WILLIAMS WINS TITLE AND SHOOTOUT SPACE
At 25 years old, Luke Williams knew this was the final season where he would be eligible to compete in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout for a possible $200,000. He needed to win the National Formula Ford 1600 title and, come the chequered flag of race one, he duly delivered.
Luke Cooper won the opener well ahead of guest entry Joey Foster, who was battling with champion-to-be Williams. Poleman Cooper launched his Swift well and maintained the lead for a lights-to-flag win. Jamie Thorburn finished an impressive fourth, just clear of the four-car battle for fifth, with fellow Ray driver Ross Martin eventually prevailing over Josh Smith. Williams’ nearest championship rival Neil Maclennan climbed from 10th on the grid but only to seventh – that was enough for Firman runner Williams to take the title.
Foster took his Ray one better in race two. Although it was Williams who made the faster start in rainy conditions, poleman Cooper shut the door on the champion into Turn 1, allowing Foster to take the faster wet line around the outside and into the lead. The treacherous final corner claimed all of Williams, James Roe Jr, Matt RoundGarrido and Michael Eastwell, and with Cooper running wide on the entry to Rocket, Smith finished up in second. Cooper eventually crossed the line for third ahead of Keith Donegan. The latter also took the race’s fastest lap as receipt of his electric pace climbing from ninth spot at the start.
Smith capped off the final race of the National season and his strong weekend showing with a win ahead of Foster and Jake Byrne who, having been drawn fourth for the final grid, rocketed off the start to lead the field into Turn 1. Maclennan put an end to two months of politics and poor results to finish a very respectable fourth, confirming second in the standings ahead of Cooper. On track Jamie Thorburn rounded out the top five – he ran as high as second, despite colliding with Donegan in the early stages.
In the first of his five appearances over the weekend, Smith’s reoccurring electrical fault struck as the polesitter exited The Banking in the lead of the Northern Formula Ford opener. He stopped and promoted Medina Sport driver Round-garrido into first. The subsequent safety car allowed a restarting Smith to close on the pack while Round-garrido fought off points leader Luciano Carvalho. As the conditions dampened Carvalho was the faster driver and took the lead on the exit of Church. But a loss of brake pressure through the Corkscrew complex sent his Van Diemen spearing into the barriers. Round-garrido took the spoils ahead of Smith’s stunning recovery to second. In the second race Round-garrido squeezed Smith off the track at the start and into a spin. But the Firman runner rejoined and a string of untouchable laptimes helped promote him from fifth to second before Round- Garrido was slapped with a drivethrough penalty. From there Smith took a deserved victory to consolidate his newly found series lead. Round-garrido was second from Rory Smith and a recovering Carvalho – trying to mend his title charge. Both lots of Pre 90 honours went to Jaap Blijleven as he continued to dominate the class in his Reynard.
Marcus Clutton’s blistering early pace for Despatchbay.com returned the early Fun Cup lead. But overzealous passing of lapped traffic put Clutton onto the grass and ripped off his car’s splitter. As he pitted for a replacement JPR Uvio took the three-hour day race lead until being handed a stop-go penalty for overtaking during one of five safety car periods.
The reprimand dropped them to second behind eventual racewinners Track Torque 2Rent Dominos.
The night race told a similar story. Clutton was untouchable from the off, climbing from seventh on the grid to third on the opening lap. By the time he handed over to Andy Bicknell, Despatchbay.com were well in the lead. But the metronomic pace of Henry Dawes and Chris Hart combined with an aggressive fuel strategy meant the Track Torque 2Rent Dominos drivers took the chequered flag first. JPR Uvio took third to move into the championship lead.
Polesitter Michael Heath won a processional XR Challenge opener, bringing his Fiesta XR2 home ahead of second-starting Mark Robinson. Ford Escort XR3I driver Michael Blackburn claimed the final podium position. Blackburn won both race two and three from Heath and Robinson, then Robinson and Steve Poole’s XR2 in the final counter.
Intermarque (18 laps) 1 Malcolm Blackman (Vauxhall Tigra); 2 Lewis Smith (Vauxhall Tigra) +4.017s; 3 Chris Brockhurst (Vauxhall Tigra); 4 Ian Hales (Vauxhall Tigra); 5 Mike Thurley (Vauxhall Tigra); 6 Steve Burrows (Peugeot 206CC). Class winners Fabio Luffarelli (VW Corrado); Volker Timm (Audi TT). Fastest lap Blackman 49.090s (88.58mph). Pole Smith. Starters 22. Race 2 (18 laps) 1 Blackman; 2 Brockhurst +3.927s; 3 Smith; 4 Burrows; 5 Keith White (BMW Z4); 6 Thurley. CW Timm. FL Blackman 49.423s (87.98mph). P Joe Russell (Audi TT). S 20. Hyundai Coupe Cup (16 laps) 1 Steve Kite; 2 Alex Cursley +2.413s; 3 Wayne Rockett; 4 William Taylforth; 5 Jon Winter; 6 Geri Nicosia. FL Kite 58.694s (74.08mph). P Kite. S 20. Race 2 (14 laps) 1 Kite; 2 Taylforth +2.203s; 3 Rockett; 4 Cursley; 5 Eddie O Kane; 6 James Goodwin. FL Kite 58.673s (74.11mph). P Kite. S 20.
