Formula Ford Festival & TCR UK Brands Hatch 21st & 22nd October 2023
Formula Ford Festival - SMITH SNATCHES HIS SECOND AFTER MURRAY HEARTBREAK
The 52nd running of the prestigious Formula Ford Festival since it began in 1972 took place at Brands Hatch over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of October and was the 48th to run at the Kent circuit.
Heat One: A number of heavy hitters were in action in the first heat. Former National champions Niall Murray, a twice Festival winner too, and Chris Middlehurst were joined by the top two contenders from the Castle Combe championship, Felix Fisher and Luke Cooper. Team America scholar Jack Sullivan and his Canadian counterpart Logan Pacza were out in their Rays, whilst Samuel Harrison, the teenaged sensation in historic racing, got to try his hand in modern machinery aboard Joey Foster’s Firman. Jason Smyth, son of 2010 Kent Festival winner Neville, lined up with another Ray and quick Northerner David McArthur aimed to emulate brother Tom’s strong performances. Castle Combe championship runner-up Luke Cooper topped the red flag interrupted qualifying session held in miserable conditions with a late lap, 2021 National champion Chris Middlehurst splashed round 0.272 seconds slower to join the Swift SC20 on the front row and had sat at the top of the times for much of the session. Luke Cooper’s great start propelled him into a lead he wouldn’t lose throughout the twelve laps despite late pressure from Chris Middlehurst. Niall Murray came home third from Jack Sullivan, who headed a fierce tussle for a top-five finish in fourth ahead of Logan Pazca, Jason Smyth, Samuel Harrison and David McArthur in eighth. Cooper’s fellow Combe competitor Felix Fisher didn’t fare so well and retired just after mid-distance with a deflated tyre after the car in front of him missed a gear and left the Ray with nowhere to go. The Castle Combe champion had been running in the battle for the top eight places at the time and would have to go from the back of his Semi-Final.
Heat Two: 2022 National title holder Jordan Dempsey and his successor Jordan Kelly were both drawn in the second heat. A fleet of Ammonite Rays were also to be found in the second heat, including the second Team America scholarship member Ayrton Houk plus compatriots Nolan Allaer and Hugh Esterson, the older brother of 2022 Festival victor Max. 2020 Festival final winner Rory Smith’s B-M Medina aimed to start his journey to the final with a top result in this heat. 16-year-old American Isaac Canto da Silva made his car racing debut driving a Van Diemen for the crack Team Dolan outfit and former Champion of Brands Andy Charsley rolled back the years in a Reynard 89FF. Ammonite’s Nolan Allaer came through the drizzle to set pole for the second heat by 0.457 seconds from 2023 National champion Jordan Kelly, who leapt up the order in the dying moments. Poleman Allaer retained the lead into Paddock Hill Bend away from the start, whilst Jordan Dempsey leapt ahead of Jordan Kelly - who ran wide at Druids and brought Rory Smith onto Dempsey’s tail. Ayrton Houk was also with them and tried a daring move around the outside of both at Paddock Hill Bend which didn't quite come off. Their fighting allowed Allaer to move clear out front but his break was nullified by Oliver Chapman running straight on into the Druids gravel trap to bring out the red flag. The restart would be held over the full twelve laps from the original grid order. Allaer led again off the line, whilst Kelly skated wide out of second at Clearways and gifted the leading Ray a decent margin at the head of the field. Rory Smith passed Kelly as he explored the outer reaches of the circuit and set about catching the American, the 2020 final winner's Medina was with the Ray by half-distance. Smith made a couple of attempts at Druids but Allaer defended stoutly until a grassy moment for the leader in traffic ironically gifted him a bigger lead, so the Ray took the flag by 1.769 seconds from Smith and Ayrton Houk. National champion Kelly was making good progress back from his Clearways moment but repeated the error on lap nine and fell from fourth back to seventh.
Heat Three: Arguably the strongest of the three heats contained 2021 Festival victor Jamie Sharp, who was hoping for an easier run to the final aboard his B-M Medina after coming through the Progression race in 2022, whilst 2015 National champion Jonny McMullan formed the third axis of a strong trio of B-M Medina entries. American F1600 champion Porter Aiken lined up in one of Oldfield Motorsport’s Van Diemens and another American with high hopes was Jeremy Fairbairn in a Ray. Team Canada junior Alex Berg, the son of 1980s Osella F1 driver Allan, was also drawn in the third heat. 2022 United FF champion Morgan Quinn and Brandon McCaughan in the second Oldfield Motorsport Van Diemen were another pair hoping to feature strongly. Veteran Rick Morris, racing at yet another Festival, also contested this heat with his Royale RP29. The rain continued to fall as Jamie Sharp set the quickest time either side of a red flag and topped the session by 0.415 seconds, Jeremy Fairbairn vaulted up to second in the closing stages. Disaster struck for McMullan as he failed to get away from the second row with a driveline failure, his B-M teammate Jamie Sharp jumped into an immediate 0.671-second lead by the end of lap one from Fairbairn's Ray but the Safety Car was deployed and then the red flag flew for McMullan’s stranded car. The restart would be from the original grid with the full quota of twelve laps. Sharp was away well again and steadily pulled away to a 1.759-second victory. Morgan Quinn sprung into third from fifth off the line and quickly began pressing Fairbairn for second. There was contact between the two up the hill towards Druids for the third time when Fairbairn jinked across to defend, which folded the nose of Quinn’s Van Diemen over his head and sent him pitward with seriously impaired vision. Brandon McCaughan moved up to challenge the second-placed Ray and got ahead up the inside into Druids on lap six, Fairbairn couldn’t be shaken off though and returned the favour at Druids two laps later. Not all was well with McCaughan’s Van Diemen, which was carrying an out-of-line rear wheel that pitched him off at Paddock Hill Bend for the ninth time and caused an early conclusion to the heat. Privateer Tom Nippers was a very creditable third in his self-run car from Alex Berg's Team Canada Ray, who survived an opening lap brush with Porter Aiken which sent the American's Van Diemen spinning.
