FAIRHURST SIGNS OFF IN FINE STYLE
Organiser: Incarace When: November 18 Where: Birmingham Wheels Starters: 73.
The BRISCA F1 under 25s championship is the highlight of the season-ending Gala meeting at Birmingham Wheels. The event, now in its 12th year, was the brainchild of former BRISCA F2 racer Dave Leonard, who passed away just over a year ago.
Austin Moore grabbed the early lead, which he held until Alex Wass barged to the front on lap three. Further back, Lee Fairhurst and Michael Stewart engaged in a fierce battle until Fairhurst broke free and began to close in on the leader. As the race entered the closing stages Fairhurst eased his way past Wass to claim his second Under 25s title. The first one came in 2013.
“It’s a race I really wanted to win. Dave Leonard was a great friend of my family,” said Fairhurst. “It’s my last time in this event [due to his age] so I wanted to mark it with a win. The car felt good from the start, but I was helped by a yellow flag early in the race that bunched up the field. After the restart, I just tried to keep it smooth and constant but Wass was hard to catch, he drove a great race.”
Wass said he was disappointed, although satisfied to finish on the podium after a tough season. He said: “It was a hard race. I saw Fairhurst closing in on me, I tried to hold him off but he had just a bit too much for me.”
Ashley England completed the podium places driving a car borrowed from Frankie Wainman Jr.
Defending champion Ant WhortonEales brought his car home in fourth, despite an early-race incident. “I got pushed into a parked car, but I just floored it and got through it,” said the British Touring Car Championship regular. “It bent the front bumper a bit. I have learned that the slower you drive these cars the quicker you seem to go.”