Shields takes first car racing win in GB3 at Silverstone

Cian Shields took his first GB3 Championship win in the reverse-grid encounter at Silverstone on Sunday, ahead of Nick Gilkes and Bryce Aron.

Shields got past polesitter David Morales off the line, while half the field went three wide through Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel but somehow survived.

Branden Oxley swept across to defend from Matthew Rees into Abbey on Lap 1 but clipped the JHR Developments car’s front wing and sent the reigning British F4 champion across the run-off area.

Nick Gilkes ran second in the early stages, 1.5 seconds clear of Morales, who in turn led Tommy Smith and Bryce Aron.

Roberto Faria pulled into the pits with a puncture on Lap 2, as Max Esterson managed to defend from Race 2 winner Tom Lebbon into Brooklands.

Rees then pitted at the end of Lap 3, likely a legacy of the contact with Oxley on Lap 1.

Tommy Smith and David Morales battled away through the Farm, Village and Loop section. but as they did so, Aron managed to get through into Brooklands.

Zak Taylor spotted an opportunity to get around the outside but ran out of room at Luffield and ran across the gravel on the outside of Woodcote.

Smith dropped a wheel in the gravel exiting Luffield on the next lap; Alex Connor spotted his opportunity but ran off track at Copse in trying to get the move done.

Oxley got past Joel Granfors into Stowe, swerving across on the exit of Club and the entrance to Abbey to hold onto P9.

That maneuver had led to damage for Rees earlier in proceedings, but Oxley had continued undamaged and unabated into the latter stages of the race.

Taylor and Mikkel Grundtvig tapped tyres entering Luffield on Lap 8, but both survived in P16 and P15 respectively.

Meanwhile, Shields managed to extend the gap to Gilkes a little late on, the pair having gapped Bryce Aron enough to make it a two-way fight for the win entering the last lap.

The Hitech driver managed to hold on for his first win in car racing, ahead of Gilkes who took his first slicks-and-wings podium, and team-mate Aron who also took his first podium in GB3.

GB3 Silverstone Race 3 Results: