Shortland is the best of four

Jake Shortland is the final SDC Classic Formula Ford winner of the year, emerging victorious from a four-way lead contest that could have gone any of four ways.

Shortland, driving his Lola T440 without its distinctive airbox, spent the entire 20 minutes of the race locked in a slipstreaming battle with Joe Ahrens’s Royale RP26, Ben Tinkler in his Van Diemen RF80 and Callum Grant driving Simon Langman’s RF80. Initially, Race 1 winner Ahrens looked as if he was in control, but with three close rivals, he was frequently challenged from both sides. Both Tinkler and Shortland took turns at the front and Grant came very close to doing so. In the end, Ahrens overstretched himself with a lead attempt and had to back out, handing first place to Tinkler, who was then usurped by a charging Shortland on the final lap.

Fifth place and Class B spoils went to Chris Porritt. His Titan was initially part of the leading group but he was overtaken early on by Grant and then lost touch slightly. He was still safely ahead of Rick Morris’s Royale RP29, however. Morris and Andy Gosling (Van Diemen RF79) both started at the back after their Race 1 non-finishes, but they were back in the top ten quite rapidly. Gosling did get in front for a time, but Morris took the place back.

They were split in the end by the surprise presence of Cameron Jackson, driving Simon Toyne’s Lola T200. As he had not qualified and only entered on the spur of the moment, he had to start at the back. As expected, he made short work at moving up the grid, but a small tangle with Morris slowed his progress and dropped him several places. The rest of the field managed to avoid the spinning Lola, to the relief of them and Jackson. He rejoined and regained his lost positions, finishing seventh, behind Morris and in front of Gosling.

James Rigby was on his own in ninth, his RP26 having broken clear of the next chasing group. Philip Senior’s Royale RP24 was next and at the head of a tight pack consisting of Paul Britten’s PRS, Stuart Kestenbaum in a Van Diemen RF81 and the Lola of Calvin Bainbridge. There was a fair amount of slipstreaming switching around in this group, with Senior claiming the last top-ten place. The fastest of the group was actually Bainbridge, who was 13th. He was the only driver outside the top eight to go under 1m4s.

Cal Bennett had been with them in his RF80, but a spin dropped him to 17th place. Newcomer Dominic Sheppard (Merlyn Mk20) improved on his problem-plagued first day performance with 19th place, enjoying a bit of back-and-forth action with 18th-placed Ben Hadfield, in a 1979 Van Diemen. Russell Giles, another newcomer, was 22nd in a Van Diemen VD77.

Full results at TSL Timing

Fennymore shuts down Harrison challenge

Graham Fennymore won the final Historic Formula Ford 2000 race of the year narrowly from newcomer Samuel Harrison.

Champion Fennymore got a great restart after a safety car period, his Reynard SF81 having trailed Harrison’s 1979 Reynard for much of the shortened race, but nipped ahead just before the stoppage. The pair were rarely separated by much and Harrison’s textbook inside-outside move at Brooklands mid-race was perfect.

A gear shift problem prevented Harrison from fighting back as strongly as he might have done, as his car gradually became stuck in fourth. He did regain the lead when Fennymore went wide and looked as if he would hold it, but the sticking gear was enough of a weakness for Fennymore to pounce on the last lap.

Third place went to Marc Mercer, whose SF79 was actually very close to Harrison’s. He briefly passed Harrison at the restart and retook the place after Harrison passed him back, but he could not hold him off a second time. He had eked out a decent lead over Ben Glasswell in his SF77 and even had a quick go at Fennymore on the first lap, but third was the best he could do. Glasswell was some way back and was more busy with defending against Ian Pearson, the first Royale finisher in fourth place.

Jordan Harrison rose from an ignominous pitlane start to sixth place in his Lola T580. The race had been red-flagged on the first lap after Richard Coleman’s SF79 dumped the entire contents of its oil catch tank on the track, with Harrison and Adrian Reynard’s SF79 chief among the casualties. Harrison’s Lola only incurred some slight nosecone damage and he was able to mount a recovery drive. Reynard’s car looked more seriously broken, but it was a quick fix and he also started from the pits, finishing 19th.