The 52nd running of the prestigious Formula Ford Festival since it began in 1972 took place at Brands Hatch over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of October and was the 48th to run at the Kent circuit.
Heat One: A number of heavy hitters were in action in the first heat. Former National champions Niall Murray, a twice Festival winner too, and Chris Middlehurst were joined by the top two contenders from the Castle Combe championship, Felix Fisher and Luke Cooper. Team America scholar Jack Sullivan and his Canadian counterpart Logan Pacza were out in their Rays, whilst Samuel Harrison, the teenaged sensation in historic racing, got to try his hand in modern machinery aboard Joey Foster’s Firman. Jason Smyth, son of 2010 Kent Festival winner Neville, lined up with another Ray and quick Northerner David McArthur aimed to emulate brother Tom’s strong performances. Castle Combe championship runner-up Luke Cooper topped the red flag interrupted qualifying session held in miserable conditions with a late lap, 2021 National champion Chris Middlehurst splashed round 0.272 seconds slower to join the Swift SC20 on the front row and had sat at the top of the times for much of the session. Luke Cooper’s great start propelled him into a lead he wouldn’t lose throughout the twelve laps despite late pressure from Chris Middlehurst. Niall Murray came home third from Jack Sullivan, who headed a fierce tussle for a top-five finish in fourth ahead of Logan Pazca, Jason Smyth, Samuel Harrison and David McArthur in eighth. Cooper’s fellow Combe competitor Felix Fisher didn’t fare so well and retired just after mid-distance with a deflated tyre after the car in front of him missed a gear and left the Ray with nowhere to go. The Castle Combe champion had been running in the battle for the top eight places at the time and would have to go from the back of his Semi-Final.
Heat Two: 2022 National title holder Jordan Dempsey and his successor Jordan Kelly were both drawn in the second heat. A fleet of Ammonite Rays were also to be found in the second heat, including the second Team America scholarship member Ayrton Houk plus compatriots Nolan Allaer and Hugh Esterson, the older brother of 2022 Festival victor Max. 2020 Festival final winner Rory Smith’s B-M Medina aimed to start his journey to the final with a top result in this heat. 16-year-old American Isaac Canto da Silva made his car racing debut driving a Van Diemen for the crack Team Dolan outfit and former Champion of Brands Andy Charsley rolled back the years in a Reynard 89FF. Ammonite’s Nolan Allaer came through the drizzle to set pole for the second heat by 0.457 seconds from 2023 National champion Jordan Kelly, who leapt up the order in the dying moments. Poleman Allaer retained the lead into Paddock Hill Bend away from the start, whilst Jordan Dempsey leapt ahead of Jordan Kelly - who ran wide at Druids and brought Rory Smith onto Dempsey’s tail. Ayrton Houk was also with them and tried a daring move around the outside of both at Paddock Hill Bend which didn't quite come off. Their fighting allowed Allaer to move clear out front but his break was nullified by Oliver Chapman running straight on into the Druids gravel trap to bring out the red flag. The restart would be held over the full twelve laps from the original grid order. Allaer led again off the line, whilst Kelly skated wide out of second at Clearways and gifted the leading Ray a decent margin at the head of the field. Rory Smith passed Kelly as he explored the outer reaches of the circuit and set about catching the American, the 2020 final winner's Medina was with the Ray by half-distance. Smith made a couple of attempts at Druids but Allaer defended stoutly until a grassy moment for the leader in traffic ironically gifted him a bigger lead, so the Ray took the flag by 1.769 seconds from Smith and Ayrton Houk. National champion Kelly was making good progress back from his Clearways moment but repeated the error on lap nine and fell from fourth back to seventh.
Heat Three: Arguably the strongest of the three heats contained 2021 Festival victor Jamie Sharp, who was hoping for an easier run to the final aboard his B-M Medina after coming through the Progression race in 2022, whilst 2015 National champion Jonny McMullan formed the third axis of a strong trio of B-M Medina entries. American F1600 champion Porter Aiken lined up in one of Oldfield Motorsport’s Van Diemens and another American with high hopes was Jeremy Fairbairn in a Ray. Team Canada junior Alex Berg, the son of 1980s Osella F1 driver Allan, was also drawn in the third heat. 2022 United FF champion Morgan Quinn and Brandon McCaughan in the second Oldfield Motorsport Van Diemen were another pair hoping to feature strongly. Veteran Rick Morris, racing at yet another Festival, also contested this heat with his Royale RP29. The rain continued to fall as Jamie Sharp set the quickest time either side of a red flag and topped the session by 0.415 seconds, Jeremy Fairbairn vaulted up to second in the closing stages. Disaster struck for McMullan as he failed to get away from the second row with a driveline failure, his B-M teammate Jamie Sharp jumped into an immediate 0.671-second lead by the end of lap one from Fairbairn's Ray but the Safety Car was deployed and then the red flag flew for McMullan’s stranded car. The restart would be from the original grid with the full quota of twelve laps. Sharp was away well again and steadily pulled away to a 1.759-second victory. Morgan Quinn sprung into third from fifth off the line and quickly began pressing Fairbairn for second. There was contact between the two up the hill towards Druids for the third time when Fairbairn jinked across to defend, which folded the nose of Quinn’s Van Diemen over his head and sent him pitward with seriously impaired vision. Brandon McCaughan moved up to challenge the second-placed Ray and got ahead up the inside into Druids on lap six, Fairbairn couldn’t be shaken off though and returned the favour at Druids two laps later. Not all was well with McCaughan’s Van Diemen, which was carrying an out-of-line rear wheel that pitched him off at Paddock Hill Bend for the ninth time and caused an early conclusion to the heat. Privateer Tom Nippers was a very creditable third in his self-run car from Alex Berg's Team Canada Ray, who survived an opening lap brush with Porter Aiken which sent the American's Van Diemen spinning.
