Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing's Luke Hilton claimed his and the team's first GB4 Championship victory with a controlled performance in the first race of the weekend at Donington Park.
Hilton led from pole, secured after multiple penalties were applied, but took full advantage to lead the entire contest, despite a safety car period in the first half of the race.
Hilton made a great restart, and then withstood late pressure from Fortec's Franciszek Cegielski, who claimed his maiden podium in second. Douglas Motorsport's Dayton Coulthard secured third at the circuit he was victorious at last year.
It was an assured performance throughout from Hilton, who was never truly forced to defend his position by the cars behind. The Briton made a fantastic start, leading by a few car lengths exiting Redgate and building up an advantage of over a second by the end of the first lap.
His charge was halted due to the safety car being deployed in response to a first lap collision involving the Douglas Motorsport car of Conor Grant and the Scorpio Motorsport of Archie Davies. The pair tangled at the Fogarty Esses, leaving both cars stranded in the gravel and out of the race.
Racing action resumed on lap five, with Hilton retaining the lead unchallenged. Behind him, the other Douglas Motorsport car of Coulthard challenged Cegielski for second, but the Polish rookie was able to hold on to the position.
Further back, Torrin Byrne sustained damage to his front wing after running into the back of Thomas Ingram Hill at the final hairpin. He would later lose the entire wing and carry his damaged car to a 15th-placed finish.
The most dramatic moment of the race came at the start of lap eight, as Fox Motorsport's Jasser Iskander looked to repass the Pace Performance machine of John O'Donnell in their battle at the fringes of the top 10. Iskander looked to the inside but misjudged his move, making contact with O'Donnell's right-rear, breaking his front-left suspension and ended in the gravel at Redgate.
Out front, Hilton held off the late intentions of Cegielski to take his first win in the GB4 Championship, just over half a second ahead of the Pole. Coulthard completed the podium, with Demitri Nolan taking his best result of the season in fourth for Hillspeed.
Oulton Park race-winner Josh McLean completed the top five, with the first of the championship protagonists, Alex O'Grady, sixth. The KMR Sport driver had started from 10th on the grid, having originally secured double pole but falling victim to track limits infringements.
Rookie Jordyn Martin secured her personal best result in the GB4 Championship in seventh, with Enzo Hallman climbing from 18th on the grid to finish eighth. O'Donnell escaped his incident with Iskander relatively unscathed to finish ninth, with Elite's championship leader Fred Green completing the top 10 after an excellent recovery drive from 18th on the grid.
The second race of the weekend at Donington Park is due to commence at 09.30 tomorrow.
GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Donington Park provisional race one result:
1. Luke Hilton, Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing, 11 laps
2. Franciszek Cegielski (R), Fortec Motorsports, +0.528s
3. Dayton Coulthard, Douglas Motorsport, +1.856s
4. Demitri Nolan, Hillspeed, +2.570s
5. Josh McLean, Pace Performance, +3.385s
6. Alex O'Grady, KMR Sport, +3.655s
7. Jordyn Martin (R), Fortec Motorsports, +7.631s
8. Enzo Hallman, Hillspeed, +8.006s
9. John O'Donnell, Pace Performance, +8.930s
10. Fred Green, Elite Motorsport, +9.534s
11. Thomas Ingram Hill, Fortec Motorsports, +10.087s
12. Emmilio Valentino Del Grosso, Elite Motorsports, +14.900s
13. Connor Willis, Hillspeed, +19.244s
14. Romuald Bocquet, Scorpio Motorsport, +22.497s
15. Torrin Byrne, Pace Performance, +26.743s
16. Caitlyn McDaniel, Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing, +27.535s
17. Jamie Leverton (R), Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing, +27.805s
18. Holly Miall, KMR Sport, +29.499s
19. Archie Bullard (R), Fox Motorsport, +29.730s
20. Solenn Amrouche, Arden Motorsport, +34.388s
21. Matan Achituv, Elite Motorsport, +48.180s
DNF. Enzo Rujugiro (R), Fox Motorsport, 8 laps
DNF. Jasser Iskander (R), Fox Motorsport, 7 laps
DNF. Michael Koh (R), Arden Motorsport, 7 laps
DNF. Archie Davies, Scorpio Motorsport, 0 laps
DNF. Conor Grant (R), Douglas Motorsport, 0 laps
