after the first safety-car restart.
From there, despite a second neutralisation, he controlled the race and pulled clear again to secure his second win of the season.
Rainford now heads into the summer break fourth in the drivers’ championship on 137 points, reinforcing his status as one of the leading contenders behind the established title favourites.
“It’s been a fabulous season so far,” added Rainford. “I’ve made a few mistakes and I’ve not been perfect, but nobody is.
“I know I can do it on one-lap pace and in outright race pace. The big thing for me now is learning how to get through traffic better and come through the field like the top guys do.”
Rainford suggested a top-three finish this year would represent a major achievement, while also laying the foundations for an even stronger push next season.
“I’ve got to look at next year now. Try and get top three in championship this year and hopefully I can challenge those guys next season.
“The lovely boys and girls at West Surrey Racing have been right behind me, and that fills me with massive confidence for the rest of the season.”