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Semi-Final One: The two fourteen-lap Semi-Finals would qualify the top twelve finishers from each for the Grand Final. The fastest heat winner would start from pole position in the opening Semi, with the third fastest heat winner starting alongside. Heat Two was completed in the fastest time, which placed the Ammonite Ray of Nolan Allaer on pole position and he would have the B-M Medina of Jamie Sharp alongside. Chris Middlehurst's Van Diemen and Team America's Ayrton Houk lined up on the second row, with privateer Tom Nippers and the second Team America driver Jack Sullivan on the third row. After their woes on Saturday, Brandon McCaughan and Morgan Quinn were both on the back couple of rows with a lot of work to do to reach the final automatically. Sharp launched into the lead from the outside of the front row to head Allaer, who was under siege from Middlehurst throughout the opening lap. Henry Chart spun his Van Diemen RF81 at Paddock Hill Bend starting lap two and just after he rejoined, Bob Hawkins jinked left in battle with Adam Fathers and the Ray clattered into the barriers. With the airbags scattered, the red flags flew. Heat non-finishers McCaughan and Quinn were charging through the field but would be sent to the back of the grid again. The restart was delayed after the engine died in Vincent Jay's Ray on the grid, forcing another formation lap and the race distance to be reduced to twelve laps. This time poleman Allaer didn’t move at the green flag after his engine also stopped and he didn't get going until the whole field had passed. The American drove through the field to take up his pole position, which meant that he was likely to be penalised ten seconds for an out-of-position start. The start became farcical when Jay’s engine stopped again and the Ray was pushed off the grid. The start was delayed once more and Tom Nipper’s Van Diemen on the third row also lost its engine. The grid was given two green flag laps in an attempt to allow cars to warm up fully after the engine issues on the cold morning. The race distance was further brought down to nine laps and Allaer’s possible penalty was negated with another new start. The Ammonite Ray maintained the lead from pole into Paddock Hill Bend but Sharp ended lap one in the lead after getting ahead up at Druids, Middlehurst looked strong too and was running with the two of them in third. Privateer Nippers sat in an early fourth but had company in the form of the two Team America Rays until Houk bounced through the Clark Curve gravel and lost a lot of ground at the end of lap one. Further back, Henry Sandblom had been pitched into the barriers on the Cooper Straight and was stranded. As the field came round on the second lap, Hugh Esterson and Jason Smyth clashed at Graham Hill Bend under yellows whilst fighting over sixth with Kelly. Esterson was sent spinning but was able to continue at the back of the field. Soon after, the Safety Car was deployed to remove Sandblom's Van Diemen. Back of the grid starters McCaughan and Quinn had made strong progress into the midfield at the time, with the Oldfield Van Diemen up to thirteenth and the Team Dolan car in fifteenth. The Safety Car came in with four laps remaining at the start of lap six. Leader Sharp made a break straight away but the fight for second came to a head when a brush of wheels with Middlehurst sent Allaer's Ray into a spin at Druids. The Team Dolan Van Diemen took up second place but had Nippers, Sullivan and Kelly snapping at his heels, whilst Allaer sank into the lower reaches of the top twenty. Sharp was left home free to claim his place on the front row of the final by 0.871 seconds from Middlehurst, who had broken clear at the flag from the Kelly, Nippers, Sullivan and David McArthur tussle for the top six places. McCaughan drove very well to ascend all the way to seventh from starting 26th and Quinn also made it through to the final in eleventh behind Henry Chart's historic Van Diemen, Smyth and Houk, who had recovered well from his opening lap misdemeanour. Sam Street's SC92 Swift was the last car to automatically qualify in twelfth after winning a drag race to the line with Rick Morris, whilst Ammonite teammates Allaer and Esterson would have to come through the Last Chance race after crossing the line in fourteenth and nineteenth places respectively.
Semi-Final Two: The second Semi-Final grid would be formed with the second fastest heat winner on pole, with the second place finisher from the fastest heat alongside. Heat One winner Luke Cooper sat on pole position with 2020 final winner Rory Smith starting beside the Swift. Former National champions Niall Murray and Jordan Dempsey shared row two, whilst the two Team Canada Rays of Alex Berg and Logan Pacza completed the top six. Jeremy Fairbairn was penalised five grid spots for his contact with Morgan Quinn in the third heat so lined up in eighth and shared the fourth row with Charlie Mann. Two drivers with work to do could be found towards the back of the field in 26th and 27th after issues in their heats, Felix Fisher and Jonny McMullan both needing to finish in the first twelve to reach the Grand Final directly. Smith outdragged Cooper to Paddock Hill with a great start, whilst Murray further demoted Cooper around the outside of Druids to end lap one in second and virtually pushed Smith over the line heading on to lap two. The next wave was headed by 2022 National champion Dempsey, Canadian Alex Berg and Fairbairn. The American's Ray had just displaced the similar car of Berg for fifth when the Safety Car was required on lap three, with Sigbjørn Mæhlem's stationary Ray the cause after contact with Andy Charsley's Reynard at Druids. The two fighting through from the back end of the grid had made solid progress during the opening couple of laps, Fisher and McMullan were line astern in sixteenth and seventeenth at the time. A lengthy suspension saw the Safety Car come in at the start of lap eight, Smith seemed to catch Murray napping and immediately opened a gap to the Irishman and Cooper. Murray, having set the fastest lap, and Cooper suddenly caught Smith and on lap twelve Smith was forced to defend strongly from Murray at Druids. This allowed Cooper to almost drive around the outside of both but the Wiltshireman ran out of room at the exit. The Swift remained alongside Murray down the hill though and they stayed that way to Surtees, where Murray held onto second. The top three remained close for the remainder of the race as Smith took pole position for the Grand Final by sealing victory from Murray and Cooper, with the trio covered by less than half a second when they took the flag. Dempsey just pipped Fairbairn by 0.048 seconds for fourth place, whilst Team Canada junior Pacza headed his countryman Berg home in a four-car train that also included Porter Aiken and Charlie Mann. McMullan got ahead of Fisher on the restart lap and made strong progress to make it through in tenth but Fisher just missed out in thirteenth after a large gap had appeared at the restart mid-pack and left the Ray with too much to do. Fisher would start the last chance race from the front row. Samuel Harrison had been going well but lost pace just after deposing Berg from sixth on lap ten so slipped back to the last qualifying spot in twelfth aboard the Firman, following home Castle Combe regular Tom Hawkins.
