Modified Ford Series plus Mini Se7ens & Miglias Silverstone GP 18th & 19th March 2023
Modified Ford Series - MAGNIFICENT MODIFIED FORDS’ SLIPPERY SEASON STARTER
The Modified Ford Series got its 2023 season underway on the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone on Saturday the 18th of March. A revision to the class structure saw the 4WD cars moved into Super A and Ecoboost-powered cars into Class B+, such as Kester Cook’s Fiesta. Overnight rain had left a greasy surface for the packed entry of 47 cars as they went out for qualifying. Simon Light, making his debut on the Grand Prix circuit despite having started racing in 1987, emerged from the traffic to take pole position in his 5-litre Capri V8 by 2.193 seconds from Steve Scott-Dunwoodie’s flame-spitting Sierra RS500. A number of new faces joined the party with the Millington-powered Mk2 Cortina of Josh Payton impressing by qualifying third for his racing debut, just 0.01 of a second from a place on the front row, the low grip playing into the rally regular's hands. Another star of qualifying was Caitlin May, who placed her Fiesta ST240 seventh on the grid.
Race One: From the rolling start, Steve Scott-Dunwoodie headed the mammoth grid into Copse for the first time. Kester Cook got a great run around the outside of Josh Payton and Simon Light to move up to second. Others to make good progress through the opening few corners were the pink Focus ST of Rory Jose and the turbocharged Escort Maxi Cosworth 4x4 of Lloyd Jamieson. Jose powered past Payton down the Hangar Straight and Jamieson also dived up the inside of the Cortina into Stowe but the Scot ran wide, which allowed Payton to cut back inside. However, just in front of the pair Jose had run wide at the exit and lost the rear on the run-off, the Focus crossed the circuit, nearly collecting Payton as he did so, before getting on the wet grass and impacting into the tyres. The off-side front wheel was torn off the car, which came to rest in the International pitlane entrance but Jose hopped out unhurt. Completing lap one, Light powered past Cook into second behind Scott-Dunwoodie through Woodcote. Jamieson and James Allen's Focus RS, who had blasted by Payton on the Wellington Straight, sat in fourth and fifth but swapped places at Copse as Allen went by on the inside. With the bit between his teeth, Allen tried to wrest third off Cook into Stowe later in lap two but the Fiesta held on around the outside. Light briefly took the lead across the start/finish line starting lap three but was unable to keep hold of it as Scott-Dunwoodie returned fire at Copse. The battling pair were now being reeled in by Allen, who had cleared Cook. Light attempted to take the lead again at Club as the lead battle became a three-way fight, with Allen reaching the squabbling Capri and Sierra. Scott-Dunwoodie braved it out on the outside of Abbey to retain the lead and Light was challenged by Allen through Village, the pair stayed side by side through The Loop before Allen got the spot onto the Wellington Straight. At the other end of the straight, Allen dived into the lead from a long way back. Light also passed Scott-Dunwoodie’s Cosworth through Woodcote and set off in pursuit of the Focus. Jamieson had caught the trio to make it four for the lead before Allen and Light started moving clear, with Scott-Dunwoodie doing his best to hold off the Escort Maxi. The rumbling Capri harried the ex-Time Attack Focus for a couple of laps before getting a run through Woodcote and made the move stick at Copse with six minutes remaining. Light was able to pull away thereafter to take the win, helped by Allen repeatedly catching traffic in a yellow flag zone at Club. Jamieson bested Scott-Dunwoodie in their third-place scrap after getting ahead at Brooklands, the Scot cut inside the Sierra at the exit after both ran wide battling on the brakes. A three-way scrap for fifth saw Craig Rainer's Mk2 Escort turbocar heading home David Matthias' Sapphire Cosworth and Laki Christoforou's Class B+ winning Mk2 Escort. Payton's Cortina scored an excellent top-ten finish on his racing debut, following Cook's Fiesta home in ninth. Harry Hardy's two-litre Puma topped Class B in fourteenth, Class C was taken by Gary Littlewood's Fiesta ST in twentieth and Class SB went to the Vauxhall-powered Mk2 Escort of Matthew Brennan.
