GRANT EMERGES FROM CLASSIC FF1600 THRILLERS

Two awesome Historic Formula Ford races, both aced by Callum Grant, wowed spectators as the HSCC honoured 1966 pioneers Ivan Sharrock and Chris Drewett at MSV’S spectacular Lincolnshire Wolds outpost.

With four wins and two zero scores to discard the Merlyn racer may not head the table but his quest to repeat 2012’s title is strong.

Triple champion Benn Simms (Jomo) beat Grant away and jousted throughout Saturday’s breathtaking opener in which Mark Shaw, points leader Rob Wainwright, Benn Tilley and Max Bartell squabbled in the chase. Ben Tusting, the qualifying heat winner from the back after his engine blew in practice, sliced from 21st to 11th, while 2013 champ Sam Mitchell buzzed his engine after being squeezed off track.

Simms and Grant traded places again in Sunday’s final, but Benn slipped to sixth with overheating and Wainwright (Elden) replaced him after two great passes at Coppice. When Callum’s clutch gave up on the final lap Rob homed in, finishing 0.338s shy. Uber-cool Cadwell debutant Tilley snatched third from Bartell with a scintillating final lap, as Tusting climbed to fifth.

Stalwart HFF organiser Dick Dixon led the repechage in his Lotus 61 before Oli Smith and Nick Pancisi swept past, but was overjoyed to finally be on the podium after 25 years of trying.

Back in Iain Daniels’ Lotus Elan, poleman Julian Barter made it three from three in ’70s Road Sports, but took four laps to depose dad Charles’ Datsun 240Z on Saturday. The pair swapped places constantly, courting the limits of adhesion in Sunday’s sequel, but on Fathers’ Day Charles prevailed. Mark Leverett (Elan) couldn’t match son Will (Porsche 911SC) – who led on Sunday, then delayed Julian B – but found John Williams (911SC) a tough opponent. Points leader Chris Fisher (Arkley) racked-up more maximums meanwhile.

Stuart Roach won three of the four Formula Junior races, the frontengined splits per form book in his Alexis. Former titlist Mark Woodhouse (ELVA-BMC 100) and Mike Walker – a 1000cc and 1600cc F3 star at Cadwell in the 1960s and ’70s – in the surviving Bond (a blown head gasket having trailered team leader Andrew Tart’s) harassed Roach on Sunday. They finished together after Stuart was stymied by a tailender entering a yellow flag zone covering father Keith’s Condor SII, parked after Mansfield.

Less predictable was Roach Jr’s triumph in the rear-engined opener, a world first for the rare Condor SIII? Full house hopes vanished at Sunday’s start where with third gear inoperable in its Renault ’box, the combo was swamped. Stuart recovered to fourth, but peeled off with flagging oil pressure. John Sykes duly bagged his maiden win in his ex-denis Welch Merlyn, sidelined by a broken gear lever on Saturday. Second placed James Hicks (Caravelle) was delighted with the Barry Westmoreland Memorial Trophy for the best aggregate result, as was Jonathan Fyda with his first podium with the bizarrely-classified [1963-built] U2 Mk3.

Following a sensational Silverstone debut, Jon Milicevic continued to explore hitherto unknown grip as he extended his undefeated 1000cc F3 run to three races in the John’s Motors Brabham BT21. Ewen Sergison (in Jim Blockley’s BT21) and Simon Armer (March 703) cut best race laps though, the latter free of the misfire which dogged him on Saturday, when Peter Thompson (BT21) relieved him of second and Jon Waggitt wrung extraordinary speed from Robert Thorpe’s Lotus 31.

A clash between leaders Andy Park and Benn Simms at the hairpin on Saturday soured the Historic FF2000 mood and helped Ken Thorogood’s Reynard parts sales. While Simms retired with a split radiator and suspension damage, Park clawed back to win from Andy Storer and Colin Wright. Simms was second from the back on Sunday when his engine ran its bearings. As Park notched his fifth victory from six starts this term, the beaming Wright – a class disciple since its debut here in 2008 – and Graham Ridgway completed the podium. Returnee Antony Raine (Merlyn) and young Tom White (Osella) were Pre-’79 winners.

John Avill and Graham Pattle doorhandled their Lotus Cortinas to a Touring Car one-two on day one. Reigning champion and points leader Simon Benoy shadowed Avill 24 hours later, having reinstalled his mighty Hillman Imp’s 1150cc powerplant – freshened by Shrigley Engineering’s Andy Jones since Snetterton – in the paddock on Friday evening. Ford Anglias again impressed, Bob Bullen bouncing back from Saturday’s rotor arm failure to claim third on Sunday. After Pattle retired, James Claridge’s Broadspeed-esque 105E was third before a spin.

Peter Shaw completed a Historic Road Sports hat-trick on Saturday, but the previous reliability issues with his Elan – which he was confident were licked – ended the perfect run on Sunday. Kevin Kivlochan’s Morgan was clear when the Lotus conked-out at the Gooseneck. He was chased home by Dave Boland (Ginetta G4) who profited from Shaw’s despair to secure a precious class win. Robert Rowe upheld Elan honour, landing his first podium finish, ahead of Dick Coffey’s ex-works Turner.