Last Chance Race: The thirteenth-placed and lower finishers from the Semi-Finals would form the field for the eight-lapper, with the top six finishers going into the Grand Final and would fill grid positions 25 to 30. Felix Fisher got a second chance to progress to the final and lined up on pole alongside septuagenarian Rick Morris' Royale. Nolan Allaer was well placed on the second row in his Ammonite Ray and started alongside Donal Downey's similar car, the third row contained Richard Higgins and Ben Miloudi's Van Diemens and they hoped to retain their places inside the top six to progress into the Grand Final. Fisher led the early laps before Allaer caught the Castle Combe champion and grabbed the lead at Clearways for the fifth time. Allaer couldn’t shake off Fisher but took the win and both cemented their places in the Grand Final. Downey's Ray, the Royale of Morris - who held off a baying pack of cars heroically in fourth, Historic Final winner Higgins' Van Diemen RF91 and Drew Stewart's newer Van Diemen made up the six runners that advanced into a cherished Grand Final spot. Expected finalist Hugh Esterson had climbed from starting fourteenth to be involved in the scrap behind Morris for the last spot on the Grand Final grid but a last-lap tangle with Ben Miloudi after being forced wide at Druids put them both out, the Ammonite Ray riding over the top of the Van Diemen after a clash of wheels.
Historic Final: The race for chassis built before 1998 would be contested over fifteen laps, with the grid sorted by their Semi-Final finishing positions. The Van Diemen RF91 of Richard Higgins sat on pole position and Henry Chart's older RF81 shared the front row with the West Countryman. Gaius Ghinn and Castle Combe regular Sam Street formed row two. Rick Morris didn't take his place on the third row beside Dieter Haeckel as he saved his Royale for the Grand Final to come. Higgins led the field into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, whilst Ghinn followed the similar RF91 through in second ahead of Chart. Ghinn didn't hold onto second for long as Chart and Street went either side of him at Druids. Higgins finished lap one almost three-quarters of a second to the good, whilst Street took second early in lap two with a move that started up the inside of Paddock Hill Bend and was completed at Druids after Chart tried to hang on around the outside but touched the gravel in the dip. Renowned historic racer Callum Grant's Duckhams Van Diemen RF80 was climbing the leaderboard after starting eighth and moved up to fifth ahead of Haeckel's RF88 Van Diemen at Clearways on the third lap, Grant repeated the move on Ghinn for fourth a couple of laps later before the RF91 repassed the older car past the pits. Grant performed the move again on the next lap and this time kept hold of fourth, with Haeckel also passing Ghinn as they arrived into Paddock Hill Bend three abreast. Having set consecutive fastest laps, Chart challenged Street for second anywhere he could during lap five without success and their fight was now trailing Higgins by more than a second. When their squabble settled down, they started to draw in leader Higgins and the three were together on lap nine. Higgins and Street brushed wheels passing the pits at the end of the lap when Higgins moved to block Street's run up the outside as they approached a yellow flag zone at Paddock Hill Bend, where Oliver Chapman was stranded in the gravel. The beached Lola brought out the Safety Car and two laps remained at the resumption of racing. Higgins didn’t drop Street at the restart and the Swift challenged for the lead at Druids but Higgins' defence held firm. Street then briefly got the lead into Surtees but Higgins dived straight back ahead at Clearways to retake the lead with one lap to go. Chart and Grant had fallen away a little from the front two at the restart but their fighting brought the older Van Diemens back onto their tails going onto the final lap, with Chart running abreast with Street past the pits after the Swift interlocked wheels with Higgin's RF91 at Clearways and lost momentum. The battle came to a head when Street was held on the outside of Paddock Hill Bend by Higgins before contact with the aggressively defending Van Diemen sent the Swift airborne at Druids and into the runoff. Higgins, the son of multiple Castle Combe champion Bob, was set free to win the Brian Jones Memorial Trophy and take his first FF1600 win by 0.361 seconds from the older cars of Chart and Grant. Street survived his flight to follow them home in fourth, ahead of Ghinn and Haeckel after the pair swapped places at Druids for the final time.
