Modified Ford Series Oulton Park 26th April 2025
DAVIES DOMINANCE AND BOAM BRILLIANCE IN EQUAL MEASURE AT OULTON PARK
The Modified Ford Series held their second meeting of 2025 at Oulton Park on the 26th of April, featuring a compact timetable that saw qualifying and the two races completed by the early afternoon.
Experienced Scotsman Graham Wait brought along his 4x4 Sapphire Cosworth and was the sole Class SA runner. Jason Davies’ Sapphire Cosworth from Class A dominated the opening meeting at Snetterton three weeks previously by securing pole position and both race wins, the Welshman ominously performed a similar sweep on his last visit to Cheshire with the Modified Fords in 2023. James Allen felt he had turned a corner with the reliability of his fleet Focus RS in Norfolk and scored an overall podium second time out but his ambitions are higher than that. Ashley Shelswell scored a Race One podium on his first weekend back in the series before lap one contact forced the 3.7-litre Sierra XR4i out of Race Two but expect the V6-motivated machine to be back on the pace at Oulton. Dan Minton’s Smith & Jones-powered Mk2 Escort Thundersaloon is the first of the large capacity Escorts to enter a meeting since the revision to the Class B+ maximum engine size regulations and the rapid 2.6-litre car’s fortunes will be keenly observed among the turbocharged weaponry surrounding the famous machine. AJ Owen entered the Sierra RS Cosworth often raced elsewhere by his father Craig and the High Wycombe man qualified the car inside the top five when he last appeared in the series during the 2023 season before turbo woes precluded him from racing. The Mk2 Focus ST of Stefan Marsh has proven to be a reliable performer in the class and the Club Racing UK car has picked up many class awards. Daz Owen took the Race One chequered flag inside the top five at Oulton Park in 2024 but lost the result to a yellow flag offence and the Midlander hoped to show more of that speed this time around with his RSR from Class SB. Ben Purnell entered his example for the first time since his Millington engine blew at the Silverstone National meeting last August and the unit has since been replaced with a hybrid 2.8-litre mill featuring a KGP head atop a Smith & Jones block, with the new set up harbouring hopes of moving up the timesheets. There was a full complement of Boamerang Racing Fiestas entered again, with Alex Boam showing an impressive turn of speed to claim the opening Class B+ victory of the year before recovering from a wild spin to complete the class podium second time out in Norfolk. The similar Fiesta of David Guthrie qualified well to start alongside his stablemate Boam on the third row before fading in the races on worn tyres but new boots this weekend should see him running with the sister car. The third car of Sam Shimwell ended its Snetterton weekend with fuel sprayed over its windscreen but the normally aspirated Fiesta raced well from starting 24th to finish twelfth in the opener. Series coordinator Paul Nevill triumphed in the class on Sunday at Snetterton and will be towards the sharp end again at Oulton Park. However, Nevill won’t want a repeat of 2024 when his RS2000 swapped ends approaching the rolling start of Race One in a sudden shower. Circuit virgin Steve Goldsmith’s incredible Ecoboost Anglia had been sat in the top six during qualifying at Snetterton before an unfortunate engine failure ruled the machine out of the races but the little saloon should fly at Oulton. Todd Garner starred in qualifying at Snetterton by planting his unfamiliar Focus on the second row but he would be driving the Class B+ Fiesta that he used during 2024 in Cheshire after the five-cylinder car’s Snetterton issues proved difficult to trace. Robert Lewis scored a top-three result in the class at the venue in 2024 and the turbocharged Focus could match that result again this year. Sam Daffin brought out his uniquely rear-wheel-drive Mk4 Fiesta that he continues to develop, the self-built Ecoboost-powered hatchback is known as ’SuperFestaMk2’ and was a featured subject in Autosport magazine recently. Smiling Scot Iain Blackley would enjoy the sweeps and crests of Oulton with his Puma Turbo as he learns another new venue. Aidan Morris had straightened out his damaged Fiesta with the help of Team Hadfield Motorsport to be ready for Oulton Park after an incident at the Snetterton opening round, showing the camaraderie that exists within the series. Dominic Ryan's similar Ecoboost-powered machine completed the eleven-car entry in the class. Even a fractured thumb couldn’t slow down Tyler England at the opening meeting of 2025 as he qualified a mighty seventh overall in the Class B Fiesta before speeding to the first class win of the year. Oliver Bullion proved at Snetterton that he doesn’t need less-than-ideal weather to win the class after stealing the glory on the final lap of Race Two. Mike Thurley qualified hs Mk1 Escort inside the top ten at the season opener before scoring a pair of second places and the former National Hot Rod driver aimed to finish one place higher. Wayne Crabtree entered his Gulf-liveried Mk1 Escort that was now equipped with a 2-litre Duratec motor after driving a Sierra Cosworth at Snetterton and fellow ex-Hot Rodder Tony Paxman's similar Holbay ‘Twink’ engined Mk1 should join Crabtree towards the front of the class. John Ward's Mk1 Focus should fare better against some of the more powerful entries on the twisting Oulton Park layout. 2016 Scottish Fiesta ST champion Kevin Whyte made his series debut in a Fiesta ST fitted with a sequential gearbox and the shell once belonged to Puma racer Iain Blackley before Whyte started his development of the car. Former Stock Hatch racer Lucas Dryden also took his series bow with an 1800cc Zetec-powered Fiesta XR2. Stephen Primett flitted between triumph and disaster on his maiden appearance in the Modified Ford Series at Snetterton when he set the Class C pole position time with one flying lap before carburettor issues set in that were only resolved in time for Race Two, where he took the class win along with a new class lap record and the BDA-engined Mk1 Escort should go well in Cheshire. Dave Barrett picked up the pieces from Primett’s issues to win the class first time out in 2025 with his Fiesta and start his season as he meant to go on. Kevan Hadfield finished right on the bootlid of Barrett as they crossed the line together in Race Two and should be up for the fight again at the parkland circuit, whilst his son Shaun Hadfield set the fastest lap for the class on his racing debut at the Cheshire venue a year ago. The Hadfield family Pumas were joined by Marcus Williams’ example once more. The racing novice wasn’t far away from his stablemates in Norfolk and will only get quicker as his experience grows, with the Puma also running on slicks for the first time.
The Modified Ford Series held their second meeting of 2025 at Oulton Park on the 26th of April, featuring a compact timetable that saw qualifying and the two races completed by the early afternoon.
Experienced Scotsman Graham Wait brought along his 4x4 Sapphire Cosworth and was the sole Class SA runner. Jason Davies’ Sapphire Cosworth from Class A dominated the opening meeting at Snetterton three weeks previously by securing pole position and both race wins, the Welshman ominously performed a similar sweep on his last visit to Cheshire with the Modified Fords in 2023. James Allen felt he had turned a corner with the reliability of his fleet Focus RS in Norfolk and scored an overall podium second time out but his ambitions are higher than that. Ashley Shelswell scored a Race One podium on his first weekend back in the series before lap one contact forced the 3.7-litre Sierra XR4i out of Race Two but expect the V6-motivated machine to be back on the pace at Oulton. Dan Minton’s Smith & Jones-powered Mk2 Escort Thundersaloon is the first of the large capacity Escorts to enter a meeting since the revision to the Class B+ maximum engine size regulations and the rapid 2.6-litre car’s fortunes will be keenly observed among the turbocharged weaponry surrounding the famous machine. AJ Owen entered the Sierra RS Cosworth often raced elsewhere by his father Craig and the High Wycombe man qualified the car inside the top five when he last appeared in the series during the 2023 season before turbo woes precluded him from racing. The Mk2 Focus ST of Stefan Marsh has proven to be a reliable performer in the class and the Club Racing UK car has picked up many class awards. Daz Owen took the Race One chequered flag inside the top five at Oulton Park in 2024 but lost the result to a yellow flag offence and the Midlander hoped to show more of that speed this time around with his RSR from Class SB. Ben Purnell entered his example for the first time since his Millington engine blew at the Silverstone National meeting last August and the unit has since been replaced with a hybrid 2.8-litre mill featuring a KGP head atop a Smith & Jones block, with the new set up harbouring hopes of moving up the timesheets. There was a full complement of Boamerang Racing Fiestas entered again, with Alex Boam showing an impressive turn of speed to claim the opening Class B+ victory of the year before recovering from a wild spin to complete the class podium second time out in Norfolk. The similar Fiesta of David Guthrie qualified well to start alongside his stablemate Boam on the third row before fading in the races on worn tyres but new boots this weekend should see him running with the sister car. The third car of Sam Shimwell ended its Snetterton weekend with fuel sprayed over its windscreen but the normally aspirated Fiesta raced well from starting 24th to finish twelfth in the opener. Series coordinator Paul Nevill triumphed in the class on Sunday at Snetterton and will be towards the sharp end again at Oulton Park. However, Nevill won’t want a repeat of 2024 when his RS2000 swapped ends approaching the rolling start of Race One in a sudden shower. Circuit virgin Steve Goldsmith’s incredible Ecoboost Anglia had been sat in the top six during qualifying at Snetterton before an unfortunate engine failure ruled the machine out of the races but the little saloon should fly at Oulton. Todd Garner starred in qualifying at Snetterton by planting his unfamiliar Focus on the second row but he would be driving the Class B+ Fiesta that he used during 2024 in Cheshire after the five-cylinder car’s Snetterton issues proved difficult to trace. Robert Lewis scored a top-three result in the class at the venue in 2024 and the turbocharged Focus could match that result again this year. Sam Daffin brought out his uniquely rear-wheel-drive Mk4 Fiesta that he continues to develop, the self-built Ecoboost-powered hatchback is known as ’SuperFestaMk2’ and was a featured subject in Autosport magazine recently. Smiling Scot Iain Blackley would enjoy the sweeps and crests of Oulton with his Puma Turbo as he learns another new venue. Aidan Morris had straightened out his damaged Fiesta with the help of Team Hadfield Motorsport to be ready for Oulton Park after an incident at the Snetterton opening round, showing the camaraderie that exists within the series. Dominic Ryan's similar Ecoboost-powered machine completed the eleven-car entry in the class. Even a fractured thumb couldn’t slow down Tyler England at the opening meeting of 2025 as he qualified a mighty seventh overall in the Class B Fiesta before speeding to the first class win of the year. Oliver Bullion proved at Snetterton that he doesn’t need less-than-ideal weather to win the class after stealing the glory on the final lap of Race Two. Mike Thurley qualified hs Mk1 Escort inside the top ten at the season opener before scoring a pair of second places and the former National Hot Rod driver aimed to finish one place higher. Wayne Crabtree entered his Gulf-liveried Mk1 Escort that was now equipped with a 2-litre Duratec motor after driving a Sierra Cosworth at Snetterton and fellow ex-Hot Rodder Tony Paxman's similar Holbay ‘Twink’ engined Mk1 should join Crabtree towards the front of the class. John Ward's Mk1 Focus should fare better against some of the more powerful entries on the twisting Oulton Park layout. 2016 Scottish Fiesta ST champion Kevin Whyte made his series debut in a Fiesta ST fitted with a sequential gearbox and the shell once belonged to Puma racer Iain Blackley before Whyte started his development of the car. Former Stock Hatch racer Lucas Dryden also took his series bow with an 1800cc Zetec-powered Fiesta XR2. Stephen Primett flitted between triumph and disaster on his maiden appearance in the Modified Ford Series at Snetterton when he set the Class C pole position time with one flying lap before carburettor issues set in that were only resolved in time for Race Two, where he took the class win along with a new class lap record and the BDA-engined Mk1 Escort should go well in Cheshire. Dave Barrett picked up the pieces from Primett’s issues to win the class first time out in 2025 with his Fiesta and start his season as he meant to go on. Kevan Hadfield finished right on the bootlid of Barrett as they crossed the line together in Race Two and should be up for the fight again at the parkland circuit, whilst his son Shaun Hadfield set the fastest lap for the class on his racing debut at the Cheshire venue a year ago. The Hadfield family Pumas were joined by Marcus Williams’ example once more. The racing novice wasn’t far away from his stablemates in Norfolk and will only get quicker as his experience grows, with the Puma also running on slicks for the first time.
Qualifying: 33 highly-tuned Fords set out to qualify in cool and overcast but dry conditions. Dan Minton had got to the head of the queue early on and the immaculate Mk2 Escort was quickest by an impressive 2.345 seconds from Jason Davies when the session was red-flagged after six minutes, with Sam Daffin's RWD Fiesta stopped at the Shell Oils Hairpin courtesy of a blown engine. Davies made good use of a clear circuit after the restart to bag pole position in his Sapphire Cosworth by 1.148 seconds from the provisional polesitter at the stoppage to form an all-Class A front row. Ben Purnell drew nods of approval with third fastest aboard his Class SB-topping Mk1 Escort RSR, having fixed his throttle cable overnight after the part melted during a Friday afternoon shakedown. Alex Boam held onto a big twitch approaching Cascades to secure fourth spot on the grid and the Class B+ pole but several bolts had sheared in the Fiesta's front brakes on either side to throw his participation into doubt. Paul Nevill was only 0.155 seconds adrift of classmate Boam on the third row with his smart RS2000 and David Guthrie used his new tyres well to record the sixth fastest time, a mere 0.390 seconds down on Nevill as 0.545 seconds covered the top three in Class B+. AJ Owen felt his Sierra Cosworth was losing boost but he was still third fastest in Class A as he set the seventh-best time overall and he was joined on row four by the sonorous Sierra V6 of Ashley Shelswell in eighth. James Allen's Focus Turbo struggled to find a clear lap on the busy circuit and was another to suffer with boost issues on his way to ninth. Setting the Class B pole position time at the venue for the third year in a row was Oliver Bullion's Fiesta in tenth. Daz Owen's RSR was second quickest in Class SB as he lined up eleventh but the car was trailing smoke during the session after a bung went missing from its gearbox, whilst Steve Goldsmith marked his first time at the circuit by placing the Class B+ Anglia on the sixth row. An all-Class B Fiesta seventh row was headed by series debutant Kevin Whyte from venue first-timer Tyler England, with the pair split by 0.741 seconds for second and third in the class. Stephen Primett topped the Class C contenders in eighteenth overall, with Dave Barrett qualifying P2 for the class in 25th overall but was some 5.809 seconds off the flying Mk1 Escort. Kevan Hadfield’s Puma lined up third in Class C from 28th on the grid. Class B front runner Mike Thurley was pinged for track limit abuse so lost his best laptime, which would have placed the Mk1 Escort just behind Primett's similar car, to wind up in 26th overall.
Qualifying results: Click here
Qualifying results: Click here
Race One: Three non-starters rejigged the grid for Race One and they all came from Class B+. Alex Boam was disappointed to have to give up his place on the second row due to the specialist nature of the parts required for his Fiesta, whilst his damaged motor put Sam Daffin out and Todd Garner was also out for the day after clutch and engine worries with his Fiesta. Poleman Jason Davies led the field away but got sideways exiting Old Hall, which put the Welshman under pressure from Dan Minton down the Avenue and along the lakeside. However, the Mk2 Escort ran into the back of the Sapphire at the Shell Oils hairpin and left the Mk2 Escort with panel damage sufficient enough to force Minton’s retirement. Ben Purnell's RSR moved into second place when Minton pulled aside at Knickerbrook but the Class SB car couldn't stop Davies romping away from the field to a resounding victory, with his fastest lap some 6.421 seconds faster than his nearest competitor. Paul Nevill and David Guthrie led the chase of the top three out of Old Hall on lap one from Ashley Shelswell, who had driven around the outside of AJ Owen at the first corner. James Allen also passed Owen's Sierra along the lakeside section before powering past Shelswell's Sierra into fifth towards Lodge. The charge from ninth continued as the Focus quickly stormed past both Guthrie and Nevill for third approaching Old Hall starting lap two but carried a little too much speed into the corner and lost the rear, the resulting spin dropped the Focus