Even bodging second and third gear up-changes at the start of race two and arriving at Coppice sixth, didn’t prevent Ian Pearson topping the URS FF2000S. His recovery and the afternoon scrap for second between Andy Lancaster in his pristine Pilbeam MP52 and Chris Levy (Van Diemen) injected interest, as did feisty Jennifer Ridgway’s efforts to outrun the powerful CRC sub-set before she spun on the Mountain, handing early FF2000 honours to fellow Reynard pilot Dale Spruce. Andy Jarvis (Palliser), Julian Stokes (Tecno) and Brian Cullen (Crossle) exercised their rortier cars with increasing verve, Jarvis improving from third to second overall.

Classic Clubmans king Mark Charteris probed into the 1m24s in both demonstrations of Mallock magic. Alan Cook and Californian Rob Manson photo-finished for second in race two after Spencer Mccarthy and Peter Belsey (Haggispeed) fell to bodywork issues. Barry Webb found no opposition in an unusually thin B-sport group, but drove his Delapena U2 brilliantly as ever.

David Weston repelled James Dunkley in Sunday’s action-packed Sprite & Midget Challenges and helped fix his rival’s steed between bouts after it nudged the barriers. Pippa Cow nailed two splendid class wins with reigning champion Richard Perry and David Morrison scrapping in her mirrors after race one retirements. Graeme ‘Grubby’ Adams led briefly and set best lap before his smart car failed in the finale.

1 Callum Grant (Merlyn MK20A); 2 Benn Simms (Jomo JMR7) +1.660s; 3 Mark Shaw (Merlyn Mk20); 4 Rob Wainwright (Elden Mk8); 5 Benn Tilley (Merlyn Mk20); 6 Maxim Bartell (Merlyn MK20A). Fastest Lap Grant 1m34.653s (83.16mph). Pole Grant. Starters 26.

1 Ben Tusting (Merlyn Mk20); 2 Alistair Littlewood (Merlyn MK20A) +4.271s; 3 Stuart Dix (Cooper Chinook); 4 Andrew Wiggins (Titan Mk6); 5 James Lovett (Lola T200); 6 Oli Smith (Macon MR7B). FL Tusting 1m37.108s (81.06mph). P Grant. S 17. 1 Grant; 2 Wainwright +0.338s; 3 Tilley; 4 Bartell; 5 Tusting; 6 Simms. FL Tilley 1m34.648s (83.17mph). P Grant. S26. 1 Oli Smith; 2 Nick Pancisi (Elden Mk8) +19.356s; 3 Dick Dixon (Lotus 61); 4 John Slack (Lola T200); 5 Michael Wales (Merlyn MK20A); 6 Gary Mcveigh (Merlyn MK11A). FL Pancisi 1m39.784s (78.89mph). P Smith. S 11.

1 Julian Barter (Lotus Elan S4); 2 Charles Barter (Datsun 240Z) +4.281s; 3 Will Leverett (Porsche 911SC); 4 Mark Leverett (Lotus Elan); 5 John Williams (Porsche 911SC); 6 Mark Bennett (MGB GT V8). CW C Barter; Bennett; Chris Fisher (MG Arkley); Jon Wagstaff (Alfa Romeo GTV). Invitation Tim Hayes (Alfasud Sprint). FL J Barter 1m45.725s (74.46mph). P J Barter. S 20.

1 C Barter; 2 J Barter +0.795s; 3 W Leverett; 4 M Leverett; 5 Williams; 6 Bennett. CW J Barter; Bennett; Fisher; Wagstaff. Inv Hayes. FL J Barter 1m44.310s (75.47mph). P J Barter. S 18.

1 Stuart Roach (Alexis Mk2); 2 Mark Woodhouse (Elva 100) +23.046s; 3 Mike Walker (Bond); 4 Ian Phillips (BMC Mk1); 5 John Arnold (Elva 100); 6 Keith Roach (Condor SII). CW Martin Sheppard (Stanguellini). Inv Ian Robinson (Lola Mk2). FL S Roach 1m43.396s (76.13mph). P S Roach. S 15. 1 Roach; 2 Woodhouse +1.408s; 3 Walker; 4 Arnold; 5 Mike Fowler (Gemini Mk2); 6 Phillips. CW Graham Barron (Gemini Mk2); Tony Pearson (Bandini). FL S Roach 1m44.129s (75.60mph). P S Roach. S 12.

1 Stuart Roach (Condor SIII); 2 Alex Morton (Lightning Envoyette) +9.161s; 3 James Hicks (Caravelle Mk3); 4 Jonathan Fyda (U2 Mk3); 5 Peter Anstiss (Lotus 20/22); 6 Peter de la Roche (BMC Mk2). CW Hicks; de la Roche; Crispian Besley (Cooper T56); Simon Durling (Lotus 18). FL Roach 1m42.248s (76.99mph). P Roach. S 13. 1 John Sykes (Merlyn Mk5/7); 2 Hicks +2.378s; 3 Fyda; 4 Anstiss; 5 de la Roche; 6 Chris Alford (Elva 200). CW Hicks; de la Roche; Alford. FL Sykes 1m42.397s (76.88mph). P Roach. S 11.

