Eastwell and Smith take poles for WHT heats three and four

Photo: Ida Wood

KMR Sport’s Michael Eastwell took pole for heat three at the Walter Hayes Trophy, with B-M Racing’s Rory Smith claiming heat four pole.

Rain continued to make conditions slippery with the safety car out on track for most of heat three qualifying, limiting drivers to only a couple of flying laps.

Eastwell made the best use of the green flag running setting a 1m16.877s before improving to 1m15.343s. But he was left stranded in the second sector after his gearbox disintegrated, bringing an early end to the session.

Brandon McCaughan was 0.338s behind for Oldfield Motorsport, with KMR Sport’s Robert Wolk only 0.009s further adrift. B-M’s Tom McArthur was fourth ahead of Wayne Poole Racing’s Ben Mitchell who was the final driver within one second of the pace.

There was yet more drama in qualifying for heat four, despite improved conditions and falling lap times.

Team Dolan’s Chris Middlehurst exchanged top spot with Smith throughout following an early stoppage, as lap times dipped under the 1m14s mark.

Smith reclaimed first in the closing stages with a 1m13.247s, with Middlehurst setting a purple sector on his next flying lap only to then collide with Ian Fernihough’s Titan Mk6, causing steering damage to his Van Diemen and bringing the session to a premature end.

Ammonite Motorsport’s Nolan Allaer was third ahead of KMR Sport’s Julian Van Der Watt and Lewis Fox.

Four-time WHT winner Joey Foster was sixth fastest and said it was a struggle to be on the pace despite feeling good in the car.

“Car feels absolutely fine but there’s a lack of general grip. I don’t know if we slipped up on pressures, maybe go higher [next time],” he said to Formula Scout. “My best lap wasn’t fanstastic either, outbraked myself massively into Becketts. But felt comfortable in the car.”

Qualifying results