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WSR out in force in an eventful day at Oulton Park

By MJP Media | 4 March 2015

WSR brought all three of their cars and the fabulous trio of Andy Priaulx, Rob Collard and Sam Tordoff to Cheshire's Oulton Park for a day of testing ahead of the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Andy Priaulx in the IHG Rewards Club liveried WSR BMW 125i M Sport

In the bright and cold conditions, the team were keen to hit two priorities: getting lots of laps in and trying various settings on all three cars, now updated since their championship winning season in 2014. Whilst both Tordoff and Collard have recent BTCC racing experience at Oulton Park, this was the first time that Andy Priaulx had raced a BTCC car at the circuit since 2002.

Priaulx has enormous talent and it wasn't long before he was on a par with Tordoff and Collard as they completed an exhaustive morning test session on the long Oulton Park International circuit which the team described 'as a good mornings work'.

Rob Collard is ready for another season with WSR

After lunch, the track was shortened to the Island circuit and the drama began immediately. Priaulx was at the end of the shortened Lakeside straight and braking for Island bend when a Ginetta driver forgot that the straight was now shorter and ran straight into the back of the WSR BMW, breaking the rear bumper. As if that wasn't bad enough, Priaulx was then cited for exceeding the track limits and had to sit in the garage for a while, serving the resulting penalty.

Not to be outdone, Rob Collard was then also cited for the same offence and suffered the same fate with a time-out in the garage. This left Sam Tordoff with the only blemish free record in the garage for the day as he continued his understanding of the rear wheel drive BMW 125i M Sport.

Sam Tordoff has found a 'new home' with the WSR team

"It's a big learning curve" said Tordoff "but the car is great and my team-mates and the guys have been so fantastic it is making my job so much easier. This feels less of a new team for me and more like a new home. I'm loving it." The team were also very pleased with Tordoff saying that "Sam has a great deal of talent and an uncanny ability to sense when things are starting to get to the limit in the car. He brings it back to us in one piece when a lot of drivers would push on regardless and cause a lot of damage. This shows a level of skill and maturity that is rare in a young driver and we are pleased to have him here."

WSR continue their testing programme next week at Brands Hatch.

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