Double Oulton Win Gives Schlup Early Elite Cup Lead as well as Outright Championship Advantage

From Legends Cars Championship (UK) Media –

•    Star weekend for Oli Schlup with two race wins to top both title battles

•    Stephen Treherne, Jamie Moylan, Chris Needham, Tyler Read all winners

•    Fantastic action from the Legends wows the fans alongside British GT

•    American Speedfest next up in less than two weeks at Brands Hatch Indy

Two fantastic wins for Oli Schlup (Cuckfield) at Oulton Park International Circuit on Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May, have given him the early lead in the 2025 Legends Cars Elite Cup as well as the outright lead in the overall Legends Cars Championship.

On a sensational weekend of action from the pocket rockets at the Cheshire track, as part of the support package to the British GT Championship, Schlup managed to edge ahead of erstwhile points leader Tyler Read (Weedon) by 60 points having been the undoubted star performer across rounds three and four. Of course, the event also acted as the first two rounds of this year’s Elite Cup as well.

Stephen Treherne (Islington) won the opening race of the weekend on Saturday, 24th May, and also chalked up three Masters class successes. Jamie Moylan (Naas) claimed victory in Heat Two on day one while Oulton local Chris Needham (Altrincham) was victorious in the round three Final.

After a rest day from action on Sunday, 25th May, the competitors returned to the track for three more contests in round four on Monday where Schlup bagged his first win of the season in Heat One before Read claimed victory in Heat Two. Mastering the very slippery conditions of the Final, Schlup just saw off Needham for his second win of the day and campaign so far.

Peter Barrable (Dublin) claimed two Masters wins, Nick Bridgeman (Baldock) taking the other, while in the Rookie class Owen Lawlor (Dublin) chalked up five wins – James Pendleton (Shawforth) taking his maiden class victory in the day one Final.

Three winners from the first three races at Oulton

Ross Marshall (Stirling) got the jump to lead Heat One on Saturday, but it didn’t take long before Will Gibson (Farnborough), from third, grabbed the top spot and Jack Parker (Wolverhampton) moved into second from fourth. Treherne, who lined-up 11th at the start, rocketed through the order to third by the end of lap one and looked rapid as he pressured Parker.

Gibson’s lead was 1.6 seconds going into lap three but Parker and Treherne worked together to bring down the gap, Parker then moving to the lead before Treherne took his turn. Gibson thought he had it done on the dash to the line on the final lap, but Treherne shaded him by 0.069 seconds with Parker third, Connor Mills (Upminster) fourth and Schlup fifth.

Read starred in sixth from 20th on the grid in Heat One, having run as high as fourth with a lap to go, and with the grid reversed for Heat Two he started on pole for the second contest – leading from the off ahead of Moylan, Marcus Pett (Boston) and Needham. Moylan made his move early to take the lead, with Needham climbing to second and Read shuffled down to third.

Needham’s hopes ended when he and Parker locked-bumpers on lap three, as Moylan, Read and Mills pulled a gap. Read took the lead back and kept his challengers at bay, but into Lodge on the sixth and final tour Moylan went for it on the brakes as Read went straight on. Moylan pipped Mills to win with Gibson coming through to third, from 17th. Parker recovered to fourth, ahead of Read.

Rain had arrived some time before the round three Final and it continued for the last Legends race of the day. Barrable started on pole and led initially before Steve Whitelegg (Bury) moved through mid-lap, but Needham was on an early march in the tricky conditions and he soon took the lead.

Andy Bird (Calne) kept Needham honest for a few laps, before a trip off the circuit at Shell Oils Hairpin on the fourth tour, and thereafter Needham controlled the action superbly. Leading by close to three seconds with two laps to go, he ultimately won by a second from Read with a flying Schlup completing the podium. Mills snatched fourth from Treherne on the last lap, while Moylan was sixth.

Bank Holiday brilliance from Schlup delivers two wins

The weather was an improvement for Monday’s action and Heat One produced a good start from Mills to lead from second on the grid ahead of Bird. Parker moved to the front before the end of lap one, then Schlup slotted into the lead on lap two and Gibson moved into the podium battle – having started 10th on the grid.