Grand Final: The weekend's denouement began with B-M Medina stablemates and former final winners Rory Smith and Jamie Sharp occupying the coveted front row positions for the Grand Final, with Smith sat on pole position after taking the faster Semi-Final win. Another previous final victor in the form of Niall Murray lined up with 2021 National champion Chris Middlehurst on row two, with Luke Cooper and Jordan Kelly comprising the third row. Jordan Dempsey and surprise package Tom Nippers made up row four and the winner was likely to come from one of the first four rows. The top ten was rounded out by two Americans, Jeremy Fairbairn and Team America scholar Jack Sullivan. The front row got away evenly with Smith taking the initiative into Paddock Hill Bend for the first of twenty laps and the top three were locked together as Sharp fended off a determined Murray throughout the opening lap. Middlehurst was a little off the first three in fourth, whilst Cooper held off Dempsey and Kelly in fifth. Having got a better exit from Clearways, Murray slipstreamed into second as they headed onto lap two and was right on the gearbox of Smith through Paddock Hill Bend. The leading Medina defended the inside up the hill and B-M stablemate Sharp regained second by taking the long way around Druids with Murray trapped behind Smith. Under pressure from the Irishman, Sharp skirted the Clark Curve gravel at the end of the lap which allowed Murray to breeze past into second and set about reeling in leader Smith, who was now 0.621 seconds up the road. Sharp was close to falling further back behind Middlehurst, who was being pushed along by Dempsey, but held onto third at Paddock Hill Bend and now headed a long train of cars. As they started the fifth lap, Middlehurst successfully lunged inside Sharp for third at Paddock Hill Bend, whilst a Smith vs Murray scrap for the lead looked increasingly likely with Murray eating into the gap and the Irishman got close enough to force Smith to defend the inside at Druids for the sixth time. After towing alongside Smith as they sped onto the seventh tour, Murray took the lead for the first time with a bold move around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend and there was a little contact at Druids when Murray's Van Diemen came across to defend strongly from the Medina. Murray couldn't break the tow from the chasing Smith and the Medina got the lead back again three laps later with a superbly dummied dive to the inside at Paddock Hill Bend. Murray made another attempt at the high, wide and handsome line into Paddock Hill Bend as the race passed the half-distance mark but didn't make it work this time. The Irishman had another go a lap later and as Smith held his car tight to the inside, Murray drew up on the outside of Druids and held his ground down the hill to Graham Hill Bend to take the lead once more. The lead pair's fighting had allowed Middlehurst to catch them back up, having fallen over two seconds away from the duelling leaders after his move into third. The Van Diemen had a great run on Smith along the Cooper Straight but the 2020 final winner was wise to it and defended stoutly as he regained momentum. Sharp's Medina was also closing back in and after Smith was forced to defend from Middlehurst at Druids for the fourteenth time, having made a failed attempt at repeating his lap ten move on Murray, it brought the 2021 Festival winner onto Middlehurst's gearbox. Smith's defence of second gained Murray a car length or two and the Irishman looked in control of the final as the race headed towards the closing stages. The Van Diemen started to come under fire once more from the chasing trio as the race passed the three-quarter distance mark and as the Irishman defended mightily, Sharp pounced on Middlehurst to take third on the outside of Druids with two and a half laps to go. Heartbreak was to follow for Murray when the Irishman's engine lapsed onto three cylinders going onto the penultimate lap, sending him plummeting down the order and ultimately into retirement. Rory Smith was now in the pound seat to take his second Festival triumph and held off Sharp to the flag, who just fended off Middlehurst on the run to the line by 0.071 seconds. Cooper and Dempsey were also close behind in fourth and fifth, as 1.182 seconds covered the quintet. Cooper had repassed the 2022 National champion on lap eleven climbing up to Druids after being jumped at the same place on lap two. 2023 National champion Kelly beat Fairbairn to sixth place by just over half a second, whilst the McCaughan, Sullivan and Nippers group completed the top ten. Felix Fisher had quickly made up several places early on before getting mired in a squabble with Jason Smyth, Charlie Mann and Nolan Allaer so didn’t reach higher than seventeenth. However, the Castle Combe champion did defeat the driver he had climbed through the second Semi-Final order with by just 0.092 seconds, Jonny McMullan.
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TCR UK - BOARDLEY BANKS THE BIG PRIZE
The 2023 TCR UK championship came into its final weekend of the season with six drivers in with a chance of taking the title. Carl Boardley was best placed at the top and held a 47-point margin from nearest challenger Adam Shepherd so could wrap things up in the first race of the day. The other four vying for the top places included Bruce Winfield a further nine points adrift in third, Jenson Brickley, Jac Constable and Alex Ley.
The 2023 TCR UK championship came into its final weekend of the season with six drivers in with a chance of taking the title. Carl Boardley was best placed at the top and held a 47-point margin from nearest challenger Adam Shepherd so could wrap things up in the first race of the day. The other four vying for the top places included Bruce Winfield a further nine points adrift in third, Jenson Brickley, Jac Constable and Alex Ley.
Qualifying: The battle for pole position was fought out for much of the 30-minute session between the Hyundais of Alex Ley, Bruce Winfield, Adam Shepherd and Callum Newsham. Ley was the first to set a meaningful lap time and the top spot would switch between the 18-year-old and Winfield for three successive laps before Shepherd got in on the act. The Area Motorsport driver went to the top of the times and then improved on that mark twice more inside the opening ten minutes. Newsham then threw his hat into the ring and usurped Shepherd for provisional pole, very briefly as it would turn out as Ley regained the number one spot just five seconds later before finding another 0.138 seconds on his next lap. After the field's mid-session switch to a second set of tyres, there wasn't as much movement at the head of the field but Newsham was able to narrowly depose Ley with a little over twelve minutes remaining. However, the Cupra of Jenson Brickley vaulted to the head of the times from the lower reaches of the top ten after 24 minutes and there the 2022 Fiesta ST240 titlist stayed, having pipped Newsham’s Hyundai i30 for pole position by a narrow 0.030 seconds. Teenager Ley lined up third, just 0.003 down on Newsham’s similar car. Alongside Ley would be defending champion Chris Smiley’s on-form Honda as 0.058 covered the top four cars, the defending champion had set the fastest time in the sodden free practice session in the morning after a difficult season developing the FL5 model Honda Civic. Championship leader Carl Boardley headed the third row from Joe Marshall’s Audi. Adam Shepherd lost five lap times for track limit offences but salvaged seventh ultimately, whilst Jac Constable survived a wild spin at Paddock Hill Bend and the loss of six laps to line up eighth with his Gen II RS3. Oliver Cottam’s Audi and Scott Sumpton’s Honda made up the top ten. Having arrived at the meeting second in the championship, Bruce Winfield’s Hyundai languished in eleventh after losing four laps to the track limit police. Andy Wilmot in the Dan Kirby tribute Cupra was twelfth, whilst Luke Sargeant and Brad Hutchison were the last cars within a second of pole in thirteenth and fourteenth.
