BUSHELL AND WHORTON-EALES FIGHT FOR OULTON CLIO WINS

Both Mike Bushell and Ant Whorton-eales have lost a win this season through a penalty or exclusion and a controversial clash between the two threatened to again deny Bushell his first victory since returning to Clios.

Whorton-eales made a blistering start from fourth in the opener to pass Bushell for the lead through Cascades. But his advantage didn’t last long as Bushell got back ahead into Hislop’s on lap three.

Two tours later it was Whorton-Eales who retook the place at Cascades and then came the contentious move from Bushell at Island that gave him the win.

Whorton-eales said: “He came from a long way back, outbraked himself, pushed me out the way and came up the inside. I was going to finish second on the road and get it resolved in the clerks’ room – but it wasn’t the result we hoped.”

Officials investigated the move, but deemed it to be a racing incident. It was a busy day for them as they also looked into a clash between Paul Rivett and Senna Proctor at Hislop’s. No punishment was given, but it dropped Rivett to seventh and allowed Max Coates to claim his first podium.

Bushell took an early lead in a less frenetic second race but clipped the kerb too hard at Old Hall on lap three, sending him wide and letting Whorton-eales through. From there the Jam Sport driver was in control to take his fourth win of 2016, with Bushell’s Pyro team-mate Proctor taking his maiden podium in third.