Modified Ford Series Anglesey 24th & 25th June 2023
GRANGE GRABS GLORY IN TRIPLICATE
After their Belgian adventure, the Modified Ford Series returned to competitive action at the scenic Anglesey circuit for three races over the weekend of the 24th and 25th of June.
Lone Class SA entrant Lloyd Jamieson returned to the series after engine problems at Brands Hatch in April and the bewinged Escort Maxi Cosworth 4x4 would surely be a threat for overall honours. The pair of Class A entries should both be in the thick of the action at the front, Ashley Shelswell’s V6 Sierra and David Matthias’ Sapphire Cosworth would both be seeking the top step on the podium. Class B+ had the strongest entry and the fastest cars from the class would be aiming for at least the podium, Brands Hatch GP race winner Piers Grange the man most likely but Kester Cook and David Guthrie’s quick Fiestas, plus series head Paul Nevill’s RS2000, would try to better the rapid silver Mk2 Escort. Four Ecoboost Fiestas completed the entry, with Cliff Pellin and Jamie White's examples the most likely to be a thorn in the side of the class front runners. Class B looked likely to go the way of Chris Baker’s high-revving Mk3 Escort but Gary Johnson’s immaculate Mk1 Escort, the Fiesta STs of Mac McCarthy and Sam Shimwell, plus Paul Solbe’s Focus, would try to stop that happening. Class C welcomed back the Hadfields this weekend, Kevan in a Puma and Mark in a Mk4 Fiesta. The pair joined Dave Barrett, Jimmy Neophytou and four-time class winner in 2023 Alex Boam in the entry.
Qualifying: A blustery but dry track greeted the competitors on Saturday morning as they sought the best possible grid position. The session was red-flagged early on before any times were set due to the single Class SA entrant Lloyd Jamieson’s stranded Escort Maxi 4x4 at Church, the oil pressure in the car’s freshly rebuilt Cosworth engine having dropped. When the field got going again, the 2.6-litre Mk2 Escort of Piers Grange from Class B+ sped to pole position by more than a second during their shortened ten-minute qualifying session, with 19 cars turning out to set a time upon Jamieson’s demise. David Matthias went round fastest of the Class A cars to join Grange on the front row, with Ashley Shelswell's Sierra and David Guthrie's Fiesta third and fourth. Paul Nevill’s Duratec-powered RS2000 headed Kester Cook’s Ecoboost Fiesta on the third row, whilst the Fiesta ST240s of Jamie White and Sean Reynolds made up the fourth row. Chris Baker set the quickest time of the Class B runners in ninth from Paul Solbe’s Focus. Jimmy Neophytou’s Mk1 Fiesta headed the Class C competitors by 2/10ths from Dave Barrett’s Mk4 version, with regular class fast-man Alex Boam not appearing in the session and he would complete his required three laps during the lunch break. Jamieson tried and failed to do the same but the recalcitrant car wouldn’t cooperate.
After their Belgian adventure, the Modified Ford Series returned to competitive action at the scenic Anglesey circuit for three races over the weekend of the 24th and 25th of June.
Lone Class SA entrant Lloyd Jamieson returned to the series after engine problems at Brands Hatch in April and the bewinged Escort Maxi Cosworth 4x4 would surely be a threat for overall honours. The pair of Class A entries should both be in the thick of the action at the front, Ashley Shelswell’s V6 Sierra and David Matthias’ Sapphire Cosworth would both be seeking the top step on the podium. Class B+ had the strongest entry and the fastest cars from the class would be aiming for at least the podium, Brands Hatch GP race winner Piers Grange the man most likely but Kester Cook and David Guthrie’s quick Fiestas, plus series head Paul Nevill’s RS2000, would try to better the rapid silver Mk2 Escort. Four Ecoboost Fiestas completed the entry, with Cliff Pellin and Jamie White's examples the most likely to be a thorn in the side of the class front runners. Class B looked likely to go the way of Chris Baker’s high-revving Mk3 Escort but Gary Johnson’s immaculate Mk1 Escort, the Fiesta STs of Mac McCarthy and Sam Shimwell, plus Paul Solbe’s Focus, would try to stop that happening. Class C welcomed back the Hadfields this weekend, Kevan in a Puma and Mark in a Mk4 Fiesta. The pair joined Dave Barrett, Jimmy Neophytou and four-time class winner in 2023 Alex Boam in the entry.
