Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport claimed another Independent victory on an otherwise character-building trip to Oulton Park in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship last weekend [6-7 June].
Mark Blundell’s team arrived at the 2.2-mile lakeside circuit looking to build on a strong start to the 2026 campaign for its Corolla challengers and drivers Gordon Shedden and Árón Taylor-Smith, who between them claimed two overall wins, a further podium and four Independent victories in the nine races held prior to the trip to Cheshire.
During Saturday’s action, that upward trend looked set to continue; both cars completed their practice programme without issue, then Taylor-Smith stormed to the fastest time during the Qualifying Groups, a blistering 1:24.213 enough to put the popular Dubliner at the front of the field for the Qualifying Race.
Taylor-Smith duly converted pole position into the race win, and was never headed at the front of the field, but a post-race penalty for weaving during a safety car restart, in violation of the regulations, dropped him back to fifth.
That was compounded by a tough race for Shedden on the other side of the garage; after a decent start around the fringes of the top ten, “Flash” was hit from behind into the Hislop’s chicane, and forced to retire with suspension damage - which would also consign him to the back of the grid for Sunday’s triple-header of ITV4-televised races.
The team’s mental fortitude came to the fore in Sunday’s opener. Taylor-Smith capitalised on an action-packed start into Cascades to pass reigning champion Sutton’s Ford on the opening lap, and from there managed the gap to take fourth, and retain a free choice of Goodyear tyre for the next contest.
Shedden, meanwhile, put all of the experience, racecraft and nous amassed in a touring car career spanning over 20 years and three championship titles to charge up the order from the back to 12th.
The Scot then improved yet further in Race 2, advancing into the top six and leading home team-mate Taylor-Smith, who managed damage sustained whilst debating a spot on the podium in the opening laps to claim seventh, later 17th after a penalty for contact with Chilton’s Hyundai.
Both cars were unfortunately forced to retire at the start in Race 3; Shedden through a mechanical problem, and Taylor-Smith after a spin at Old Hall caused contact with another car, then the barrier.
Nevertheless, heading into the BTCC’s six-week summer hiatus, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport sit well-placed in both championship standings, with fifth overall, and third among the Independent runners, just 16 points shy of the summit. The team also extends a run of silverware to four straight events, giving a platform for further progress after the break.
The 2026 BTCC season resumes at the high-speed Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire, over the weekend of 25-26 July.
Aron Taylor-Smith (#50) said:
“Our efforts at Oulton Park definitely deserved a bit more, but we have to be encouraged by the performance we had in the car, and to keep the silverware run for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport going - that’s four in a row now, with an Independent win to show for our efforts.
“What the team gave me over the weekend was a Corolla that was a quick over one lap - hence we were fastest in Qualifying - but also a car underneath me that we could race with, and we proved that by going from lights to flag in the Qualifying Race, before the penalty.
“Even on Sunday, the plan was working perfectly - we opted for fourth in Race 1, so we could stay on the soft tyres for Race 2, but some contact whilst going for a spot on the podium caused some damage, and from there I had to focus on managing that, and bringing the car home as high as possible. I
“It’s obviously a bit frustrating - as was Race 3 - but anybody that knows me, knows I’m always looking for the positives, and I’ve already switched focus to Thruxton, and coming back after the break in as good a shape as possible."
Gordon Shedden (#52) said:
“We had an issue during Qualifying, which put me further back for the Qualifying Race, and once you’re in the midfield, with the championship as close as it is, the odds are a little bit higher you might get caught up in somebody else’s accident, which we did, unfortunately.
“That’s frustrating, because we should have spent Sunday up towards the sharp end, based on the Corolla’s performance, rather than mounting a comeback, but it’s still pleasing to have been able to go from the back to the top six across Races 1 and 2, and to demonstrate that the car had good pace, particularly on the soft tyres.
“I think it’s fair to say we deserved a bit more from Oulton Park, but that’s all part and parcel of touring car racing. The important thing now is that we get our heads down, keep working hard and use the summer break to make even more progress before we get to Thruxton.”
Mark Blundell, Sporting Director, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport said:
“It’s clear our performance this weekend was another step in the right direction; we were fastest over one-lap on Saturday, and led every lap in the Qualifying Race to finish first on the road.
“Some small mistakes and a bit of bad luck have cost us a chance at adding to our tally of wins and podiums so far this season, but we do have an Independent win for our efforts, and that keeps us well-placed in both championships as a result.
“But the objectives we have as a team are clear, and they’re a bit loftier than Independent wins; we want to be fighting outright at the front, as we have in previous weekends this season, and as a team in previous years, so there’s a bit of work to be done over the summer break, to make sure we head to Thruxton in better shape.”
