Rees takes controversial victory in Ultimate BMW race at Oulton Park

Jason Rees scrapped his way to victory in the Ultimate BMW Race at the 750 Motor Club’s BMW Live event at Oulton Park last weekend after being involved in multiple different crashes.

Starting from third, Rees’ M3 E92 was originally a victim of a collision into Old Hall off the line after Michael Cutt, who qualified second, bashed into him to take the lead in his M3 E36 but damaged his front bumper. Cutt’s team tried to give his crooked BMW a facelift using gaffer tape during his mandatory pitstop, which helped Rees retake the place when he stopped a lap later.

Moments after his pitstop, Rees collided with Luke Fox in his bubblegum blue 116i, which became stranded in the Druids gravel trap, bringing out the safety car and allowing Cutt to sneak back through on Rees. Yet to pit, Paul Cook reaped the rewards of the caution and stopped from the lead to leapfrog both Rees and Cutt with Wayne Lewis getting behind the wheel of the E46 M3.

Once green, Rees was determined to get back into top spot and barged his way ahead of Cutt, who was sent into the wall out of Shell Oils corner, before Rees took the lead from Lewis into Hislops.

Following the race, Rees remarked: “We had a couple of comings together, one straight from the start. Somebody gave me a tap in the rear end and that put me off if I’m honest. It was very close racing, the car is very suited to the slicks so it’s more enjoyable to drive.”

Sam Wright grabbed attention in the Historic 750 Formula class behind the wheel of the replica of the original JVA Racing Village V2 built by former Formula Ford champion John Village. Debutant Wright surprised himself by taking pole position during qualifying.

He said: “My goal of coming in today was just to keep it pointing in the right direction. I’ve never driven a motorsport car before and, when this came available, I thought it was a good way of getting out on track quickly.”

Wright cleared the field in race one before Gregg Catton in a Dison Type 64 managed to close the gap. Despite the pressure from the more experienced Catton, he clung on to win his first-ever race.

Race two proved more difficult for Wright after he incurred a 10-second penalty for a jumped start and later retired, which left Catton to take the win in a last-lap dash to the line against Richard Verheyden in his Racekits Merlin Miss Moneypenny.

Mark White won both the Armed Forces Race Challenge contests in his Honda Civic Type R and was joined across the line in race one by a Lancaster Bomber. One of two flying Lancaster Bombers in the world, the iconic World War Two plane celebrated its birthday at Oulton Park with its construction finished on the exact same day as the event 80 years ago on 31 May 1945.

On the Lancaster, White said: “I was trying to wave to all the marshals and spectators, and everyone was looking the other direction but I got a glimpse at it. I was all out there by myself after a couple of laps but the conditions were really good.”

White bagged two Armed Forces Race Challenge wins, although all eyes were skyward…

Photo by: Steve Jones