Qualifying for the Walter Hayes Trophy took place in windy and changing weather at Silverstone, with three event icons claiming heat poles.
Three-time WHT winner Joey Foster made his second Formula Ford 1600 appearance of the year in qualifying one, and took pole by just a tenth over Team Dolan’s Matt Cowley. Don Hardman Racing had nailed the set-up during pre-event testing for the new Firman RFR20 is driving, and he was happy with his performance.
Cowley’s team-mate Ross Martin’s was third, with Kevin Mills Racing’s Jordan Dempsey – the reigning WHT winner – leading the early part of qualifying before dropping to fourth.
TM Racing’s Felix Fisher was a second back in fifth, and just ahead of UCLan’s Tom Brown, driving a Van Diemen RF81.
Two-time WHT winner Michael Moyers claimed pole for the second heat ahead of KMR team-mate and reigning BRSCC National FF1600 champion Neil Maclennan. Historic FF1600 star Cameron Jackson gelled with the contemporary B-M Racing-run car he’s in this weekend to qualify third, sharing the second row with Enigma Motorsport’s Jack Wolfenden.
Last week’s FFord Festival winner Rory Smith was fifth, ahead of Graham Brunton Racing’s returnee Seb Melrose.
Moyers’ old rival Josh Fisher took heat three pole for Wayne Poole Racing, beating Souley Motorsport’s Ollie White by 0.189s. White missed the Festival due to a back injury. Low Dempsey Racing’s Jonathan Browne qualified third.
Dolan’s Chris Middlehurst snuck onto pole for heat four with a last-lap dash, setting the only sub 1m09s of the session.
KMR’s Michael Macpherson was second fastest, with Swift Cooper’s Luke Cooper and Team USA scholar Jackson Lee filling the second row.
Qualifying round-up
Heat 1 grid
1 Joey Foster Don Hardman Racing 1m08.228s
2 Matt Cowley Team Dolan +0.100s
3 Ross Martin Team Dolan +0.146s
4 Jordan Dempsey Kevin Mills Racing +0.243s
5 Felix Fisher TM Racing +1.073s
6 Tom Brown UCLan +1.098s
7 Ian Campbell privateer +1.702s
8 John Svensson John’s Racing Team +1.957s
9 Nigel Dolan B-M Racing +2.495s
10 Sam Harrison Souley Motorsport +2.652s
Heat 2 grid
1 Michael Moyers Kevin Mills Racing 1m08.455s
2 Neil Maclennan Kevin Mills Racing +0.094s
3 Cameron Jackson B-M Racing +0.187s
4 Jack Wolfenden Enigma Motorsport +0.215s
5 Rory Smith B-M Racing +0.624s
6 Seb Melrose Graham Brunton Racing +0.798s
7 Miles Griffith Hi-Tech Motorsport +0.811s
8 Jaap Blijleven UCLan +0.842s
9 James Hadfield Simon Hadfield Motorsport +0.880s
10 Cameron Fenton unknown +1.019s
Heat 3 grid
1 Josh Fisher Wayne Poole Racing 1m08.466s
2 Ollie White Souley Motorsport +0.189s
3 Jonathan Browne Low Dempsey Racing +0.305s
4 Josh Smith Oldfield Motorsport +0.754s
5 Jamie Sharp B-M Racing +0.804s
6 Bryce Aron Low Dempsey Racing +0.976s
7 Megan Gilkes Kevin Mills Racing +1.116s
8 David McArthur B-M Racing +1.180s
9 Callum Grant B-M Racing +1.334s
10 Peter Daly privateer +1.451s
Heat 4 grid
1 Chris Middlehurst Team Dolan 1m08.916s
2 Michael Macpherson Kevin Mills Racing +0.272s
3 Luke Cooper Swift Cooper +0.290s
4 Jackson Lee Low Dempsey Racing +0.323s
5 Maxwell Esterson Low Dempsey Racing +0.693s
6 Robert Hall Swift Cooper +0.695s
7 Pascal Monbaron John’s Racing Team +0.746s
8 Joe Watts Team Fox Racing +0.774s
9 Logan Hannah Graham Brunton Racing +0.879s
10 Ben Mitchell Wayne Poole Racing +1.084s