Mechanical woes wreak CAM's efforts.

Team CAM (Cranfield Automotive Management) suffered from some appallingly bad luck this weekend at Oulton Park when mechanical gremlins sidelined both drivers.

After a promising run to 13th overall in the 15 lap Round five, followed by a great start in the longer 30 lap Round six, Team CAM Mitsubishi driver, Toni Ruokonen was forced to retire when a spark plug in his Carisma's engine expired, denying the Finn what could have easily been a top ten finish overall and an even higher placing in the Production Class of the BTCC at Oulton Park over the weekend.

Teammate and BTCC debutant, James Levy, also suffered a spell of bad luck. The Bedford driver had trouble selecting fourth gear for most of the weekend - the bespoke competition components in the gearbox not allowing the 23 year old to finish either of his first touring car races.

With the team having found yet further improvements to their Carisma's already excellent handling, hopes were high in the CAM camp for a good result and, after qualifying eighth in the Production category, Ruokonen was poised to make an impression in the first race.

After continually catching his opponents in the corners, the hilly Oulton Park track favoured the two-litre machinery rather than the 1.8 of the Carisma and Ruokonen drove an excellent race to finish ninth in class and 13th overall. The first of the day's two races sees the more powerful cars in the Touring Class being handicapped by a lap at the start, but they were still able to overhaul many of the Production runners.

From the back of the grid, Levy was to have a tough task ahead of him and, after making-up four places, had no choice but to retire to the pits after lap 11, unable to select gears as and when he needed to.

Labelled as the 'Feature Race', the longer of the two rounds has the
Touring Class line-up ahead of the Production grid and a rolling start. Straight away, with new tyres and a full fuel tank, Ruokonen felt his Carisma handling better than ever, enabling him stay in contention with the leading group of Production category cars. Then, without warning on lap four, the engine began to mysteriously misfire and the luck-less Finn, from Espoo, pulled into the pits, the fault later traced to a broken spark plug electrode.

"I could not believe it", commented a frustrated Ruokonen. "We were on target for our best result yet. With the car handling so well I was looking forward to making up places. Also, with a number of the other cars dropping out we would usually have an advantage as the Carisma has proved to be so reliable."

With the team not able to fully repair the gearbox of the second car, it was perhaps predictable that Levy was to make a terminal visit to the pits early in the race. However, he was far from disappointed: "I know the result could have been better, but I'm really pleased to get my first BTCC meeting under my belt. It's been a great experience and I've thoroughly enjoyed driving a Carisma this weekend".

Britain's premier Saloon car series now moves to Silverstone on June 1st for the first of the Championship's two night race meetings.