Qualifying: A blustery but dry track greeted the competitors on Saturday morning as they sought the best possible grid position. The session was red-flagged early on before any times were set due to the single Class SA entrant Lloyd Jamieson’s stranded Escort Maxi 4x4 at Church, the oil pressure in the car’s freshly rebuilt Cosworth engine having dropped. When the field got going again, the 2.6-litre Mk2 Escort of Piers Grange from Class B+ sped to pole position by more than a second during their shortened ten-minute qualifying session, with 19 cars turning out to set a time upon Jamieson’s demise. David Matthias went round fastest of the Class A cars to join Grange on the front row, with Ashley Shelswell's Sierra and David Guthrie's Fiesta third and fourth. Paul Nevill’s Duratec-powered RS2000 headed Kester Cook’s Ecoboost Fiesta on the third row, whilst the Fiesta ST240s of Jamie White and Sean Reynolds made up the fourth row. Chris Baker set the quickest time of the Class B runners in ninth from Paul Solbe’s Focus. Jimmy Neophytou’s Mk1 Fiesta headed the Class C competitors by 2/10ths from Dave Barrett’s Mk4 version, with regular class fast-man Alex Boam not appearing in the session and he would complete his required three laps during the lunch break. Jamieson tried and failed to do the same but the recalcitrant car wouldn’t cooperate.
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Race One: The first race took place in the late afternoon sun on Saturday, with the morning clouds giving way to a clear blue sky as the start time approached. Having headed the field into Target, poleman Piers Grange led all the way and the Mk2 Escort kept Ashley Shelswell's Sierra at arm’s length throughout in second. David Matthias was edging closer to the V6 Sierra ahead towards the end but couldn’t mount a challenge having lost out at the start. David Guthrie took a lonely fourth in his Ecoboost Fiesta and Kester Cook’s similar car took fifth after being headed by Paul Nevill’s RS2000 early on. Nevill came home in sixth but had Jamie White’s ST240 right with him at the flag. Chris Baker was a last-lap retirement with a stuck throttle in his Mk3 Escort so was denied the Class B win, Gary Johnson’s lovely burnt orange Mk1 Escort picked up the pieces having enjoyed a late tussle with Alex Boam. The Fiesta Mk6 of Boam came through from his back-of-the-grid start to defeat early leader Jimmy Neophytou for the Class C win, Neophytou's Mk1 Fiesta came under pressure from Dave Barrett for second in the closing stages but held on and both were part of a five-car battle that raged through the first half of the race, which also included Johnson’s Mk1, Paul Solbe’s Focus and Boam as he climbed the order.
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Race Two: A Sunday morning lie-in was in order for the Modified Ford runners as Race Two wasn’t due to start until 11:05. The forecast rain fortunately stayed away for the 15-minute encounter but it had become very overcast. The Race One results formed the grid for their second bout with Piers Grange and Ashley Shelswell forming the front row, the Sierra driver aiming to move forward at the start again. David Matthias and David Guthrie went from row two and Kester Cook had Paul Nevill alongside him on the third row. The Mk3 Escort of Chris Baker started from the back of the field after Saturday’s throttle problem was sorted out and Lloyd Jamieson took the start too. Grange and Shelswell led the field away at the rolling start with their Escort and Sierra respectively, with Matthias' Sapphire Cosworth holding third at the end of the opening lap before a big slide for Matthias exiting the final corner saw him lose ground to the front pair. Guthrie's Fiesta had sat in fourth through the opening bends but Kester Cook had displaced the Boamerang Racing car by the end of the first lap. The order among the top three soon settled down with Grange steadily building his advantage to Shelswell through the opening few laps, the V6 Sierra in second doing likewise to Matthias until the Sapphire expired at The Banking on lap four. The squabble between Cook, Guthrie and Nevill now became a fight for the podium and Cook defended the place manfully until he ran wide at The Hairpin on the sixth lap. Guthrie seized the opportunity to dive under Cook and the moment almost allowed Nevill through too but the Fiesta held the RS2000 off into the final corner. Nevill was able to take fourth into Peel on the following lap and then set off after Guthrie, with Nevill taking his chance to bag a podium into the last corner for the eighth time. Ahead of them, an untroubled Grange reeled off the remaining laps to take a 7.971-second victory ahead of Shelswell. Nevill, Guthrie, Cook and Jamie White's Fiesta ST240 completed the top six. Chris Baker won Class B from the back of the grid and had climbed up to eighth overall by the finish, relieving Gary Johnson of the class lead going onto the International loop for the third time. Alex Boam took his second Class C win of the weekend as Jimmy Neophytou and Dave Barrett were joined together all race, Barrett besting Neophytou by 0.749 seconds at the flag. Lloyd Jamieson's attempt at completing the race didn’t make it past lap one as he was forced to pit, the car being trailered afterwards to complete a deeply frustrating weekend for the Scotsman.
