Macpherson/svensson disagree over clash

Michael Macpherson has branded the decision to overturn John Svensson’s exclusion from Croft’s opening National Formula Ford race on appeal as a “joke”, following a collision between the pair.

Clubman class points leader Svensson and Kevin Mills Racing’s Macpherson clashed at the hairpin on the first lap of Croft’s opening National FF1600 race. Macpherson retired with suspension damage while Svensson continued to finish 10th and take class victory. Svensson was initially disqualified for his part in the collision but, after an appeal, it was instead declared a racing incident and Svensson was reinstated.

“That was a bit of a joke to be honest – it’s just politics, that was,” said Macpherson about the reinstatement of Svensson, who runs his own eponymous John’s Racing Team.

Svensson admitted he considered quitting racing upon his initial disqualification. “If we cannot overtake the guy in front of us why should we race?” he said. “We maybe qualify and then say ‘OK, you have the trophy for the winner’ and that’s it. So if I don’t enjoy that,

I stop racing, it’s as simple as that.

“It was my first exclusion since 1994 when I started racing in Formula Ford. So it was bad news for me and everyone convinced me to make an appeal.

“For me it was a racing accident, I just see a gap and I want to overtake the guy in front of me. I did not take any silly risk, I did not lock up and I could take the apex in the right place, and then he drove into me.

“He left the door completely open; maybe I came from a long way [back] but it was in total control. If I make a mistake I can accept it and go and say sorry, but there was no mistake at all.”