The Modified Ford Series got its 2023 season underway on the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone on Saturday the 18th of March. A revision to the class structure saw the 4WD cars moved into Super A and Ecoboost-powered cars into Class B+, such as Kester Cook’s Fiesta. Overnight rain had left a greasy surface for the packed entry of 47 cars as they went out for qualifying. Simon Light, making his debut on the Grand Prix circuit despite having started racing in 1987, emerged from the traffic to take pole position in his 5-litre Capri V8 by 2.193 seconds from Steve Scott-Dunwoodie’s flame-spitting Sierra RS500. A number of new faces joined the party with the Millington-powered Mk2 Cortina of Josh Payton impressing by qualifying third for his racing debut, just 0.01 of a second from a place on the front row, the low grip playing into the rally regular's hands. Another star of qualifying was Caitlin May, who placed her Fiesta ST240 seventh on the grid.
Race One: From the rolling start, Steve Scott-Dunwoodie headed the mammoth grid into Copse for the first time. Kester Cook got a great run around the outside of Josh Payton and Simon Light to move up to second. Others to make good progress through the opening few corners were the pink Focus ST of Rory Jose and the turbocharged Escort Maxi Cosworth 4x4 of Lloyd Jamieson. Jose powered past Payton down the Hangar Straight and Jamieson also dived up the inside of the Cortina into Stowe but the Scot ran wide, which allowed Payton to cut back inside. However, just in front of the pair Jose had run wide at the exit and lost the rear on the run-off, the Focus crossed the circuit, nearly collecting Payton as he did so, before getting on the wet grass and impacting into the tyres. The off-side front wheel was torn off the car, which came to rest in the International pitlane entrance but Jose hopped out unhurt. Completing lap one, Light powered past Cook into second behind Scott-Dunwoodie through Woodcote. Jamieson and James Allen's Focus RS, who had blasted by Payton on the Wellington Straight, sat in fourth and fifth but swapped places at Copse as Allen went by on the inside. With the bit between his teeth, Allen tried to wrest third off Cook into Stowe later in lap two but the Fiesta held on around the outside. Light briefly took the lead across the start/finish line starting lap three but was unable to keep hold of it as Scott-Dunwoodie returned fire at Copse. The battling pair were now being reeled in by Allen, who had cleared Cook. Light attempted to take the lead again at Club as the lead battle became a three-way fight, with Allen reaching the squabbling Capri and Sierra. Scott-Dunwoodie braved it out on the outside of Abbey to retain the lead and Light was challenged by Allen through Village, the pair stayed side by side through The Loop before Allen got the spot onto the Wellington Straight. At the other end of the straight, Allen dived into the lead from a long way back. Light also passed Scott-Dunwoodie’s Cosworth through Woodcote and set off in pursuit of the Focus. Jamieson had caught the trio to make it four for the lead before Allen and Light started moving clear, with Scott-Dunwoodie doing his best to hold off the Escort Maxi. The rumbling Capri harried the ex-Time Attack Focus for a couple of laps before getting a run through Woodcote and made the move stick at Copse with six minutes remaining. Light was able to pull away thereafter to take the win, helped by Allen repeatedly catching traffic in a yellow flag zone at Club. Jamieson bested Scott-Dunwoodie in their third-place scrap after getting ahead at Brooklands, the Scot cut inside the Sierra at the exit after both ran wide battling on the brakes. A three-way scrap for fifth saw Craig Rainer's Mk2 Escort turbocar heading home David Matthias' Sapphire Cosworth and Laki Christoforou's Class B+ winning Mk2 Escort. Payton's Cortina scored an excellent top-ten finish on his racing debut, following Cook's Fiesta home in ninth. Harry Hardy's two-litre Puma topped Class B in fourteenth, Class C was taken by Gary Littlewood's Fiesta ST in twentieth and Class SB went to the Vauxhall-powered Mk2 Escort of Matthew Brennan.