Tin Tops (17 laps) 1 Daniel Fisher (Honda Civic Type R); 2 Rod Birley (Honda Integra) +3.378s; 3 Rob Hosier (SEAT Leon); 4 James Ross (Vauxhall Astra VXR); 5 Ken Angell (BMW 328i); 6 David Hutchins (Honda Civic). CW Hosier; Ryan Brimsted (Peugeot 106 GTI); Gideon September (Ford Puma). FL Fisher 54.872s (79.24mph). P Fisher. S 22. Race 2
(14 laps) 1 Fisher; 2 Birley +0.46s; 3 Hosier; 4 Ross; 5 Angell; 6 Hutchins. CW Hosier; Steve Everson (Citroen Saxo); September. FL Birley 54.720s (79.46mph). P Fisher. S 21. Junior Saloons (17 laps) 1 Will Dyrdal; 2 Ethan Hammerton +5.658s; 3 Sam Kirkpatrick; 4 Lucas Nannetti; 5 George Smith; 6 Liam Thompson. FL Dyrdal 58.658s (73.75mph). P Dyrdal. S 13.
Race 2 (17 laps) 1 Dyrdal; 2 Hammerton +5.270s; 3 Kirkpatrick; 4 Nannetti; 5 Smith; 6 Thompson. FL Dyrdal 59.037s (73.65mph). P Dyrdal. S 13.
Michelin Clio Cup (17 laps) 1 Ben Palmer; 2 Anton Spires +0.277s; 3 Tyler Lidsey; 4 Simon Freeman; 5 Ben Colburn; 6 Jon Billingsley. CW Sean Thomas. FL Palmer 53.797s (80.83mph). P Spires. S 13. Race 2 (16 laps) 1 Spires; 2 Palmer +0.598s; 3 Freeman; 4 Lidsey; 5 Colburn; 6 Billingsley. CW Nic Harrison. FL Palmer 53.478s (81.31mph). P Spires. S 13. Renault UK Clio Cup Junior (21 laps)
1 Max Marzorati; 2 Gustav Burton +0.702s; 3 Lorcan Hanafin; 4 Jack Young; 5 Ethan Hammerton; 6 Connor Grady. FL Hanafin 57.046s (76.22mph). P Hanafin. S 8. Race 2 (21 laps) 1 Hanafin; 2 Burton +4.282s; 3 Hammerton; 4 Young; 5 Harry Gooding; 6 Louis Doyle. FL Hanafin 57.191s (76.03mph). P Hanafin. S 8.
Modified Saloons (17 laps) 1 Rod Birley (Ford Escort); 2 Malcolm Wise (Ford Escort Cosworth) +3.873s; 3 Andy Banham (Subaru Impreza); 4 Tony Skelton (Renault Clio); 5 David Cowan (BMW M3); 6 Riku Garner (Renault Clio). CW Skelton; Cowan; Garner; Sean Fairweather (Ford Sierra); Robert Hosier (SEAT Leon). FL Birley 52.190s (83.32mph). P Birley. S 20. Race 2 (14 laps) 1 Birley; 2 Banham +0.635s; 3 Wise; 4 Cowan; 5 Garner; 6 Mark Cripps (BMW E30 325). CW Cowan; Garner; Hosier; Skelton; Fairweather. FL Skelton 52.046s (83.55mph). P Birley. S 17. Mazda Max5s (14 laps) 1 Paul Roddison (Mk4); 2 Jon Halliwell (Mk4) +0.255s; 3 Jeremy Shipley (Mk4); 4 Matthew Tidmarsh (Mk3); 5 Andrew Pretorius (Mk3); 6 Adrian Baker (Mk3). CW Tidmarsh; Nicholas Bailey (Mk1). FL Halliwell 55.994s (77.66mph). P Roddison. S 17. Race 2 (22 laps) 1 Halliwell; 2 Roddison +0.363s; 3 Ian Loversidge (Mk4); 4 Shipley; 5 Tidmarsh; 6 Lee Hollin (Mk3). CW Tidmarsh; Daniel Grist (Mk1). FL Roddison 55.732s (78.02mph). P Roddison. S 16.