Morrow edges Grant as older Formula Fords entertain in Festival support contests

Supporting last weekend’s Formula Ford Festival knock-out events at Brands Hatch was a schedule that included three races for older FF1600 machines, but this was reduced to two when worsening Saturday weather made it unsafe for single-seaters to venture out.

The lost race was for pre-1982 cars, and its extended single replacement in Sunday sunshine seemed ill-fated when Rick Morris’ Royale vaulted over the back wheel of Robbie Allen’s Van Diemen while trying to snatch third place at Paddock. The Royale just avoided rolling but plunged into the tyre wall, prompting red flags. Morris walked away.

A duel that wouldn’t have been out of place as a Festival final raged for the lead in the resumed contest, featuring Callum Grant’s Merlyn Mk20A and Harrison Morrow, out for the first time in an Ayrton Senna-replica Van Diemen RF81, nearly a decade younger than the Merlyn. Grant led most of the laps under massive pressure from his rival, the cars regularly side-by-side, but Morrow found something extra in the final mile and took the flag as the worthy winner of the John Webb Memorial Trophy. Daniel Whear’s Royale RP21 was a distant third, but all eyes had been on the lead battle.

Historic Formula Fords contested their own final for the Brian Jones Memorial Trophy. This race went to Stephen O’Connor’s Van Diemen RF90, 0.3 seconds ahead of James Clarke’s RF90, before O’Connor dashed off to prepare for the Festival Grand Final.

O'Connor celebrates his victory over Clarke in Historic Final

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

This race too was stopped to recover cars off at the first corner, and later came under safety car control after a clash that eliminated former Brands champion Andy Charsley and his Ray 92F. Clarke was badly hampered by backmarkers in his pursuit of O’Connor but fought back to finish right behind and, despite setting the fastest lap, Leon Frost’s RF89 was too late on the scene to join the fight.

Away from the FF1600 action, Thorburn Astin and Christoper Stretton won BMW Supercup bouts in the Saturday downpour and Astin did it again in the dry, while the 1 Series title went in favour of Aydan Hassan after three top-six finishes. Brothers Joshua and Mikey Doble – the latter newly crowned as British Touring Car Independent drivers’ champion – shared all three Compact class wins, Mikey doing the double. Paul Mousell is Compact champion.

The outcome of Caterham Graduates’ Sigma 150 category was wide open and, with three points-scoring races, several drivers could claim season-long honours. William Briant was one of them, but failing a post-qualifying technical check was a severe blow, leaving him to start at the back in every race. William Van Es took full advantage, and a second and two third places were enough to make him champion. However, driver of the weekend was James Sibbet, untouchable on his way to three wins.

The Sigma 135 outcome was easier to predict, because points leader Jamie Ellwood didn’t make it to Brands Hatch and in race one James Hapgood claimed the crown by finishing fifth and passing Ellwood’s total. Luke Weightman won the first two races, but the dry finale was the best. David Rooke was promoted to first after Barney Hussey-Yeo was held responsible for the two cars colliding and was relegated to second.

Hapgood (l) secured Sigma 135 crown amid rival Ellwood's absence

Photo by: Gary Hawkins