HILL FULFILS LONG-TERM AMBITION WITH NISSAN OUTING
BTCC man gets to grips with Skyline at Oulton Park Gold Cup meet
British Touring Car Championship racer Jake Hill achieved a personal ambition at Oulton Park when he got to race an early 1990s spec Group A Nissan Skyline R32.
Hill, 25, was drafted in to race Ric Wood’s newly-built car at the Gold Cup meeting when fellow BTCC racer Adam Morgan was busy with family commitments.
He said: “The Group A
R32 may well be my favourite touring car of all time. I have one as a road car. When I saw Ric’s race car at the Silverstone Classic I just had to go and have a look at it. Then, Ric very kindly rang me and asked me if I’d like to race it. I can’t thank him enough for the opportunity.”
Hill could only do Sunday’s Dunlop Saloon Car Cup race due to a prior commitment to race at Brands Hatch on Monday. Unfortunately, he was unable to qualify the Nissan on Saturday after gearbox problems developed with Wood at the wheel during testing on Saturday morning.
The team returned to base at Stockport and fitted a fresh gearbox overnight. Hill then started from the back of the grid after sharing Wood’s Holden Commodore during the qualifying session. He duly set a time easily good enough for pole in just five laps.
In the race, Hill stormed the Nissan from the back of the grid to third place in three laps before retiring at mid-distance with more mechanical problems. “I love racing historics and I get to drive some proper cars,” said Hill. “You have to show these cars some love and respect!”