well down the order. Allen's race would soon be over after the spin was believed to be the cause of the torque mount bolts breaking and the resulting movement damaged the engine oil feed, causing a major leak. Guthrie wounded his Fiesta against Nevill’s Escort as the RS2000 checked up for the rotating Focus, the resulting damage put the Boamerang Racing car out. As Davies sped away out front, Purnell began to struggle with his tyres after opening a two-second margin to Nevill and Shelswell, with the Escort and Sierra on the tail of the second-placed RSR after four laps. Nevill crossed the start/finish line abreast with his prey heading onto lap seven and the RS2000 almost got alongside the RSR again going onto the last lap after Purnell went wide on his deteriorating rubber at Lodge but the Cornishman clung on. Purnell had another twitch at Old Hall for the final time and Shelswell got a run on Nevill along The Avenue after the series instigator ran wide in sympathy, the Sierra got its nose in front before the RS2000 reclaimed third on the inside of Cascades. The battle hadn’t eased the pressure on Purnell but when Nevill and Shelswell had to follow Kevan Hadfield’s Puma through Druids, his second place was sealed and the RSR crossed the line 39.247 seconds behind the imperious Davies. Shelswell continued to harass Nevill throughout the final tour and when the RS2000 drifted wide at Lodge after selecting the wrong gear, the V6 Sierra pipped the Escort on the run to line by a tiny 0.006 seconds to take a last-gasp podium finish along with second in Class A. Nevill had to be content with the Class B+ victory in fourth. Steve Goldsmith had a great opening lap to complete it seventh, which soon became fifth after the drama at Old Hall ahead of him but the Anglia's grasp of the place lasted little more than a lap when the turbo cried enough, leaving Daz Owen's RSR to take an eventual fifth place finish after the Class SB runner-up got through the squabbling Class B cars of Oliver Bullion and Tyler England. The class lead changed hands when England passed the division polesitter starting lap three, just after the Mk4 Fiesta had an attempt rebuffed at Lodge, and finished within a second of the Owen RSR in sixth but Bullion ultimately non-finished as the Fiesta pulled off at the Britten’s Chicane with gearbox trouble. The Focus ST of Stefan Marsh crossed the line in a lonely seventh overall to take third in Class A. Kevin Whyte impressed by finishing second among the Class B cars in eighth overall on the Scot's series debut, as Wayne Crabtree came home in ninth overall for third in the split. The Gulf-liveried Mk1 Escort was caught by the similar Castrol car of Mike Thurley but the Zakspeed replica ran into fuel pressure woes to promote the powder blue Mk1 Escort of Tony Paxman into the top ten. Stephen Primett was involved in a large scrap with the aforementioned Paxman, Iain Blackley and Lucas Dryden's debuting Fiesta XR2 as he sped to Class C glory in twelfth overall, whilst Blackley's Puma Turbo claimed the Class B+ runner-up spot just ahead of the Mk1 Escort in eleventh. Dave Barrett came home second in Class C, with Kevan Hadfield a short distance behind the 2024 series winner in third. Dominic Ryan claimed his first silverware in the series with third in Class B+ aboard his Fiesta. Graham Wait had moved forward from starting on the sixteenth row but spun into the Lodge gravel trap mid-race, the Scot extracted himself before gearbox issues and possibly a damaged valve stopped the 4WD Sapphire to leave no finishers in Class SA. Of the retirements not already chronicled, Sam Shimwell suffered a suspected crank seal leak that caused a small fire from the resulting oil spill. John Ward had a big spin at Cascades and stopped to check the Class B Focus over. A wastegate actuator problem left AJ Owen's Sierra with no boost after its promising qualifying and frustration befell Robert Lewis' turbocharged Focus Mk1 as CV joint failure on the last corner crippled the car after running inside the top ten. Aidan Morris also went out on the final lap when the Fiesta succumbed to gearbox maladies whilst in battle for the third Class B+ podium spot with Ryan's similar car.