1 Jon Milicevic (Brabham BT21B); 2 Peter Thompson (Brabham BT21) +2.610s; 3 Simon Armer (March 703); 4 Ewen Sergison (Brabham BT21); 5 Jim Blockley (Chevron B17); 6 Jon Waggitt (Lotus 31). FL Sergison 1m35.448s (82.47mph). P Milicevic. S 14.

1 Milicevic; 2 Sergison +1.218s; 3 Armer; 4 Blockley; 5 Marcus Mussa (Tecno 69); 6 Mark Linstone (Brabham BT21). FL Armer 1m34.367s (83.42mph). P Sergison. S 13. 2 Andrew Storer (Reynard SF79) +2.257s; 3 Colin Wright (Reynard SF79); 4 Graham Ridgway (Reynard SF78); 5 Mick Whitehead (Reynard SF79); Eric Bailey (Royale RP27). CW Antony Raine (Merlyn Mk28). FL Park 1m30.271s (87.20mph) Record. P Park. S 14.

1 Park; 2 Wright +29.087s; 3 Ridgway; 4 Whitehead; 5 Glasswell; Tom White (Osella FAF). CW White. FL Park 1m30.647s (86.84mph). P Park. S 14.

1 John Avill (Ford Lotus Cortina); 2 Graham Pattle (Ford Lotus Cortina) +0.451s; 3 Simon Benoy (Hillman Imp); 4 Tim Harber (Austin Cooper S); 5 Peter Hore (Ford Lotus Cortina); 5 James Claridge (Ford Anglia 105E); 6 Roger Godfrey (Austin Cooper S). CW Benoy; Harber; Claridge; Richard Cross (Triumph 2000); Tim Bishop (DKW 3-6). FL Pattle 1m47.979s (72.90mph). P Avill. S 15.

1 Avill; 2 Benoy +1.211s; 3 Bob Bullen (Ford Anglia 105E); 4 Harber; 5 Hore; 6 Mark Watts (Ford Mustang). CW Benoy; Bullen; Harber; Watts; Cross; Bishop. FL Pattle 1m47.932s (72.93mph). P Avill. S 15.

1 Peter Shaw (Lotus Elan S1); 2 Kevin Kivlochan (Morgan +8) +5.928s; 3 David Boland (Ginetta G4); 4 Simon Haughton (Lotus 7); 5 Robert Rowe (Lotus Elan S3); 6 Dick Coffey (Turner Mk1). CW Kivlochan; Coffey; James Owen (Triumph TR5); Mike Foley (Sunbeam Alpine). FL Shaw 1m43.801s (75.84mph). P Shaw. S 15. 1 Kivlochan; 2 Boland +8.245s; 3 Rowe; 4 Coffey; 5 Johan Denekamp (Marcos 1800GT); 6 Owen. CW Boland; Coffey; Owen; Chris Reece (MGB). FL Kivlochan 1m45.587s (74.36mph). P Shaw. S 15.

1 Mark Charteris (Mallock Mk20/21); 2 Spencer Mccarthy (Mallock MK20B) +13.223s; 3 Peter Belsey (Haggispeed Mk10); 4 Steve Chaplin (Phantom P79); 5 Alan Cook (Mallock Mk20); 6 Robert Manson (Mallock Mk21). CW Barry Webb (Delapena Mallock MK16BW). FL Charteris 1m24.823s (92.80mph) Record. P Charteris. S 11. 1 Charteris; 2 Cook +1m28.790s; 3 Manson; 4 Chaplin; 5 Webb; 6 Adam Wheeler (Mallock Mk16). CW Webb. FL Charteris 1m24.774s (92.86mph) Record. P Charteris. S 11.

1 Ian Pearson (Van Diemen RF83/82); 2 Andrew Lancaster (Pilbeam MP52) +40.609s; 3 Andy Jarvis (Palliser WDB2); 4 Chris Levy (Van Diemen RF83/82); 5 Brian Cullen (Crossle 19F); 6 Julian Stokes (Tecno 70). CW Jarvis; Cullen; Glenn Eagling (Ensign LNF3); Peter Hamilton (Alexis Mk15). FL Pearson 1m29.842s (87.62mph). P Pearson. S 18. 1 Pearson; 2 Jarvis +15.610s; 3 Lancaster; 4 Levy; 5 Stokes; 6 Dale Spruce (Reynard SF79). CW Jarvis; Stokes; Spruce; Eagling. FL Pearson 1m31.155s (86.36mph). P Pearson. S 13.

1 Jackson; 2 Wray +1.06s; 3 Mellor; 4 Baker; 5 Phil Walker (ZR); 6 Williams. CW Baker; Baynam. FL Wray 1m24/756s (84.06mph). P Mellor. S 19.

1 Stoney; 2 Mcnab +0.927s; 3 Bell; 4 Dalgleish; 5 John Duncan; 6 K.reid. FL Wheatley 1m27.401s (81.51mph). P Dalgleish. S 27.