Neither Tony Hancock (Delta T81) not James Thompson (SF79) gave Harrison an easy time passing them. Hancock had also been caught out by the oil, but didn’t lose many places and finished seventh. Thompson was eighth. Ninth-placed Stephen Glasswell’s SF79 also slid, but he was able to restart without a problem. He was just ahead of the SF79 of Andrew Storer in tenth.

Another Royale, driven by Nathaniel Cooper, was 11th after a steady race. Brian Morris’s SF79 was a little further back in 12th, followed closely by Jonathan Hair’s 1978 Reynard.

Full results at TSL Timing

Grant signs off with a win

Callum Grant was the final HSCC Historic Formula Ford winner of the year, carrying on his season-ling rivalry with Benn Simms and continuing his winning streak.

Grant’s orange Merlyn Mk20 and Simms’s white Jomo were together for the entire twenty minutes, using one another’s slipstream and swapping the lead almost every lap. A mistake by Simms on the penultimate lap, where he went wide, was just enough to give Grant the advantage he needed, although Simms did a good job at closing the gap, finishing just a couple of tenths behind Grant on the line. This was especially impressive given that there were yellow flags at the back of the track for the last five laps: Brian Morris (Lola T200) and Chris Willoughby (Merlyn Mk20) had taken each other off.

If the lead battle was close, then the scrap over third place was even closer. By the end, there were six cars in the chasing group, separated by less than a second. Matt Wrigley won their contest in his Merlyn Mk11A/20 after fending off attacks from Spencer Shinner’s and Sam Mitchell’s Merlyns. Shinner, who showed a great deal of bravery in such a big group, was fourth, having led the line several times. Mitchell was sixth; he had been a good contender for third in the earlier stages of the race but was passed by Cormac Flanagan’s Alexis in the closing laps. Flanagan had dropped off the back of the group briefly early on but managed to get back in the tow and launch a last-ditch attack which paid off.

Having been closer to the front early on, Titan driver Chris Porritt sat back a little for much of the race before a late push secured him seventh place, very close behind Mitchell. In turn, Ross Drybrough’s Merlyn was on Porritt’s tail, having bothered him and Flanagan for most of the race. The group was completed by the Merlyn Mk20 of Ollie Lewis, a newcomer who kept pace admirably.

Tenth place went to Christian Goller in a Lola, but some way back. He had spent most of the race on his own.

Further back, behind 11th-placed Mark Wilkes (Merlyn Mk20S) and Paul Unsworth’s Lola, there was another three-way scramble for position. David Squire prevailed in his Hawke, but Nigel Adams (Lotus 61) and the Merlyn of Damian Samuel-Camps were extremely close in 13th and 14th.

Image by Anne Boddez

Full results at TSL Timing

Ahrens wins three-way thriller

Joe Ahrens emerged as the victor in the first SDC Classic Formula Ford race of the weekend, fending off champion Ben Tinkler and Donington winner Jake Shortland.

Ahrens, driving the Enigma Motorsport Royale RP26, also had Chris Porritt and his Titan to deal with early on, with Simon Toyne’s Lola also in contention.

The final contest of the race was between Ahrens and the Lola T440 driven by Shortland. The pair were level going into Brooklands and avoided touching by the slightest of margins, leaving Ahrens to get in front and remain there, still by a very small edge by the time the chequered flag came out.

Tinkler, in his red Van Diemen RF80, was third, still only about half a second behind the leader. He had challenged strongly and taken the lead on a number of occasions, keeping pace with Ahrens easily. He also had to deal with the attentions of Porritt, who also led briefly and looked like he was going to finish on the podium.

Behind him, Porritt had to keep an eye on Toyne. In the opening laps, Toyne’s orange car got ahead of Porritt’s blue one and even pushed Tinkler for second. As Shortland advanced up the order from tenth, he was displaced for a while, but he was back with Porritt by the end. He was fifth.

Sixth place went to Callum Grant, driving Simon Langman’s Van Diemen RF80. Grant overcame a slow qualifying and an unpromising 24th place start to finish strongly, albeit some way behind Toyne. He was able to pass James Rigby’s Royale and Stuart Kestenbaum’s Van Diemen, leaving the pair to their own rivalry. Kestenbaum was seventh and Rigby eighth.

