JOE AND STUART SHARE THE SPOILS

Following a decent turn out at Oulton, the Classic FF circus descended on the Kent circuit for a busy day of on-track action. 60 minutes of track time, all in one day. Almost as manic as Le Mans was the thought of young Mr Lowe.

Although a weekend meeting, the BRSCC decided to put all the Formula Ford (1600 and 2000) action all on the Sunday. With a 20 minute qualifying session, and two 20 minute races, it was a rather hefty £340 entry fee, which may have put off one or two. Notable absentees included Paul Walton (although son Joe was out), Roger Newman (his turn this week to take a Cornish holiday), Dave Malpas and new boy Steve Bell (over at La Sarthe). Out for the first time this season were Jon Davis, Peter Lavender, Andy Powell, Jonathan Greenwood and Andy Hodson.

Unable to observe from trackside, this report is therefore cobbled together from the TSL website, for which I am most grateful and make no apology…

Qualifying :

The 20 minute qualifying session generated the grids for both races, with the second fastest lap dictating the race 2 grid. 20 minutes round the Indy circuit here would mean some 23 laps, not what most drivers were used to, or even really wanted. Another 5 minutes at Oulton would have been better, so claimed Steve Pearce, and with good reason. So, in grid order, we had

Stuart Kestenbaum takes pole

Stuart Kestenbaum on pole, set half way through the session, on a 52.7, with sparring partner Joe a couple of tenths adrift, the only other man to break the 53s barrier. On row 2, we had Ollie Robinson and Andy Powell separated by a mere two hundredths. 5 hundredths further adrift was Steve, with Class B poleman Andrew Smith alongside. Row 4 saw a personal best from James Gowens, putting his fresh Connaught engine to good use, with Jon Davis another 8 hundredths down. Row 5 : Class B boys Matt Taylerson and Dave Lowe, then Peter Lavender complaining of dreadful handling in 11^th, Alan Fincham easily taking the novice pole in 12^th, then Phil Norris, Andy H, Andrew Bartosiak, Michael Saunders and Jonathan Greenwood bringing up the rear. Andrew B elected to call it a day, with minimal oil pressure, and drove home.

Race 1 :

Stuart led into Paddock from Joe, Ollie, then Steve who had got the jump on Andy P, then Andrew, James and Jon. This remained the order until lap 4, when Andy P and James tangled at Paddock, sending both cars into retirement, Andy’s Royale knocking

Stuart leads into Druids on lap 1

off the front left corner as it hit the barriers on the run up to Druids. We were down to 14 cars, and so it remained for the remaining 18 laps.

Andy Powell before his coming together with James Gowens

Joe took the lead on lap 4, and kept it virtually to the end, only for Stuart to pounce on lap 21, and regain a lead that he held to the flag, winning by just 0.17 seconds. Ollie held 3^rd throughout, and Andrew S took 4^th from Steve on lap 12, and took a fine Class B win, with Jon Davis snapping at his gearbox throughout.

Fellow Class B boys Matt and Dave were next up, in 7^th and 8^th respectively. Peter had spun out on lap 4 when he was involved in the Andy P/James tangle, and spent the rest of the race trying in vain to haul himself back into contention. He got back from 12^th to 9^th, 3 seconds shy of Dave come the chequered flag. Phil kept ahead of Alan for the entire race to claim 10^th and 11^th, with Andy H being the final unlapped runner. Mike Saunders had to endure the whole race without 3^rd gear (something of a disadvantage round this place !), and had a race long duel with Jonathan, only to blow it on lap 20 when he spun into retirement at Clearways.

Race 2 :

Andy Powell had the necessary spares back home….he was not to start. A shame, as Andrew Bartosiak could have lent him his front upright had he still been around.

The grid was more or less as per race 1 : Stuart from Joe, Ollie and a gap representing the vacant slot of Andy P, row 3 comprising Steve and Class B poleman Andrew S, then James and Jon, Matt and Dave, Peter and Alan, Phil and Andy H, and bringing up the rear Jonathan and Mike.

Matt Taylerson ahead of Peter Lavender and Phil Norris in Race 2

This time, Joe passed Stuart on lap 3, and retained his lead until the end, assisted by coming across Andy H to lap him as they came into the yellow flag zone at Druids on the final lap (caused by a beached Merlyn). Joe got passed before the yellows, but Stuart was caught. What may have been a dramatic final lap was not to be.

Joining the tussle for the lead was Ollie, getting passed Stuart on lap 5, a position he held for a further 10 laps until Stuart regained the position. Ollie would finish 3^rd for the second time that day.

The battle for 4^th was a close affair, with Jon passing Steve on lap 14 and holding on to that place for the duration. Steve was finding that his visibility was not what it used to be, having purchased a new helmet which didn’t allow him to press his head down as he normally likes (apparently to get out of the airflow). As a consequence, his mirrors were wrongly set. Nevertheless, he held off Dave by a second.

Jon Davis and Andrew Smith in typical pose

James was steadily moving himself up the order : 8^th on lap 1, 6^th on lap 5, 5^th on lap 14, but he spun out on lap 16 to resume 11^th. He would finish in 10^th, but this was a promising weekend for the forensic scientist, and bodes well for the rest of the season.

Another driver happy with his efforts was novice leader Alan Fincham. Race 2 was a much better scenario than 1, and he kept everything together to come in 7^th, and 5^th in Class, a career best.

Poor old Andrew S, his race 2 was the opposite as well, for he was to fall off the second gaggle on lap 19 and had another moment on lap 21, although he managed to keep a 3 second advantage over Matt, who came in 9^th overall/4^th in Class B.

Phil was the last unlapped runner in 11^th, with Andy H lapped in 12^th, with Mike this time getting one over on Jonathan for the final place.

Peter had been running well in the midfield battle with Dave and Andrew S, but dropped the Merlyn into the Druids gravel on lap 19 (perhaps this caused Andrew’s delay methinks ??), and hence the yellow flags at Druids for the reminder of the race.

Joe Walton maintains the narrowest of leads in Race 2

So it was one win a piece for Joe and Stuart, who now both head the Class A table on 41 points, with Ollie 3^rd on 28. In Class B, Andrew now has a 6 point advantage over Matt and Dave.

With the Waltons absent from Thruxton in 2 weeks time, Ollie must be fancying his chances. A decent 22 car grid awaits the Hampshire circuit.

ADH

Next race Thruxton, June 28th.