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Race Three: The third race on Sunday afternoon took place on a drying track dampened by the promised rain, which arrived with a vengeance at lunchtime. Piers Grange and Ashley Shelswell again shared the front row after their morning exploits, whilst Paul Nevill went from the inside of row two and had David Guthrie beside him starting from fourth for the third time. Kester Cook and Jamie White’s Fiestas made up the third row. David Matthias’ Sapphire Cosworth didn’t make the start after being unable to fix his earlier issue and Gary Johnson's Mk1 Escort non-started too. When the pack was unleashed, poleman Grange led into Target but it was all change by Church as the turbocharged Fiesta of Guthrie had taken the early initiative from Shelswell’s Sierra. A cautious Grange on slicks fell to fifth behind Cook’s Ecoboost Fiesta and White’s Fiesta ST240 by the end of the opening lap. Guthrie's treaded tyres gave him an advantage during the early stages but the rapidly drying surface meant that the slick-shod cars would soon be coming on strong and Shelswell's Sierra removed him from the lead on lap three. Also finding his stride was Grange and he took third from Cook's Fiesta into the Rocket left-hander for the third time and set his sights on catching Guthrie's Fiesta six seconds up the road. Next time around and Grange lopped 2.352 seconds from his deficit to Guthrie and grabbed second on the International loop during the fifth tour. Shelswell was 4.076 seconds to the good by then but the flying Grange more than halved the gap to the Sierra in one lap and usurped Shelswell for the lead ending lap seven. The silver Mk2 scampered clear to a 2.412-second victory from Shelswell and completed his winning treble for the weekend. Guthrie took a highly creditable third and Paul Nevill made a last-lap pass on Cook's Fiesta into Peel to steal fourth late in the day. Chris Baker took his second Class B win of the day from Sam Shimwell's Fiesta and Paul Solbe's Mk1 Focus, who prevailed in a great dice with Kevan Hadfield's Class C Puma. Jimmy Neophytou took the Class C win in his X-Flow Mk1 Fiesta after early leader Alex Boam went out at half distance, the Mk4 Fiestas of Dave Barrett and Mark Hadfield completed the top three.
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The Modified Ford Series heads to Cheshire for its next outing at Oulton Park on the 15th of July, where a very strong entry is promised.
Other Highlights
Other Highlights
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Poleman James Tucker recovered from a grassy moment at the Banking on the opening lap to climb from sixth to the first Super Classic Pre '99 FF1600 win on a wet surface at Sunday lunchtime in his Swift SC92F. John Murphy led early on before being demoted by race winner Tucker and Richard Higgins. Tucker made it a double in race two after an early five-car lead train headed by Richard Higgins became split up when Tucker took the lead off Higgins into the left element of Rocket and John Murphy attempted to follow the Swift through but only succeeded in tipping Higgins into a spin. The Fun Cup Endurance Championship featured two three-hour races on Saturday, with the second encounter finishing well after sunset. Whether it was day or night mattered not to the Team Uvio pairing Fabio Randaccio and Farquini Deott as they sped to both victories. Elliott Lettis headed home Stuart Bliss in each of the City Car Cup contests, whilst Matthew Fletcher was equally dominant in the MX5 Clubman Championship. The BRSCC MX5 Championship also saw a triple winner in Steve Foden but in the Mk3 Supercup, double victor Patrick Fletcher was defeated by Ali Bray and Sam Heading in the third bout.