Samuel Harrison has won the first Formula Ford 2000 race at Cadwell in a tough but free-flowing race of attrition.
Harrison, driving Adrian Reynard’s SF79, led from the start and was never challenged particularly strongly, but he was still in superior form, one of only three drivers to duck under the one minute 29 barrier.
He was followed home by reigning champion Graham Fennymore in his SF81, who weathered some difficult backmarker situations to keep his second place. He had benefited from the retirement of Ben Glasswell’s SF77, but a blistering one minute, 27.927s lap showed that he meant business. He was briefly threatened by a charging Ollie Roberts in another SF79, but was not fazed.
Glasswell had qualified second and it looked as if he would stay there, holding off Fennymore and setting lap times not far off Harrison’s, but he spun at the second corner and hit a wall, damaging the right-hand side of the car and ending his race.
Series debutant Murray Shepherd was third in Anthony Hancock’s Delta T81. He had started seventh, but quickly made his way past Andrew Storer’s SF79, before taking advantage of Roberts spinning to make up another place. He then passed Jordan Harrison’s orange Lola T580; Harrison was struggling still with getting the car to work as he wanted it. Shepherd was nowhere near within range of Fennymore, but was a solid third nevertheless in his first race in the car.
Both Harrison and Shepherd had a scare mid-race, when another car spun at the bottom of the Mountain and they had to take prompt avoiding action as it rejoined. All three continued.
Roberts recovered to third, passing Storer on the last lap, using backmarkers well. His spin was recoverable and he was back on the pace fairly quickly. Harrison held on for sixth. Benn Tilley was seventh, after exchanging places with Greg Robertson’s SF79 for most of the race. Robertson was eighth, only half a second back.
Stephen Glasswell (Reyhard SF79) was ninth, making up a couple of positions on his start, with Anthony Denham’s Delta some way further back.
Richard Coleman, who had broken a suspension component during qualifying, was making steady progress in his SF79 when the oil light kept coming on, prompting him to retire on a precaution. He had worked his way up to sixth quickly and was in the process of passing Storer when he dropped out.
Full results at TSL Timing
Image copyright Samuel Harrison/photographer
Vintage Formula Ford 