Benn Simms has added a third win to his Classic Formula Ford tally, triumphing from a four-strong group after a safety car restart.
Simms, in his Class B Jomo, was already ahead before the caution period, but a good takeoff and then some measured pace kept him ahead of Andy Gosling in a Van Diemen RF79 and Matt Wrigley’s Merlyn.
The lead group was completed by Henry Chart in a Numanair-liveried Van Diemen RF81. He had started at the back of the grid after fuelling problems in qualifying, but wasted no time in progressing up the grid, moving up to ninth after the lap two safety car from his original starting position of 30th.
The early part of the race was led by Tom McArthur in Simon Hadfield’s Titan, but a misfire meant that he was unable to keep up his pace after a very rapid start. He had leapfrogged pole-sitter Rick Morris’s Royale by the end of the first lap and was in the process of building up a gap. Gosling attacked early on and even made a play for the lead, but McArthur was too quick. Gosling was then passed by Simms and dropped to the back of the lead pack, before getting back in the mix on the closing laps. Wrigley did lead briefly after the safety car and was always ready to attack, but he did not quite have the straight-line speed of Gosling.
Morris lost several places early on and remained stuck in midfield after the safety car, with Chris Porritt’s Titan in front of him. The next two cars were Christian Goller’s Lola T202 and the T200 of Calvin Bainbridge, who had had to tighten the gearbox mountings on his car after qualifying. Simon Toyne made up a trio of Lolas in tenth, having started just in front of Chart due to being stuck in traffic and not being able to qualify.
James Rigby had qualified incredibly well in the ex-Adriano Medeiros Van Diemen RF79, but an intermittent gearbox problem meant he was unable to capitalise. He then retired on the second lap in the incident which triggered the safety car. James Fettiplace (Van Diemen RF80) spun at Brooklands, causing Brian Morris’s Lola to swerve to avoid him. Rigby collected him, sending both on to the grass. Morris’s car lost a wheel and Rigby’s was bent at the front. Fettiplace carried on and finished 12th, behind Cal Bennett in another RF80.
Jake Shortland was in with a chance in his Lola T440, hanging on to the lead group, but he went off at Woodcote just after the safety car came in. Of the 30 starters, these were the only non-finishers, with Philip Senior (Royale RP24) and Andrew Smith (Van Diemen FA73) surviving offs to take the chequered flag. Smith was 17th and Senior 27th.
Full results at TSL Timing
Vintage Formula Ford 