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Race Two: The light was fading fast for the second Modified Ford race, the last race of the day. A shower of rain in the preceding race meant a slippery surface awaited the competitors. Race One winner Simon Light non-started his Capri V8, after coming to the assembly area on slicks. The RS2000 of series coordinator Paul Nevill, Brian Lilley's Sierra and the accident damaged Rory Jose Focus likewise not taking the start. With the curfew approaching, the race distance was reduced to seventeen minutes and the race would get underway after two laps behind the Safety Car. First in the queue in Light's absence, race one runner-up James Allen led the field away when the Jaguar XF peeled in with nine minutes remaining. Allen had built a 1.6-second lead by the time he'd crossed the start/finish line when the field was released, as the rest of the field hung back a little. Lloyd Jamieson gamely pursued Allen around the first full-speed tour but he was in turn being caught by Craig Rainer, Rainer jumped ahead of Jamieson at Luffield at the end of the lap. Kester Cook was also on the move, the Fiesta took the long way round Steve Scott-Dunwoodie for fourth at Brooklands and then swept past Jamieson for third through Maggots. David Matthias and Josh Payton were also close by, the Cortina joined the back of the group having cleared Laki Christoforou's Mk2 Escort on the first lap. The group would lose Scott-Dunwoodie at Becketts, the Sierra touring into retirement. Showing good pace in the gathering gloom, Rainer moved up to challenge Allen for the lead into Stowe second time around and tried again at Club but the Focus held on. Alas, the Cosworth-powered Mk2 Escort then slowed along the Hamilton Straight, which moved Cook up into second from Jamieson. Soon after, Payton and the Sapphire of David Matthias both jumped past Jamieson in quick succession to end the lap in third and fourth. A charging Payton then relieved Cook's Fiesta of second place heading onto the Wellington Straight for the third time. Cook fought back into Brooklands before Payton made the place his own at Luffield as the pair were about to head onto the last lap, Matthias' Sapphire looked to challenge Cook as well. Spurred on after losing his second place, Cook retook the spot at Club after a late-braking dive and was able to make a break as the Cortina struggled for traction coming out of the corner. Cook crossed the line 1.5 seconds behind the race-winning Allen, the Ecoboost Fiesta having set the fastest lap last time around. Capping a stunning debut meeting, Payton bagged third in the Millington-engined Mk2 Cortina. Matthias headed home Christoforou and David Guthrie for fourth, fifth and sixth whilst Caitlin May repeated her qualifying form in the slippy going with seventh, ahead of Martin Reynolds. Aaron Lali topped Class B in ninth with Gary Littlewood just pipping Alex Boam for Class C honours in tenth and eleventh, the pair side by side through Brooklands and Luffield for the last time as darkness fell. Class SA went to the unusual Nissan turbo-powered Escort Mk1 of Piers Warwick and Matthew Brennan again won Class SB.
The next races for the series take place on the 300 layout at Snetterton over the Easter weekend.
The next races for the series take place on the 300 layout at Snetterton over the Easter weekend.
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Mini Se7en & Miglias
The Dunlop Mini Se7en and Miglia fields were combined to form one huge 56-car grid. A drying circuit for qualifying meant that the fastest lap times would come at the end of the twenty minutes and Jeff Smith claimed pole for the Miglias on his last lap of the session, displacing reigning champion Rupert Deeth as he took the chequered flag. Nick Padmore, Aaron Smith and Andrew Jordan would complete the top five. Richard Colburn topped the Libre class from Peter Hills. In the Se7ens, Joe Thompson shaded Mike Jordan for top spot by a slender 0.041 seconds from Spencer Wanstall and Tom Mills in third and fourth, Wanstall making his full-time return to the championship after his damaging roll at the circuit last year. Matthew Ayres bagged pole for the S-Class cars with a time that would have put him third in the Se7ens.
The Dunlop Mini Se7en and Miglia fields were combined to form one huge 56-car grid. A drying circuit for qualifying meant that the fastest lap times would come at the end of the twenty minutes and Jeff Smith claimed pole for the Miglias on his last lap of the session, displacing reigning champion Rupert Deeth as he took the chequered flag. Nick Padmore, Aaron Smith and Andrew Jordan would complete the top five. Richard Colburn topped the Libre class from Peter Hills. In the Se7ens, Joe Thompson shaded Mike Jordan for top spot by a slender 0.041 seconds from Spencer Wanstall and Tom Mills in third and fourth, Wanstall making his full-time return to the championship after his damaging roll at the circuit last year. Matthew Ayres bagged pole for the S-Class cars with a time that would have put him third in the Se7ens.
Race One: Poleman Jeff Smith led the Miglia field into Copse followed by Rupert Deeth, as Aaron Smith and Nick Padmore disputed third arriving into Becketts. 2022 Miglia champion Deeth draughted past Jeff Smith for the lead down the Hangar Straight for the first time and it was three-wide for third. Padmore towed by Aaron Smith whilst Andrew Jordan tried to get them both, Padmore emerged from Stowe in third. Slow exits from Stowe for Aaron Smith and Jordan saw Ben Colburn join the party and made it three-wide again into Club, the trio fell into line through the corner with Smith heading Jordan and Colburn. Up ahead, Padmore drew alongside Jeff Smith for second along the Hamilton Straight but was rebuffed at Abbey. Leader Deeth lost his small advantage at The Loop by running wide, which allowed Jeff Smith to breeze as they raced towards Brooklands. Smith, Deeth and Padmore then charged into Copse three abreast, with Deeth regaining the lead on the inside as they start lap two. The order had changed again by Becketts, as a slow exit for Deeth saw Smith and Padmore sweep past, Aaron Smith and Jordan arrived side by side behind them too. The frenetic opening lap would characterise the 20-minute encounter, as a seven car breakaway disputed the race victory. Padmore briefly hit the front up the inside of Brooklands with ten minutes remaining but Jeff Smith hit back almost immediately to make the decisive move for the lead at Copse. Padmore would lose two further places on that lap as Deeth and Jordan swept by on the Wellington Straight. As the clock ticked down to time for one more lap, Jordan dived inside Deeth at Village and Padmore followed him by around the outside of The Loop. Kane Astin demoted the 2022 champion another spot with a move that started at Brooklands and was completed at Copse! Yellow flags on the last lap at the prime Stowe and Club overtaking spots stymied Jordan's run at Smith for the race lead so Smith kept the baying pack at bay to win, a helpful break in traffic at Abbey meant Smith didn't need to defend at Brooklands. Jordan had plenty of defending to do though as he, Padmore and Astin could have been covered by a blanket on the Wellington Straight, Padmore grabbed second around the outside of Brooklands as Jordan fended off Astin. Colburn took fifth over the line, after Deeth and Aaron Smith both sailed well wide at Brooklands trying to depose Colburn. Colburn's father Richard took the Libre class spoils from Peter Hills, with Colburn embroiled in a race-long scrap with the Miglia of Thorburn Astin.
In the Se7ens, Mike Jordan cantered to the win by a second from Spencer Wanstall, who damaged the left-rear corner of his mount by running wide exiting Luffield with a couple of laps to go. Poleman Joe Thompson battled back ahead of Ross Billison for third in the closing stages. There was disappointment for third qualifier Tom Mills as he was pushed off the grid, taking the start from the pit lane but failed to complete a lap. Another to retire was 2022 Mini Se7en champion Connor O'Brien. Matthew Ayres took the S-Class victory but a sterling drive from Frazer Hack gave him the runners-up spot despite starting from the pitlane.
