Benn Simms has added yet another Historic Formula Ford 2000 win to his tally at Silverstone, brushing off polesitter Graham Fennymore to speed away into the distance.
Simms, who was never challenged during the race’s nine laps, credits his win to his Reynard SF77’s ability to power off the line and to his rivals getting into their own rivalries and holding each other up. In this case, it was the SF81s of Fennymore and Andrew Park who got caught up with each other.
Park got an absolutely spot-on start, having lined up sixth due to car trouble in qualifying. He was third within a corner, deposing Graham Ridgway’s SF78 and the Royale of Drew Cameron. Park did get past Fennymore for a lap or two mid-race, but although Park was gaining on him again on the final lap, Fennymore held him off for second.
Ridgway was a solid fourth, although some way behind Park at the end. Cameron had a less straightforward run, with serious trouble downshifting causing him to drop from third to twelfth, then the lower reaches of the top ten. The quickest in a straight line, he got on top of his troubles towards the end, passing Adrian Reynard’s SF79 and Lee Bankhurst’s Royale RP30 in quick succession. Bankhurst had his own scuffle going on with Ollie Roberts, whose SF79 sat in fifth for most of the race. Bankhurst was gaining on him, but Cameron effectively towed Bankhurst past him on the final lap, meaning Roberts had to settle for seventh. Reynard was eighth. Peter Drennan had also been sparring with Reynard in his yellow Royale RP27, but he had to retire with a mysterious electrical problem.
The twin SF79s of Brian Morris and Andrew Storer made up the top ten. Storer had been passed by both Bankhurst and Reynard on their way up the grid.
Full results at TSL Timing
Vintage Formula Ford 