Rigby in particular had benefited from the retirement of James Hadfield, in a Hawke DL2B. They had swapped places quite intensely, but both lost touch with the leaders when yellow flags came out mid-race. Hadfield’s efforts were in vain, however, as his car’s engine blew up, causing an ominous hole in the block.

The yellow flags were probably for Andrew Smith’s stricken Van Diemen FA73, which had badly bent suspension after being caught by another car during a spin.

In only his second ever race meeting, Cal Bennett was ninth in his RF80, ahead of Philip Senior, who had a first-lap off in his Royale RP24 and did well to come back to the top ten. Paul Britten had a solid race in his PRS 81F to finish 11th, very close behind Senior and Bennett. A little further back, James Fettiplace was 12th in his ex-Mark Armstrong Van Diemen.

Neither Rick Morris (Royale RP29) or Andy Gosling (Van Diemen RF81) was a finisher due to colliding with each other on the first lap. The race was red-flagged and a full restart held.

Full results at TSL Timing

Harrison flies on Formula Ford 2000 debut

Samuel Harrison was the surprise winner of the first Historic Formula Ford 2000 race of the weekend, taking a borrowed Reynard SF79 to a commanding win over champion Graham Fennymore.

Classic Formula 3 champion Harrison was lent the car by Adrian Reynard and finished almost five seconds ahead of Fennymore. After a tense first few laps where he almost collided with a spinning Lola T580 driven by Jordan Harrison, he quickly pulled out a lead and was never troubled further.

Fennymore started well as expected, but Ollie Roberts was on his tail in his SF79. Roberts attacked on the second lap and took the lead, but contact at Becketts left Fennymore on the grass with a bent wishbone and Roberts in retirement. Fennymore recovered quickly, but Harrison was already several seconds ahead.

Third place went to Marc Mercer’s SF79, a little way back. He had qualified seventh and been made to work hard by both Richard Coleman (SF79) and Ben Glasswell in an SF77 towards the end. He also had a tussle with Adrian Reynard’s SF79 on the way up the grid, outbraking him into Brooklands.

Coleman and Glasswell then had an entertaining battle of their own, which went the way of Glasswell, with Coleman in fifth. Reynard was sixth. He had been threatened by a recovering Harrison, who had made his way from the back of the queue after his spin, but Harrison was running out of fuel and dropped to 11th. Tony Hancock was the first Delta finisher in seventh after a steady run where he was often on his own. His was the last car to be passed by Jordan Harrison.

The first Royale was next, driven by Ian Pearson. He had been trying to pass Hancock but missed by a tenth of a second. Stephen Glasswell in turn was very close behind him in ninth. The top ten was completed by James Thompson’s SF79, which was just ahead of the ailing Harrison. Nathaniel Cooper (Royale RP27) was just behind Harrison in 12th. Harrison was the Class B winner.

Grant wins in competitive thriller

Callum Grant has won the penultimate Historic Formula Ford race of the year from his season-long rival, Benn Simms.

Grant, in a Merlyn Mk20, and Jomo driver Simms were in a class of their own at the front, trading the lead with the smallest of margins until the finish line, when Grant prevailed by just 0.084 seconds. He had relied on his race-long trick of allowing Simms inside at Brooklands and sweeping ahead at Woodcote, although Simms floored the Jomo on the final straight and it could have gone either way.

Over 50 winner Chris Porritt was third, at the head of an eight-car chasing group that provided most of the action. Porritt, in his Titan which he is also racing in the Classic championship, just overcame Simon Toyne’s Lola, having been behind Toyne on the previous lap. He had spent much of the race in a pack with Toyne, Sam Mitchell (Merlyn Mk20), Ross Drybrough and Spencer Shinner (also Merlyn). Toyne was fourth, having made his way stealthily up the grid in the early laps after an indifferent qualifying session. Mitchell had run in third place for several laps but lost out in a slipstreaming contest and then lost ground towards the end. He was fifth.

Shinner also dropped back a little from the front group, but he had done well to recover from a first-lap off which left him right at the back. Drybrough didn’t make it easy for him to pass and the two traded positions for a while, but Shinner then consolidated sixth place, with Drybrough seventh.

