12:00pm Friday 15th June 2012
By Stuart Amos
Tom Onslow-Cole blamed the deployment of the safety car for denying him the chance to secure a first win of the British Touring Car Championship season on Sunday.
The 25-year-old could not hold off defending champion Matt Neal and former title winner Jason Plato as he finished third in the final race at Oulton Park having started on pole position.
Onslow-Cole, who spun out in the opening race of the weekend and finished ninth in the other, led for much of the last race, but the safety car made two outings, allowing his rivals to close the gap on his fast start.
The result moved the New Malden race ace up to seventh in the drivers’ championship and the former Brooklands College student remained satisfied with his efforts.
“It’s not been a bad weekend, although we can’t quite match the NGTC cars at the moment. We have the straight-line speed, but they are better under braking,” he said.
“In the first race, there wasn’t as much talent in my locker as I thought and I couldn’t catch the car when it got away from me.
“Race two was solid enough and in the final race, I could have won if it hadn’t been for the safety cars.
“It allowed others to get in a position where they could have a lunge, but it’s still good to be on the podium.”
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