In the Se7ens, Mike Jordan cantered to the win by a second from Spencer Wanstall, who damaged the left-rear corner of his mount by running wide exiting Luffield with a couple of laps to go. Poleman Joe Thompson battled back ahead of Ross Billison for third in the closing stages. There was disappointment for third qualifier Tom Mills as he was pushed off the grid, taking the start from the pit lane but failed to complete a lap. Another to retire was 2022 Mini Se7en champion Connor O'Brien. Matthew Ayres took the S-Class victory but a sterling drive from Frazer Hack gave him the runners-up spot despite starting from the pitlane.
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Race Two: A decision needed to be made by the Miglia drivers whether to stick with wet tyres or go for slicks after overnight rain had left the circuit in a gripless state. The reversed grid had placed Mark Sims on pole but he was beaten away by fellow front row starter Aaron Smith. Andrew Jordan had made a great start from sixth to take the lead from Smith into Stowe, the pair had both elected to run the wet tyres. The duo would draw away from the field over the opening laps and the fight for the race win would be between the two, with Ben Colburn sat in a distant third ahead of pole starter Sims. At the end of lap three, Smith went under Jordan for the lead at Luffield but the Midlander cut back inside on the exit to regain top spot at Copse. That set the tone for the remainder of the twenty-minute bout as nothing could separate the pair. At half distance, Smith had a look on the inside of Club and made light contact with Jordan as he took the line but the pair carried on unaffected and then, with five minutes remaining, Smith made a move stick at Club. Smith wouldn't hold the lead for long as Jordan was soon back in front. As time started to run out, the battle began to get more serious as Smith slipstreamed by Jordan on the Wellington Straight for the penultimate time and held the lead onto the last lap. That lead would last as far as Copse, with Jordan coming back by on the inside but Smith was in the perfect position for the run down the Hangar Straight. Jordan hugged the inside line for Stowe for the length of the straight to hold off Smith as they lapped three of the Mini Se7en runners at the same time. Down at Club, Libre class runner Peter Hills spun just ahead of Jordan and Smith, which allowed the first chink of light to appear between the pair so Jordan took the win by 0.360 seconds. Ben Colburn took a lonely third, some 17 seconds down, ahead of Jeff Smith - who had worked his way through to the head of the slick-shod group including Rupert Deeth, Nick Padmore, Kane Astin and Nick Paddy. Also in this group had been Colin Peacock after a fine drive up from starting 22nd but he wouldn't make the chequered flag. Richard Colburn took his second Libre class win in tenth overall.
In the Se7ens, the race got off to a hairy start as the field had to negotiate the stalled Miglia of Dan Wheeler on the grid but luckily no contact was made. Ross Billison took up the early running but he had been passed by Mike Jordan before lap one was completed. Billison tried to regain the lead at Copse, to no avail, and he then came under fire from Spencer Wanstall after a slow exit. Wanstall's threat was short-lived after a grassy moment at Becketts when a snap of oversteer sent him wide. The draught brought Billison back alongside Jordan on the outside into Stowe but the race one winner fended him off again. Jordan was then able to make a small break as Billison fell back into the clutches of the recovering Wanstall and Joe Thompson, the pair both getting ahead of Billison on the third tour. As the race drew on, the leading Se7ens were catching the slower Miglias on slick tyres and Jordan was wrong-footed by one of them to allow both Thompson and Wanstall through. The trio then got tangled up with the slick-shod Miglia of Tony Le-May on the penultimate lap, Thompson waving his arm in frustration as he was bottled up behind Le May through Club before clearing him at Village. However, Le-May's bigger Miglia engine saw him power back past Thompson on the Wellington Straight with Jordan and Wanstall in his slipstream. Thompson and Jordan went either side of the Miglia approaching Brooklands, with Wanstall able to follow them by into Luffield. Jordan battled past Thompson at Copse as they started the last lap, with Le-May's Miglia also getting between them. However, the Miglia spun off at Becketts in front of Thompson and Wanstall, which gave Jordan a potentially race-winning margin. That lead evaporated when Jordan outbraked himself into the left-handed element of Club and had a huge slide, Thompson shot by into the right-handed part after Jordan lost momentum. Jordan was still in touch as they screamed down the Wellington Straight and drew alongside approaching Brooklands but Thompson was able to chop across at the exit to protect the inside of Luffield. Jordan went out wide to try to get the run on Thompson to the line and was right in his slipstream through Woodcote, pulling to the right and falling just 0.056 seconds short of victory at the line as Thompson hung on for the win. Wanstall finished right with them in third. Two stirring recovery drives were to be found in the fourth and fifth-placed finishers Tom Mills and Connor O'Brien, both having started from the back of the Se7en grid after neither finished Saturday's race. Matthew Ayres again took top spot in the S-Class, impressively he was able to lap amongst the leading Se7en runners.