Matt Wrigley was eighth in his Merlyn. He had figured much more strongly in the chasing pack until losing third gear and lacking speed on the straights. He also didn’t get the best restart after a one-lap safety car period for the recovery of George Ditchfield’s Elden. Still, he came back from tenth to eighth in the closing laps.

Cormac Flanagan was another driver who had been further forward in the chasing group than his final position of ninth suggested. He nosed his Alexis Mk14 past Porritt’s car at the start and also enjoyed scrapping with Shinner. Ollie Lewis was a very close tenth in his Merlyn Mk20.

Ollie Lewis (Merlyn Mk20) had been at the tail of the chasing group but had to retire late on. His place was taken by Brian Morris’s Lola. Morris was eleventh, ahead of Christian Goller’s similar Lola, which had an early off-track excursion and spent many laps at the back.

Fennymore wins in scrappy sprint

Graham Fennymore has racked up yet another win in a Formula Ford 2000 race that was reduced to a single-lap sprint.

The race began in a straightforward enough way, with Fennymore shooting off in his Reynard SF81, breaking away from Andrew Storer’s SF79 very early. He quickly built up a large lead and was looking comfortable when the red flag came out for the first time. John Wilkinson’s SF79 was stuck in the verge towards the back of the circuit and needed retrieval. The race was restarted fairly promptly and again, Fennymore had a big lead within a few corners, which was just as well, as the red flag came out again and a result was declared. This time, Andy Lancaster’s Hawke DL16 was stuck in the gravel at Clervaux after he had hit a kerb.

Storer kept hold of second in another display of cool-headed driving, although Richard Coleman’s SF79 was right on his tail after the second restart. Coleman had passed Adrian Langridge in his SF81 during the first part of the race, finishing third to Langridge’s fourth.

Jordan Harrison was fifth in his Lola T580. After his first-lap off on Saturday, he was banished to the back of the grid, although by the second lap, he was safely in the top ten. After passing Lancaster, then running sixth, Harrison had Ollie Roberts’s SF79 in his sights.

The pair chased each other and passed Nathaniel Cooper’s Royale RP27 in the process, but the first red flag put an end to Roberts’s efforts. He was judged to have dropped fluid on the track and pulled off the grid before the restart. Although his car was leaking fluid, he contested his removal and claimed that his car was not the only culprit.

Cooper was sixth, less than a second off Harrison, with Anthony Denham’s Delta following him at a distance. Denham had benefited from an early mistake by Lancaster and leapfrogged him, allowing Anthony Thompson’s SF79 to get within striking distance after the restart. Thompson was eighth, leading home a trio of SF79s driven by himself, Colin Wright and Ken Thorogood. Alisdair Graham’s Delta was only a few tenths further back in eleventh and would have been within passing range had the red flag not come out for the second time.

Full results at TSL Timing

Grant wins amid flag confuson

Callum Grant has won the second Historic Formula Ford race of the weekend from Benn Simms, despite a final-lap flag mix-up that could have cost him the lead.

Grant’s Merlyn Mk20 and Simms’s Jomo were locked together for the entire race, trying multiple lines to outsmart one another and swapping the lead regularly. Grant managed a daring outside move at the Complex mid-race, but Simms dived past in the next lap and altered his line to cover off another outside attack by Grant. Grant had kept the lead, albeit by a tiny margin, for about a lap when the race ended, although the last-lap board was only shown when the fifth-placed car passed, so the chequered flag was a surprise for the leaders. Grant prevailed by just under four tenths of a second.

The Over 50 crown was taken by Chris Porritt in his Titan Mk6. He never quite got level with the leaders, but was safe in a podium position for most of the race. In the closing laps, he was pushed hard by Robert Wainwright’s Elden Mk8. Wainwright quickly sneaked past Ted Pearson in his Merlyn Mk11/17 after Pearson had taken him on the line. He held on to fourth.

Fifth place went to Spencer Shinner in his Merlyn Mk20/50. He had started at the back of the grid due to his non-finish on Saturday and made a good start, wasting no time in climbing up the order. He got through cleanly and efficiently, but not without challenge from the likes of Ross Drybrough (Merlyn Mk20). The last driver he passed was Pearson, who ended the race sixth.

He was aided by a safety car period for the removal of Ollie Chapman’s Lola from the gravel at Clervaux; Chapman had also started at the rear and Shinner’s strong start meant he was safely out of the way of the accident.