Race One: There was drama before the 25-minute race even started as poleman Jenson Brickley didn’t come to the grid after the car developed a gearshift problem and the frustrated youngster was forced to start from the pitlane. When the race got underway, Chris Smiley flew off the line from the second row and into the lead from Alex Ley and the slow away Callum Newsham. Ley took an unsuccessful look at the inside of Smiley at Clearways for the lead on lap two as the top three built a small lead from an aggressive Adam Shepherd, who had passed his championship rival Carl Boardley for fourth at Clearways for the second time and had taken fifth from Joe Marshall's Audi at Druids on the opening lap. Early in lap three, Mark Smith threw his Cupra off into the Paddock Hill Bend gravel trap to bring out the Safety Car, which came in with eighteen minutes left at the start of lap six. Smiley continued to hold off the line of cars queued up behind the Honda as the laps passed. That changed at the halfway mark when Andy Wilmot caused chaos when he rejoined the from the pits right in front of the lead pack at Paddock Hill Bend, the Honda being forced to defend the inside line into Druids as Ley aimed for the outside. The Hyundai hung in there out wide as Smiley squeezed him at the exit of the hairpin to give Ley the inside line for Graham Hill Bend and the pair exited the corner still side by side. Newsham came out of Graham Hill Bend with a great run on the pair of them and the trio went three-wide along the Cooper Straight with Ley hitting the front at Surtees from Smiley and Newsham, who had been shown the grass by Ley. The young Scot then fended off Shepherd at Clearways. With Smiley turning his attention to keeping Newsham behind, Ley streaked away in front. At the twenty-minute mark, Smiley’s stubborn defence was finally broken when his Honda stuttered exiting Graham Hill Bend and allowed Newsham through. A lap later, the electrical problem became terminal and the Honda ended its race in the pits. Ley scampered to an eventual victory, his third of the season, by 3.113 seconds from Newsham as he stroked the Hyundai home. Shepherd failed to keep his title hopes alive in third because finishing in fourth was the championship-winning Boardley, "Lovely!" was his one-word celebration. Brickley drove a stormer to reach sixth at the flag behind Joe Marshall, after being sat back in eighteenth at the resumption of racing.
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Race Two: Five drivers started the race in the fight for second in the championship, Adam Shepherd was best placed on 333 points and sat twelve clear of Race One victor Alex Ley. Jenson Brickley lurked nine points further back, just three points ahead of Bruce Winfield and outsider Jac Constable lay another twelve points adrift. There were a number of permutations in play but if nearest challenger Ley won the race with the fastest lap then Shepherd needed to finish at least third to claim second, fifth if Ley crossed the line second and sixth if the youngster finished third. If next-in-line Brickley won the race, a top-six finish would be enough to hold off the Cupra. The top ten grid reversal put the Gen I Audi A3 of Brad Hutchison on pole position, with the Gen II example of Oliver Cottam alongside. Bruce Winfield would fancy his chances from third as he tried to claim second in the title race, fellow silver medal contender Jac Constable’s Audi started beside the Hyundai. Jenson Brickley looked to move forward again after his race one charge from the pitlane and was joined on the third row by Joe Marshall. The fourth row was occupied by champion-elect Carl Boardley and second in the table Adam Shepherd. The top ten was completed by Callum Newsham and Race One winner Alex Ley. Chris Smiley was not able to take his place on the eighth row in the FL5 Honda after his first race electrical glitch. Hutchison led off the line into Paddock Hill Bend but oversteer down the hill let a fast-starting Winfield sneak through into Druids, where trouble kicked off behind. Front row starter Cottam had slid wide at Druids whilst challenging for second and was tagged round by Boardley at the exit, who'd had a touch from Constable's Audi. An unsighted Matthew Wilson hit the broadside Cottam and in turn, was clouted by Scott Sumpton as the field scattered. A wheel was torn from Wilson’s Cupra, which the car spectacularly rode over, and the red flags flew to clear up the mess. Brickley also had a spin at Surtees just as the stoppage was called after picking up grass on his tyres in the melee. The restart would be contested over eighteen minutes, with Cottam, Wilson and Sumpton unsurprisingly all missing. Hutchison held the lead again into Paddock Hill Bend but was under pressure from Winfield and Brickley. In the pack, there was a major twist in the championship tale after Shepherd was tipped sideways by Joe Marshall at Paddock Hill Bend and when the Hyundai crossed the circuit, the Audi ricocheted off the Area Motorsport car into the infield barriers. Marshall was out on the spot, whilst Shepherd was forced to retire in the pits with bent rear suspension to leave his championship runner-up position in jeopardy. The Safety Car was called to remove the damaged Audi and racing began again with thirteen and a half minutes remaining. Hutchison waited a long time before bolting and Winfield was wise to it, threatening the Audi on the outside into Paddock Hill Bend. A flying Constable charged from fourth to first on the restart lap, immediately diving inside Brickley at Paddock Hill Bend before gaining second exiting Druids when Winfield was pushed wide onto the grass by Hutchison and slipped to fourth behind Constable and Brickley. Constable made his move into the lead at Clearways with Brickley following him through, Hutchison’s Gen I Audi also lost out to the Hyundais of Winfield and Ley as he was hung out to dry on the outside of Paddock Hill Bend and Druids. Ley forcibly removed Winfield from third spot at Clearways ending the following lap, barging up the inside of the similar Hyundai. Boardley was next to pass the poleman Hutchison and Newsham followed suit at Clearways a lap later. Up front, Brickley brought down Constable’s near one-second lead into the closing stages but, despite exerting pressure on the leading Audi, he couldn’t make a move so Constable took the win by 0.609 seconds from Brickley and Ley. Brickley sealed second in the title race as a result and Ley secured third. Winfield crossed the line in fourth at the head of a three-car squabble but was demoted to ninth courtesy of a ten-second track limit penalty. Newsham and Boardley were thus promoted to fourth and fifth, the Scotsman had passed the new champion with five minutes left at Druids when Boardley got boxed in challenging Winfield and the Hyundai took the long way round the hairpin. Andy Wilmot - who had carved through the field from the seventh row, Hutchison and Luke Sargeant also profited from Winfield’s punishment to be classified sixth, seventh and eighth. Shepherd slipped back to fifth in the final standings behind race winner Constable.
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Mini 7 Racing Club Winter Series
Qualifying: 2022 champion Rupert Deeth and his successor Aaron Smith headed the Miglias from late entry Phil Bullen-Brown in the damp qualifying session. Julian Proctor was the lone Libre class car in the field and qualified in ninth overall. Darren Thomas headed the seven-strong Se7ens from Glen Woodbridge, Mark Sims and Ross Billison. Frazer Hack, Matthew Page and Matthew Ayres rejoined battle in the S-Class, with Hack heading the division from Page, despite Page’s mount letting him down mid-session, and just 0.074 covered the trio.
