Dempsey given National FF1600 win at Croft after top two crash

Photo: Ida Wood

The first BRSCC National Formula Ford 1600 race at Croft was shortened due to a crash between the top two, and it was Jordan Dempsey who was awarded victory.

Oldfield Motorsport’s Lucas Romanek and B-M Racing’s Jamie Sharp shared the front row, with championship leader Jordan Dempsey down in sixth but jumping up to fourth early in the opening lap and then passing title rival Colin Queen as he kicked up some dust exiting Tower Bend.

Team Dolan’s Morgan Quinn also passed Queen, but he couldn’t keep pace with the top three who pulled away while remaining glued to each other.

On lap four Queen took fourth back, while Romanek got a small lead but was soon pressured again and demoted to second by Sharp on lap six.

He got back by the next lap, and had a little bit of assistance in staying ahead at the end of it as the top three came to lap early spinner Paul Crosbie into Complex. Romanek was able to get through prior to the right-handers, while the two behind had to wait until the final hairpin to clear the BRSCC Northern FF1600 runner.

Dempsey was cautious in third while having to try to challenge the top two. Going into lap 10, with time on the clock for potentially two more tours, there was 0.162 seconds between the top two. Romanek kept his lead into the first braking zone at Clervaux, but Sharp had more speed and he managed to get alongside on the outside down the straight to Tower Bend.

He couldn’t get a pass done, but drew alongside Romanek again on the next straight. As they went through the second part of the Jim Clark Esses they made wheel-to-wheel contact, and Romanek’s right-hand wheels were pitched into the air before the other side of his car touched the gravel and he was sent into a scary barrel roll and then the barriers where his car caught fire.

He escaped and was taken to the medical centre as the race was red flagged, with the result being taken back a lap. Romanek, who hurt his right hand in the crash, was therefore winner but he wasn’t running when red flags were waved so victory went to Sharp. The final race result came long after that decision, as the clash was investigated and Sharp was disqualified. B-M appealed that, but the result was confirmed six hours later with Dempsey as winner.

Dempsey had broken his nose cone on the rear of Sharp the lap prior to the crash while trying to lap traffic.

B-M had a fruitless race, as Megan Gilkes spun out on the second straight on lap two and Davide Meloni pulled off with a mysterious issue before retiring. Ammonite Motorsport’s Brindley Kinch also ended his race in the pits.

Michael Gray was the top driver registered for Scottish FFord points in eighth after racing against rookie Graham Brunton Racing team-mate Lucas Blakeley, and John Murphy won the Northern FF1600 class in 12th in his Van Diemen RF90.

Race result (8 laps) [Northern drivers in italics]