ON THE face of it it was a disappointing day at Oulton Park for a trio of racing drivers with Vale connections but all three will take some satisfaction from Sunday's track exploits.

The major player at the Cheshire track was Evesham-born Dan Eaves who was attempting to get his tilt at the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship back on track after a bad day at Brands Hatch a fortnight earlier.

While 30-year-old Eaves from Moreton-in-Marsh has been behind the wheel of one kind of motor driven vehicle or other for the past 18 years, Dave Loudoun can claim similar experience but his comeback season after several years away from the sport again showed signs that the 52-year-old still had plenty to offer.

On the other hand, for 37-year-old Amy Chambers from Pershore, it's an inaugural season in competitive racing and the landscape gardener was positively blooming despite finishing next to last in Sunday's Renault Clio Cup.

And, what made that smile even more like the local feline was that the track newcomer had been absolved of all blame after being involved in three "coming togethers" during Sunday's second race of the weekend.

"I was called before the clerk of the course after one incident and then asked about two more," Chambers recalled. "The guy in the major incident wasn't happy at all and said that his car had suffered £3,000 worth of damage but the clerk was happy to absolve me of any blame for that crash and the other two incidents."

The Pershore driver revealed that damage to her Clio, sponsored by Bardon Aggregates, caused her problems during the race and she felt that she could easily have gained a couple of places had the steering arm not been damaged.

Chambers followed her 15th place finish in an uneventful Saturday excursion on the track with 17th on Sun-day and, apart from a "did not finish" at Donington in the second race of 20 in April, that was the Vale racer's worst set of results.

"It's been absolutely fantastic," a smiling Chambers (right) dec-lared. "It's been a bit hairy at times but I'm more competitive now and I have learnt a tremendous amount so far."

While Chambers only got first behind the wheel of a racing car 18 months ago, motor dealer Lou-doun is an old hand at the racing game.

Having taken a few seasons off, Loudoun, racing for Tracsport, has enjoyed an excellent comeback and was weekend's trip north.

He matched his first round finish at Donington when finishing seventh at Brands Hatch earlier this month, and will have been disappointed to have travelled back down the M6 with only a couple of 12th places to show for his efforts in the searing temperatures.

"It's not going as well as I expected but it's really hard work," Lou-doun said. "I'm making progress but it's a difficult car to drive. I set myself a target to compete at the top of the standings so I've got some way to go if I am going to achieve that."

The Clio Cup race took place prior to the second BTCC race of the day that ended with drops of rain that were a prelude to a torrential downpour that caused the next two minor races to be delayed to allow for live ITV coverage of the third race of the afternoon.

Like the weather - hot and sultry to thunderstorms and lightning with a track temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and air temperature of 30 - the day got worse for Eaves.

The 30-year-old, who had won his first ever BTCC race at the same track in 2004, started superbly as he overtook Team Halfords teammate Matt Neal on the opening bend of the opening race.

However, the championship leader 's Honda Integra skipped past the Moreton man but failed to overtake Jason Plato as Neal increased his advantage over Eaves in the overall standings.

Grid placings for race two reflected those finishing positions but Eaves was quickly down to fourth as Yvan Muller swept past the Vale born ace.

Plato skidded out on lap five leaving Neal a comfortable drive to the chequered flag and Muller just able to prevent the Integras making it a one-two.

Plato's departure and subsequent recovery saw him finish tenth - a position that earned him pole position for the final race when finishing positions are reversed.

By now the track was awash with water and the crowd substantially diminished as the heavens opened.

It was touch and go as to whether the race would start but the rain relented and Eaves made another storming start to move up four places in the opening straight from eighth on the grid.

Teammate Neal was in fifth but those placings improved when Plato again spun out leaving Rob Collard and Tom Chilton at the head of a reduced field.

The safety car led the drivers for four more laps after which the race was extended to 18 laps leaving ten competitive laps of the circuit and all to play for.

Neal moved up to third on lap nine but Chilton appeared comfortable in first. Eaves was far from comfortable when he spun off at the chicane and dropped two places to sixth.

That was where he finished and Neal's third podium of the day left him 26 points clear of his Team Halfords teammate who has a nine-point cushion in second ahead of Muller.

"Matt's picked up a bagful of points t extend his lead but at least I have moved further ahead of Muller despite the problems." Eaves said.

"We changed the car's set-up after the first race but we didn't get it right whereas Matt, who had tested in the wet, found his car just right. I also had problems with fifth gear constantly locking and that's what caused me to spin off. It was just one of those days."