Race One: An early four-car scrap among the Miglias, which included some gutsy moves at Paddock Hill Bend, petered out when Phil Bullen-Brown had an off-track moment and Rupert Deeth was forced to pit at half-distance. Aaron Smith was left to overcome a ten-second false start penalty, which he duly accomplished with twelve seconds to spare from Colin Peacock. Darren Thomas was the initial leader of the Se7ens but Glen Woodbridge was able to squeeze past into Druids after eight minutes. When Thomas went out after retaking the Se7en lead, Ross Billison moved up to threaten Woodbridge but was kept at arm's length to the flag. Catching the pair was the S-Class lead battle, with Frazer Hack just defeating Matthew Ayres by 0.019 seconds in a photo finish from Matthew Page another 1.558 seconds further back in third. Julian Proctor made it to the end to take the Libre class spoils without opposition.
Race Two: The Race One results formed the grid so victor Aaron Smith sat on pole with Colin Peacock alongside. Rupert Deeth couldn’t be ruled out for a top result starting from seventh. Glen Woodbridge headed the Se7ens from Ross Billison and Duncan Arnold in Spencer Wanstall’s usual steed. Frazer Hack, Matthew Ayres and Matthew Page formed the top three S-Class runners on the grid, Callum Perfect wasn’t far from the squabbling trio during the first race and aimed to get involved too. Smith and Peacock made an even getaway but Smith took the initiative into Paddock Hill Bend. Phil Bullen-Brown was slow away and slipped back to sixth, whilst a fired-up Deeth took third from James Cuthbertson at Clearways for the first time. Deeth then removed Peacock from second on lap two and set off after Smith almost a second up the road. The 2022 Miglia champion brought the gap down to Smith, who resisted all Deeth could throw at him before pulling away in the second half when they encountered the manic Se7en and S-Class lead scrap to win by 1.314 seconds from Deeth. Peacock won his scrap with Bullen-Brown for third, some twelve seconds behind Deeth. Billison led the Se7ens in the early stages from Woodbridge and Arnold in third. Woodbridge gained the lead but Billison dived back in front at Paddock Hill Bend after seven minutes, before squeezing his foe towards the grass up to Druids. Page, Ayres, Hack and Perfect were all involved in the S-Class category fight early on before Page broke clear to join the lead fight among the Se7ens. The tussle at the head of the Se7ens brought the rest of the top four S-Class cars into play and they formed an eight-car train at halfway. When the faster Miglias came through to lap the jostling pack, it allowed Billison and Woodbridge to get a gap out front. The pair's continued squabbling brought leading S-Class runner Page back to them, along with Arnold and Darren Thomas' Se7ens into the later stages and when the top two ran door handle to door handle through Graham Hill Bend, Surtees and McLaren with one minute left, Page was able to get in between them. The brilliantly driven S-Class car now turned its attention to beating Billison for overall Se7en glory but didn't quite have enough speed in a straight line so had to settle for second by 0.253 seconds. Arnold also passed Woodbridge after he ran wide at Clearways in his fierce fight with Billison but the pair swapped places back into Paddock Hill Bend on the last lap for second and third in the Se7ens. Ayres took second in the S-Class just behind Arnold and ahead of Thomas, who had a wild moment on the grass at Clearways for the penultimate time. The sole Libre class car of Julian Proctor again made it to the flag for class win number two of the weekend.
Race Three: Colin Peacock leapt from the second row of the top-eight reversed grid finale to lead the opening metres but Rupert Deeth and Aaron Smith flew through into the top two positions by Paddock Hill Bend and started a race-long duel. Smith took the lead from Deeth as they screamed towards Surtees for the first time before Deeth repaid the favour around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend at the start of lap two. Undeterred, Smith got back ahead running up into Druids for the third time but then, at the start of lap five, Deeth towed up the outside of Smith approaching Paddock Hill Bend, where a late-braking Smith went wide and gifted Deeth the lead on the inside line up to Druids. The dice continued in that vein until contact at Druids for the ninth time, when both went for the same piece of tarmac, put Peacock into the lead whilst aggressor Smith waited for Deeth to resume. The pair of them brought down Peacock's 2.292-second margin within three laps, Deeth took up the lead again at Graham Hill Bend and Smith regained second spot over the start/finish line at the completion of the same lap after some deft lappery. Deeth had opened a lead of just under a second whilst Smith fought with Peacock but the 2023 Miglia champion was back with his predecessor as the race entered the closing minutes. There was slight contact with four and a half minutes remaining as Smith had the greater momentum exiting Cleaways, which pushed defensive the Deeth wide and allowed Smith to breeze by into the lead. Peacock had rejoined the squabbling pair too... A determined Deeth drove around the outside into Paddock Hill Bend to hit the front again heading onto the last lap and held on by 0.142 seconds for the win, with Smith in his slipstream. Deeth was subsequently penalised 0.2 seconds for gaining an unfair advantage so handed the victory to Smith, as Peacock completed the podium. Virtual race-long Se7en leader Darren Thomas overcame a five-second track limit penalty to take the category win from the inseparable Glen Woodbridge and Duncan Arnold, the major bunfight going on behind easing Thomas' path. Race Two Se7en victor Ross Billison was absent on Sunday due to flying off on holiday to Turkey! S-Class victor Frazer Hack split first from second of the Se7ens after a big fight with a number of the leading Se7en and S-Class contenders, which was broken up after contact between Matthews Page and Ayres a little over five minutes in. Ayres recovered to second in the S-Class just ahead of Callum Perfect, whilst Page lost a lap. Julian Proctor took his third piece of silverware home for the Libre class win in fourth overall, his best overall result of the meeting.