Gibson hit the front on the fourth tour and a terrific battle ensued, Schlup hitting back on lap five into Cascades with Treherne and Read – up from 16th and 15th respectively – there as well. Read produced a brilliant pass on Treherne around the outside at Old Hall into the last lap, but Treherne retook third at the finish by 0.031s. Schlup held off Gibson by a tiny 0.010 seconds for a superb win.

Treherne made the early running in Heat Two with Moylan right there as well, and the Irishman moved ahead on lap two with Read getting past Treherne as well. There was nothing to split the top four, which included Gibson, but on lap four there was major drama for the unfortunate Moylan when his engine expired.

Read, as a result, led by over six seconds into the fifth tour and duly went on to claim his first win of the weekend by a lofty 7.6 seconds from Schlup with Pett taking his first podium since returning to racing this season after an 18 month lay-off with injury. Treherne’s podium bid ended at Druids on the last lap when his car expired, so Mills took fourth from Bird and the impressive Marshall.

Needham aced the start in the slippery round four Final, storming from seventh to be second by the time the field exited Old Hall. Soon enough he was into the race lead and opened an advantage of 1.8 seconds on the opening tour. Things didn’t begin so well for Read or Bridgeman though, with both off at Cascades on lap one – Read recovering in 19th and ultimately ending 12th.

By half-distance Parker had reduced Needham’s lead and he moved by on the outside at Old Hall on lap five as more rain started to fall. Needham hit back and going into the final lap he was just ahead, but now from Schlup who had scythed from 20th on the grid. He hit the front at Cascades and went on to win by 0.1 seconds from Needham, Parker, a resurgent Barrable in fourth and Treherne.

Oli Schlup – Rd4 Heat One and Rd4 Final Winner:

“I can’t believe that! From 20th on the grid [in the round four Final], that is an amazing result – I’m over the moon. It was right between wet and dry, horrid conditions, I just managed to get out front – I don’t know how – but what a race, it was so slippery out there. I think this gives me the lead of the Elite championship, and somewhere near the top of the national, so I’m really pleased.”

Stephen Treherne – Rd3 Heat One Winner:

“It was really close, really close, I think any one of us could’ve won that to be honest. I saw the last lap coming and I thought I might be able to get it at the end, and I’m really happy that I did. That was lucky – I’m happy with that.”

Jamie Moylan – Rd3 Heat Two Winner:

“It was a great race! Me, Connor Mills and Tyler Read got away at the start, we needed it, we got a nice gap and we had a little dice at the end into the last corner. I was coming up the inside [at Lodge] and I don’t think he [Read] thought I was that close, he locked the fronts and straight on he goes – thank God for me but unlucky for him. It’s been a great craic so far here.”

Chris Needham – Rd3 Final Winner:

“Once I got out front and saw I’d pulled a bit of a gap, I just controlled myself and made sure I didn’t make any silly mistakes as it’s really easy to lock a wheel and just end up in the gravel. I’m happy with that after a bit of a mixed day. The new engine has completely changed the way the car drives, that was the first proper wet session and I think we made a pretty good judgement on the set-up.”

Tyler Read – Rd4 Heat Two Winner:

“Awesome race that was, I can’t even explain how weird it is to drive a Legends race and not see anyone in your mirrors! I’m not sure what happened, I saw Moylan with loads of smoke coming from his car – that’s unfortunate as he was going really well. It was an awesome race though.”

Rounds five and six of the Legends Cars Championship, which also act as the third and fourth rounds of this year’s Elite Cup campaign, will take place only a fortnight from now over the weekend 7th/8th June at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit – part of the Kent venue’s annual American Speedfest spectacular.

Provisional 2025 Legends Cars Championship Points (after Rds3&4)

1st Oli Schlup, 1885pts; 2nd Tyler Read, 1825pts; 3rd Connor Mills, 1685pts;

4th Will Gibson, 1655pts; 5th Jack Parker, 1575pts; 6th Jamie Moylan, 1460pts

Provisional 2025 Legends Cars Elite Cup Points (after Rds1&2) 1st Oli Schlup, 1045pts; 2nd Tyler Read, 915pts; 3rd Will Gibson, 890pts

Photo credits: Den Devlin and George McNeill