The Month in Millers Oils Motorsport – June

Across Europe and the UK, Millers Oils powered teams and drivers were fighting at the front, overcoming setbacks and celebrating some fantastic results. Here’s a look back at the June highlights.

Adam Smalley – GT World Challenge Endurance

The 24 Hours of Spa got off to a challenging start for Optimum Motorsport’s Gold Cup crew of Harry George, Ruben del Sarte, Adam Smalley and Freddie Tomlinson, who overcame an early puncture while battling high temperatures in one of the world’s toughest endurance races.

Despite the difficult opening stages, the No. 4 McLaren settled into a consistent rhythm, running faultlessly throughout the night. Aside from scheduled technical pit stops, the car completed the full 24 hours without issue, allowing the team to steadily climb the order as the race unfolded. By the final hour, the team had worked their way into third in class, securing a well-earned Gold Cup podium and marking Optimum Motorsport’s return to the 24 Hours of Spa podium after their class victory in 2023.

Jodie Sloss – FFSA GT4

It was a challenging race day for Jodie Sloss at Spa-Francorchamps after a technical issue developed on the formation lap, forcing the car back into the pits before the race had properly begun. The team worked tirelessly throughout the race to rectify the fault, and their efforts were rewarded by getting Jodie back out on track for the closing stages, allowing her to complete the final 15 minutes of the race. While it wasn’t the result Jodie and the team were hoping for, they’ll take the positives from getting the car back out and now look ahead to the next round, determined to come back stronger.

Team VERTU – BTCC

Team VERTU rounded off the first half of the BTCC season at Oulton Park with a strong points haul and three podium finishes. Tom Ingram led the charge with two podiums, including a superb recovery drive in Race 2 from the hard tyre to finish second, before he and Ricky Collard both charged through in Race 3 to secure a double podium finish. Collard also impressed with consistent progress across the weekend, recovering well from a difficult qualifying race to finish inside the top ten in both feature races.

Tom Chilton endured a tougher weekend, showing strong pace but suffering from incidents that prevented stronger results, while Nicolas Hamilton made steady progress and ended Race 3 inside the points after a determined drive on the hard tyre.

Dan Zelos – Porsche Sprint Challenge

Dan Zelos left Oulton Park with strong championship points and a move into joint second in the standings after a weekend of mixed fortunes. Strong pace in practice carried into qualifying, but a tyre strategy call during a drying session left him further down the grid than his speed suggested.

Race 1 was a damage limitation drive, with Zelos battling traffic and tyre overheating to secure valuable points. Race 2 proved the highlight, with setup changes unlocking performance and allowing him to fight through the field with a series of strong overtakes. In Race 3, early pace faded as unexpected understeer limited progress, but more points were still secured as he brought the car home.

MINI CHALLENGE JCW

Sam Gornall enjoyed a standout weekend at Oulton Park, claiming back-to-back victories in the MINI CHALLENGE JCW. After qualifying alongside Josh Porter on the front row, Gornall inherited the lead in Race 1 when Porter suffered suspension damage, before pulling away to secure his maiden series victory by over 7 seconds. Race 2 proved closer, with Gornall battling Porter for the lead throughout. Following a post-race investigation into contact between the pair, Gornall retained the victory.

In the JCW Sport class, Murray Richardson capitalised on qualifying issues for Alfie Garford and ended Garford’s winning streak with victory in Race 1, before Garford bounced back in Race 2, taking the lead early and controlling the race to return to the top step of the podium.

Harry Hickton – MINI CHALLENGE JCW

Harry Hickton was on double duty at Oulton Park, competing in both the MINI CHALLENGE JCW and the Classic Touring Car Racing Club’s Pre-83 Championship. His MINI weekend proved frustrating after a mechanical issue in qualifying resulted in his fastest laps being removed, forcing him to start both races from the back of the grid.

Despite the setback, Hickton fought through the field to finish 12th in Race 1 and 11th in Race 2, showcasing strong overtaking pace and resilience. While results didn’t reflect his potential in the MINI, he heads into the summer break with positives to build on after an eventful weekend behind the wheel of two very different cars.

MINI CHALLENGE Trophy

Pembrey delivered three action-packed MINI CHALLENGE Trophy races, with Graves Motorsport leading the way throughout the weekend. Alex Keens claimed victory in Race 1 before rookie Josh Selvadorai secured his maiden overall win in Race 2. Matt Luff rounded off the weekend with victory in the final race, leading home another Graves Motorsport one-two with Keens, who also extended his championship lead.

Adam Marshall – SW Motorsports Clubsport Trophy

Adam Marshall’s Donington weekend ended in frustration after early promise was undone by cooling issues. Struggling in qualifying and then facing overheating and misfire problems, he still secured P9 on the grid. Pre-race work identified a stuck thermostat, which was temporarily resolved to get the car to the start. A strong getaway in the race showed early pace, but rising temperatures quickly forced retirement to the pits. Post-race diagnosis pointed to an internal water pump failure, preventing coolant circulation. A difficult weekend overall, but valuable lessons and development takeaways moving forward.

Read last months ‘Month in Motorsport’ here.