In the Se7ens, the race got off to a hairy start as the field had to negotiate the stalled Miglia of Dan Wheeler on the grid but luckily no contact was made. Ross Billison took up the early running but he had been passed by Mike Jordan before lap one was completed. Billison tried to regain the lead at Copse, to no avail, and he then came under fire from Spencer Wanstall after a slow exit. Wanstall's threat was short-lived after a grassy moment at Becketts when a snap of oversteer sent him wide. The draught brought Billison back alongside Jordan on the outside into Stowe but the race one winner fended him off again. Jordan was then able to make a small break as Billison fell back into the clutches of the recovering Wanstall and Joe Thompson, the pair both getting ahead of Billison on the third tour. As the race drew on, the leading Se7ens were catching the slower Miglias on slick tyres and Jordan was wrong-footed by one of them to allow both Thompson and Wanstall through. The trio then got tangled up with the slick-shod Miglia of Tony Le-May on the penultimate lap, Thompson waving his arm in frustration as he was bottled up behind Le May through Club before clearing him at Village. However, Le-May's bigger Miglia engine saw him power back past Thompson on the Wellington Straight with Jordan and Wanstall in his slipstream. Thompson and Jordan went either side of the Miglia approaching Brooklands, with Wanstall able to follow them by into Luffield. Jordan battled past Thompson at Copse as they started the last lap, with Le-May's Miglia also getting between them. However, the Miglia spun off at Becketts in front of Thompson and Wanstall, which gave Jordan a potentially race-winning margin. That lead evaporated when Jordan outbraked himself into the left-handed element of Club and had a huge slide, Thompson shot by into the right-handed part after Jordan lost momentum. Jordan was still in touch as they screamed down the Wellington Straight and drew alongside approaching Brooklands but Thompson was able to chop across at the exit to protect the inside of Luffield. Jordan went out wide to try to get the run on Thompson to the line and was right in his slipstream through Woodcote, pulling to the right and falling just 0.056 seconds short of victory at the line as Thompson hung on for the win. Wanstall finished right with them in third. Two stirring recovery drives were to be found in the fourth and fifth-placed finishers Tom Mills and Connor O'Brien, both having started from the back of the Se7en grid after neither finished Saturday's race. Matthew Ayres again took top spot in the S-Class, impressively he was able to lap amongst the leading Se7en runners.
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Other Highlights
2014 World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli took part in the BRSCC Mazda MX5 Clubman championship races, finishing race one in twelfth and race two in eighth - he had ran as high as sixth in the opening stages. Aidan Hills took all three race wins in the competitive BRSCC Mazda MX5 Supercup.
2014 World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli took part in the BRSCC Mazda MX5 Clubman championship races, finishing race one in twelfth and race two in eighth - he had ran as high as sixth in the opening stages. Aidan Hills took all three race wins in the competitive BRSCC Mazda MX5 Supercup.
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