A four-car group followed, with plenty of slipstreaming happening. Drybrough had broken away slightly from the front by th end, leaving Cormac Flanagan’s Alexis, Christian Goller’s Lola and Jonathan Speak in an ex-Classic Team Merlyn car to fight it out among themselves. Goller was eighth, Flanagan ninth and Speak tenth. Mark Wilkes’s Merlyn had been with them in the first few laps, but he lost touch with them and finished eleventh, ahead of Dick Dixon’s Lotus 61, the only Lotus finisher.

Full results at TSL Timing

Another win for Tinkler as Ahrens grabs podium

Champion-elect Ben Tinkler has won the second SDC Classic Formula Ford race in fine style, as Joe Ahrens fought from the back of the grid to grab third.

Tinkler’s Van Diemen RF80 was in front for the entire race and he barely put a foot wrong, getting a strong start and building up a lead of almost eight seconds over second-placed Jake Shortland. Lola T440 driver Shortland briefly challenged in the first few corners, but soon got left behind.

Shortland also held a good lead over his rivals and his second place was never seriously in doubt. Third-place starter Rick Morris (Royale RP29) had his own battle with Chris Porritt’s Titan to attend to, with Porritt attacking from early on and Morris holding his line for several laps before Porritt took third.

His third place was fairly short-lived, as Ahrens’s Royale RP26 had a new master switch and was taking its driver up the grid rapidly. After a few laps of dicing with the chasing group, he got on the back of Porritt and then passed without much trouble. Porritt was fourth and Morris fifth.

Spencer Shinner also came from the back of the grid, having had carburettor problems during Race 1 and retiring. He finished sixth, leading a combative chasing group consisting of his Class B Merlyn, Nigel Lingwood’s Van Diemen RF80, the Royale RP24 of Philip Senior and Andy Gosling’s 1979 Van Diemen. Gosling was at the back of the group crossing the line, but had run much higher for most of the race. He was ninth, behind Lingwood and Senior who played the slipstreaming game well.

Peter Chippindale was sixth in another Royale RP26, with Stuart Kestenbaum’s Van Diemen RF81 not far behind. Kestenbaum had been part of the bigger chasing group but dropped back towards the end, as Chippindale got quicker.

Tony Kiss had the misfortune of breaking an upright on his Lola at the final corner before the flag and did not finish.

Full Results at TSL Timing

Grant grabs the championship after countback win

Callum Grant has claimed his third Historic Formula Ford championship after a win at Croft, despite his closest rival Benn Simms crossing the line first.

The race was red-flagged at just after 16 minutes when Simms was leading, but counting back a lap, Merlyn driver Grant was declared the winner.

This is not to minimise Grant’s performance. His Merlyn and Simms’s white Jomo were in a class of their own at the front, expertly using the two and swapping the lead, never more than a car length apart. It could have gone either way and either would have deserved it.

Chris Porritt was third in his Titan Mk6, some way behind Simms. He had been scrapping with Ted Pearson’s Merlyn Mk11/17 and the Elden of Robert Wainwright all race. The three were very close in the final lap and Wainwright had probably looked the more likely victor. Pearson had got an excellent start and led briefly, before being overhauled by Grant. Porritt quickly caught up and the second group formed. Wainwright was classified fourth and Pearson fifth.

Christian Goller, who races a Lola T202 alongside Porritt in Team Garagista, had been part of the chasing group, but was caught by first Cormac Flanagan’s Alexis Mk14 and then Ross Drybrough’s Merlyn. Goller was eighth, behind Drybrough and Flanagan, who had been having a contest of their own.

Mark Wilkes was ninth in his Merlyn Mk20, ahead of the Mk20S of Jonathan Speak. A pair of Lotus 61 wedges, driven by Nigel Adams and Dick Dixon, follwed in eleventh and twelfth.

The red flag come out due to Ollie Chapman’s Lola spinning off the track and sticking itself in the gravel. Chapman had had a big spin at the Complex early on, followed by a slide a lap later, and was trying to make up some places.

Colin Turner finished his first HSCC race in 18th place, driving his Merlyn Mk20.

Full results at TSL Timing