THRILLS AND SPILLS APLENTY AT SILVERSTONE
Jack Youhill's weekend in the Fiesta Championship Class D was sublime as he won all 3 races – Photo: James Roberts
There was many talking points to take away from this past weekend’s two day BRSCC Midlands Centre meeting as the Silverstone National circuit played hosts to our penultimate visit of the season in terms of club meetings. Whatever the context of those talking points the action certainly wasn’t dull and provided plenty of entertainment.
Headlining the weekend was the trio of races in the penultimate meeting of the year for the Britcover National Formula Ford 1600 Championship with Avon Tyres. The title battle for National honours raged on as normal, while there was also the small matter of settling the Triple Crown contest come the end of Sunday’s festivities. Race 1 provided a race long lead battle between points leader Luke Williams and Luke Cooper, with the former taking the top step from Cooper and Castle Combe FF1600 regular Roger Orgee. The top two were reversed for Race 2 as Cooper snatched the lead in the closing laps to head Williams to the line with Jordan Dempsey winning a hectic but exciting multi-car duel for 3rd. With a win apiece, it was between Williams and Cooper to settle the Triple Crown but when Cooper’s car retired 3 laps in, it was left to Williams to pick up the win. He became Triple Crown champion in the process, while a superb drive from Michael Eastwell gave him a personal best 2nd place, with Orgee in 3rd. Now Williams’ sole focus will be to secure that National title at the final rounds at Anglesey next month.
The BRSCC Fiesta Championship provided 6 races with Class C racing separately to the other 3 classes contained within the series. Class C’s first encounter would see an incredible effort from Danny Harrison, as he swiftly converted pole position into a win in the first race for his brand new car built by Brisky Racing. Josh Gollin followed him home in 2nd place with Simon Horrobin picking up a much needed 3rd. Race 2 ended up becoming something of a melee as a first lap incident left Josh Gollin and Lewis Kent out of the race, while Horrobin threw away the lead with a spin at Luffield. In the end it was left to Nathaniel Gollin, Josh’s brother, to pick up 1st place and take the chequered flag, leaving David Nye to finish 2nd with Richard Ashmole claiming a maiden podium in 3rd. Nye then followed up in Race 3 by claiming victory by 3 seconds, with the resurgent Josh Gollin and Harrison completing the podium.
The trio of races for Classes A, B & D were a little more civilised, but still had their moments. Race 1 would be taken on the road by Jamie White, however the Class D points leader was subsequently excluded from the result after the race for driving standards, handing a first ever victory to Jack Youhill ahead of Stuart Robbins and Shaun Andrews. The second race saw Youhill win again, but the talking point was Jamie White’s charge from the back of the field to an amazing 2nd place, while Tom Hutchins picked up a hard fought 3rd place. In race 3, Youhill completed an incredible hat trick in a race that was red flagged just short of the full distance due to John Cooper spinning into the pit wall thanks to a late rain shower. White and Andrews completed the top 3; Tim Bennett wasn’t beaten all weekend in Class A while Derek Robinson and Sean Banks shared the Class B honours.
In what was deemed by many in the paddock as some of the cleanest racing of the weekend, the F1000 Championship hit the National circuit for 3 races with one man managing to take the top step in all 3. Points leader Michael Watton set out from pole position and dutifully stayed there in Race 1 to win from Paul Butcher in 2nd place just over 4.5 seconds back with Dan Clowes in 3rd. Watton’s second win came at the unfortunate expense of reigning champion Rob Sayell, whose quest for his first win of the season goes on after a driveshaft broke leaving him out of the race. Butcher again took 2nd while Stuart Abbott made his trip to Silverstone worthwhile with 3rd. Watton then went on to complete his hat-trick in Race 2 as did Butcher with his trio of 2nd places, while Sayell had something to smile about with 3rd place.
Continuing their rivalry from Castle Combe, both James Gornall and Steven Dailly must have felt a sense of déjà vu as the pair lined up on the front row together for the first Nankang Tyres BMW Compact Cup race on Sunday. As it happened, the pair did end up having a small coming together once more while dicing for the lead, however this time Gornall would the one handed the punishment with a 5 place grid penalty and a deduction in championship points as his punishment. Dailly would hold on to win with Gornall keeping 2nd place while Sam Carrington-Yates did a fine job to score a season’s personal best of 3rd. The same 3 drivers would make the podium again in Race 2, although this time the top two were once again reversed. Gornall would bring it home for another win with Dailly second, as Carrington-Yates secured another brilliant 3rd place.
Two guest championships also made an appearance on the timetable with the sole encounter provided by the Drayton Manor Park MG Metro Cup putting on an amazing 15 minute spectacle for the spectators. The battle for the lead was intense from start to finish as Lee Connell and Dick Trevett ran side by side and bumper to bumper for most of the race, with Trevett at one point setting up a superb overtake on the outside at Brooklands on Connell to take the lead shortly before retiring. With duels taking place up and down the field, it was left to Connell to pick up the win ahead of title contender Mike Williams and Andrew Ashton.
Two races took place on Sunday for the Track Attack Race Club as their MR2 Classic Race Series made an appearance with us for the second time this season, along with some Invitation Class runners. As it turned out, it would be an Invitation 1-2-3 on the podium in Race 1 as Eliot Dunmore took his Mini Cooper S to victory ahead of Jonathan Weedon’s Peugeot 106 and Alan Lee in another Mini Cooper S. Arron Pullan would take the flag as the top MR2 home in 4th overall from Adam Lockwood and Neale Hurran. A damp track in Race 2 didn’t stop Dunmore from doubling up in the Mini, while MR2s made it on to the overall podium with Lockwood taking the win in the class from Dave Hemingway, while Race 1 MR2 winner Arron Pullan was 3rd.
You can find the full breakdown of results from the weekend here – SILVERSTONE RACE WEEKEND.
Scott Woodwiss
