Elite Motorsport’s Alisha Palmowski powered to a stunning victory on her GB4 debut in the season opener at Oulton Park.

Palmowski started second on the grid, but made a stronger start from the front row to pass pole sitter Brandon McCaughan on the run to Old Hall on the first lap.

She then quickly marched into a lead of over three seconds, which she maintained to not only claim her first single-seater win, but her first of any sort for the Ginetta Junior graduate in car racing. Not only did she dominate the race, but she did so with great consistency too, her final seven laps were all within a tenth of a second of each other, as she banged in a series of 1m36.2s laps. 

Not only does Palmowski currently lead the charge for the €30,000 fund for this year's lead female driver in the series, but has also marked herself out as a likely outright championship contender, and the £50,000 prize that comes with it. 

KMR Sport duo Harry Burgoyne and Shootout winner McCaughan completed the podium places, with the pair running close together throughout.

Graham Brunton Racing's Callum Baxter was fourth, and as an extra sign of the competitiveness of this year's grid, the top quartet all set best laps within 0.070s of one another. 

Fox Motorsport's Branden Templeton also impressed, taking fifth place on his first car race of any sort, and heading a pack of cars that provided plenty of entertainment throughout. Templeton finished just over a second clear of Arden's fellow racing newcomer Leon Wilson while Linus Granfors fought back from a first lap stall to take seventh after carving through the field.

The third KMR car of Chloe Grant took eighth place ahead of Graham Brunton Racing's Mayer Deonarine, with Fortec's Jack Taylor completing the top-10. The second race of the weekend is due to commence at 12.05 on Monday. 

GB4 Championship partnered by the BRDC, Oulton Park Race One results:
1.    Alisha Palmowski, Elite Motorsport, 12 laps
2.    Harry Burgoyne, KMR Sport, +3.674s
3.    Brandon McCaughan, KMR Sport, +5.324s
4.    Callum Baxter, Graham Brunton Racing, +11.512s
5.    Branden Templeton, Fox Motorsport, +19.991s
6.    Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport, +21.311s
7.    Linus Granfors, Fortec Motorsport, +21.455s
8.    Chloe Grant, KMR Sport, +24.890s
9.    Mayer Deonarine, Graham Brunton Racing, +30.960s
10.    Jack Taylor, Fortec Motorsport, +42.791s
11.    Megan Bruce, Fox Motorsport, +52.644s
12.    Marcus Luzio, Luzio.com, +57.848s
13.    Dan Hickey, Fortec Motorsport, +57.979s. 
DNF. Finn Harrison, Elite Motorsport