Race One results: Click here
Race One results: Click here
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Race Two: There was drama before the field had even left the assembly area for Race Two as the opening race winner Jason Davies was forced to pull out his Sapphire Cosworth when his engine lost compression. Dan Minton looked to mount a charge through the field along with Alex Boam from the twelfth row, who’d robbed the brake discs from David Guthrie’s damaged sister car to make the start. Guthrie's Fiesta also donated a driveshaft to Robert Lewis, allowing the Focus Turbo to take its place on the grid. Ashley Shelswell stole a march on effective polesitter Ben Purnell to take the lead from the start, whilst Daz Owen sliced up to third at the first corner but the RSR quickly began emitting smoke. The Midlander soon pulled off at the Hislop's Chicane to promote Paul Nevill into the spot, the RSR's gearbox blown. Boam blazed through the field in tandem with Minton and the duo crossed the line at the end of lap one in ninth and tenth. Boam's Fiesta initially ran ahead of the storied Mk2 Escort when the Class A car got boxed in at the start but Boam felt that the Thundersaloon had passed him under the yellow flags protecting Owen’s stranded RSR on lap two towards Hislop's. The meteoric Minton's patched-up Escort battled into third on lap three between Shell Oils and Britten's but slowed exiting Lodge with a fuel system misfire, a grateful Nevill took back third up Deer Leap and Boam also skipped past the struggling Minton down The Avenue. The hobbled Escort eventually pitted at the end of lap six. Shelswell's Sierra still led but had Purnell closely following until lapped traffic split them a little, with the RSR setting the fastest lap in its pursuit of the leader. However, the complexion of the race changed completely on the penultimate lap when Shelswell’s V6 engine cut out at Hislops with low fuel and Purnell’s grasp of the lead only lasted as far as Druids before the RSR pirouetted into the gravel having got stuck in fourth gear, the legacy of a busted rose joint. The RSR’s departure promoted the battling Class B+ cars of Boam and Nevill into a fight for the race win. Boam had dived ahead of the Escort into Shell Oils on lap five but Nevill wouldn’t let his classmate escape. The pair narrowly avoided Shelswell as the crawling Sierra pulled off in front of them and the Fiesta just held off the RS2000 to the flag by 0.220 seconds for the jubilant Boam's maiden overall victory. The Class B-winning Fiesta of Tyler England took a fantastic third overall from Class A winner Stefan Marsh in fourth, whilst Shelswell reset his Sierra and carried on to finish fifth. Robert Lewis’ charge from starting nineteenth with his loaned driveshaft was rewarded with sixth overall and third in Class B+, a result that he dedicated to his partner Kirsty. The turbocharged Focus finished lap one behind Iain Blackley's Puma in fifteenth before Lewis advanced into the top ten on lap five, having got among the Class B second place battle. Lewis moved clear of the bunfight on the following circulation before gaining another two places with the exits of Minton and Purnell to arrive at his finishing position. Mike Thurley tore through the order just behind Lewis after starting from the eleventh row to reach seventh place and the Mk1 Escort claimed second in Class B from the almighty scrap for third in the division between Wayne Crabtree, Tony Paxman and Kevin Whyte. It looked as though Crabtree might have lost his place at the head of the trio when he overcooked the entry to Hislop's for the penultimate time but the Mk1 Escort rejoined from its grassy excursion still ahead. Crabtree pulled a slight gap to the other two around the final lap as Paxman’s similar Escort just held off Whyte’s Fiesta in eighth, ninth and tenth. Stephen Primett battled with the Class B+ Puma Turbo of Iain Blackley early on but a rare spin for the Escort driver at Cascades in the later stages cost the BDA-powered Mk1 the Class C win. Kevan Hadfield closed in on Dave Barrett as the race wore on but the Puma couldn’t quite find a way to unseat the Fiesta that ultimately claimed the Class C win by 0.786 seconds, with the recovering Primett still taking third. Dominic Ryan's Fiesta was the only additional retirement to those mentioned above after the boost pipe came off. The tight turnaround before the second outing saw eight of the drivers that failed to finish Race One pack up, as Aidan Morris, AJ Owen, David Guthrie, Graham Wait, James Allen, Oliver Bullion, Sam Shimwell and Steve Goldsmith all wouldn't reach the start.
Race Two results: Click here
The Scalextric 'Driver of the Day' prize was awarded to Paul Nevill after the series head prevailed in Class B+ during Race One and the RS2000 more than kept Race Two winner Alex Boam on his toes second time out.
Race Two results: Click here
The Scalextric 'Driver of the Day' prize was awarded to Paul Nevill after the series head prevailed in Class B+ during Race One and the RS2000 more than kept Race Two winner Alex Boam on his toes second time out.
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The Modified Ford Series returns to Mallory Park in Leicestershire for the first time since 2021 next, with split qualifying and four races a feature during the 17th and 18th of May weekend.