Qualifying: 2022 champion Rupert Deeth and his successor Aaron Smith headed the Miglias from late entry Phil Bullen-Brown in the damp qualifying session. Julian Proctor was the lone Libre class car in the field and qualified in ninth overall. Darren Thomas headed the seven-strong Se7ens from Glen Woodbridge, Mark Sims and Ross Billison. Frazer Hack, Matthew Page and Matthew Ayres rejoined battle in the S-Class, with Hack heading the division from Page, despite Page’s mount letting him down mid-session, and just 0.074 covered the trio.
Race One: An early four-car scrap among the Miglias, which included some gutsy moves at Paddock Hill Bend, petered out when Phil Bullen-Brown had an off-track moment and Rupert Deeth was forced to pit at half-distance. Aaron Smith was left to overcome a ten-second false start penalty, which he duly accomplished with twelve seconds to spare from Colin Peacock. Darren Thomas was the initial leader of the Se7ens but Glen Woodbridge was able to squeeze past into Druids after eight minutes. When Thomas went out after retaking the Se7en lead, Ross Billison moved up to threaten Woodbridge but was kept at arm's length to the flag. Catching the pair was the S-Class lead battle, with Frazer Hack just defeating Matthew Ayres by 0.019 seconds in a photo finish from Matthew Page another 1.558 seconds further back in third. Julian Proctor made it to the end to take the Libre class spoils without opposition.
Race Two: The Race One results formed the grid so victor Aaron Smith sat on pole with Colin Peacock alongside. Rupert Deeth couldn’t be ruled out for a top result starting from seventh. Glen Woodbridge headed the Se7ens from Ross Billison and Duncan Arnold in Spencer Wanstall’s usual steed. Frazer Hack, Matthew Ayres and Matthew Page formed the top three S-Class runners on the grid, Callum Perfect wasn’t far from the squabbling trio during the first race and aimed to get involved too. Smith and Peacock made an even getaway but Smith took the initiative into Paddock Hill Bend. Phil Bullen-Brown was slow away and slipped back to sixth, whilst a fired-up Deeth took third from James Cuthbertson at Clearways for the first time. Deeth then removed Peacock from second on lap two and set off after Smith almost a second up the road. The 2022 Miglia champion brought the gap down to Smith, who resisted all Deeth could throw at him before pulling away in the second half when they encountered the manic Se7en and S-Class lead scrap to win by 1.314 seconds from Deeth. Peacock won his scrap with Bullen-Brown for third, some twelve seconds behind Deeth. Billison led the Se7ens in the early stages from Woodbridge and Arnold in third. Woodbridge gained the lead but Billison dived back in front at Paddock Hill Bend after seven minutes, before squeezing his foe towards the grass up to Druids. Page, Ayres, Hack and Perfect were all involved in the S-Class category fight early on before Page broke clear to join the lead fight among the Se7ens. The tussle at the head of the Se7ens brought the rest of the top four S-Class cars into play and they formed an eight-car train at halfway. When the faster Miglias came through to lap the jostling pack, it allowed Billison and Woodbridge to get a gap out front. The pair's continued squabbling brought leading S-Class runner Page back to them, along with Arnold and Darren Thomas' Se7ens into the later stages and when the top two ran door handle to door handle through Graham Hill Bend, Surtees and McLaren with one minute left, Page was able to get in between them. The brilliantly driven S-Class car now turned its attention to beating Billison for overall Se7en glory but didn't quite have enough speed in a straight line so had to settle for second by 0.253 seconds. Arnold also passed Woodbridge after he ran wide at Clearways in his fierce fight with Billison but the pair swapped places back into Paddock Hill Bend on the last lap for second and third in the Se7ens. Ayres took second in the S-Class just behind Arnold and ahead of Thomas, who had a wild moment on the grass at Clearways for the penultimate time. The sole Libre class car of Julian Proctor again made it to the flag for class win number two of the weekend.
Race Three: Colin Peacock leapt from the second row of the top-eight reversed grid finale to lead the opening metres but Rupert Deeth and Aaron Smith flew through into the top two positions by Paddock Hill Bend and started a race-long duel. Smith took the lead from Deeth as they screamed towards Surtees for the first time before Deeth repaid the favour around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend at the start of lap two. Undeterred, Smith got back ahead running up into Druids for the third time but then, at the start of lap five, Deeth towed up the outside of Smith approaching Paddock Hill Bend, where a late-braking Smith went wide and gifted Deeth the lead on the inside line up to Druids. The dice continued in that vein until contact at Druids for the ninth time, when both went for the same piece of tarmac, put Peacock into the lead whilst aggressor Smith waited for Deeth to resume. The pair of them brought down Peacock's 2.292-second margin within three laps, Deeth took up the lead again at Graham Hill Bend and Smith regained second spot over the start/finish line at the completion of the same lap after some deft lappery. Deeth had opened a lead of just under a second whilst Smith fought with Peacock but the 2023 Miglia champion was back with his predecessor as the race entered the closing minutes. There was slight contact with four and a half minutes remaining as Smith had the greater momentum exiting Cleaways, which pushed defensive the Deeth wide and allowed Smith to breeze by into the lead. Peacock had rejoined the squabbling pair too... A determined Deeth drove around the outside into Paddock Hill Bend to hit the front again heading onto the last lap and held on by 0.142 seconds for the win, with Smith in his slipstream. Deeth was subsequently penalised 0.2 seconds for gaining an unfair advantage so handed the victory to Smith, as Peacock completed the podium. Virtual race-long Se7en leader Darren Thomas overcame a five-second track limit penalty to take the category win from the inseparable Glen Woodbridge and Duncan Arnold, the major bunfight going on behind easing Thomas' path. Race Two Se7en victor Ross Billison was absent on Sunday due to flying off on holiday to Turkey! S-Class victor Frazer Hack split first from second of the Se7ens after a big fight with a number of the leading Se7en and S-Class contenders, which was broken up after contact between Matthews Page and Ayres a little over five minutes in. Ayres recovered to second in the S-Class just ahead of Callum Perfect, whilst Page lost a lap. Julian Proctor took his third piece of silverware home for the Libre class win in fourth overall, his best overall result of the meeting.
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