HUGHES AND BURT HAVE MIXED FORTUNES AT THE HAYES
Walter Hayes Trophy’s star turns have varying fortunes in their historic Formula Ford machines
Kelvin Burt and Warren Hughes had mixed fortunes as the star attractions returning to Formula Ford competition at the end-of-year Walter Hayes Trophy 10 days ago.
After Roberto Moreno raced
Jonathan Lewis’s Van Diemen RF80 at the Formula Ford Festival, British Formula 3 champion Burt took over for Silverstone a week on. And Burt was joined by fellow former Lewis Formula Ford racer Hughes who at Silverstone drove Lewis’s Royale RP26 formerly raced by Kenny Acheson, who attended the event on Saturday.
After overall event qualifying Burt and Hughes concentrated on the Pre-’82 Carl Hamer Trophy. Burt then only completed two pre-final laps after sustaining damage while Hughes finished fifth in the final.
Burt told Motorsport News:
“We’re just too slow in a straight line. There’s all kinds of people driving past me on the straight who then can’t drive the corners, literally.
“It’s a pity, you can see how nicely the car’s prepared. We need to go and find us a better engine and maybe come back next time.
“I went into Brooklands threeabreast, a car spun in front of us and I couldn’t really go left or right. I bent the radiator and it was quite a whack. I thought it’s not worth cooking the engine so I brought it in. [Jonathan’s] the same person, full of craic, that bit’s been good fun.”
Hughes told MN: “I thought the event was mega, that race [the final] was the most fun I’ve had in ages, racing with Rick Morris having a dice all the way through.
“The car didn’t turn a wheel before Wednesday. The team have done a beautiful job.”