Jordan Kelly cruises to victory in wet first FFord Festival semi-final

Photo: Ida Wood

Team Dolan’s Jordan Kelly took victory by a big margin in a wet first Formula Ford Festival semi-final.

Kelly started on pole ahead of Oldfield Motorsport’s Josh Smith, Swift Cooper’s Luke Cooper and B-M Racing’s Jonny McMullan. Pirate M-Sports’ Joey Foster was sixth on the grid, and B-M’s Rory Smith was down in 22nd.

The race started dry, for about 20 seconds, then it began to rain. Josh Smith was slow off the line and had Cooper and McMullan go either side of him into Paddock Hill Bend. Foster got into fifth behind Smith, but was then almost pushed off by him down the Cooper straight. Rory Smith gained eight spots, and overtook another car at Paddock Hill Bend on lap two.

Josh Smith overtook McMullan for third exiting Druids, and Foster was all over him through Clark Curve. Further back, Graham Brunton Racing’s Callum Baxter and Rory Smith were charging through, and they began lap four in 10th and 11th.

Next to succumb to the B-M driver was Pascal Monbaron at Druids, as the other Smith began attacking Cooper for second. He went around the outside of him at the start of lap five, as his namesake rose to seventh. The rain worsened on that lap and Kelly’s lead grew from 0.6 to 2.1 seconds, but was then reduced to nothing on lap seven as the safety car appeared.

PA Motorsport’s Ben Powney had gone into the gravel at Clark Cuve, and at the front of the pack the lapped Jonathan Nash was between Kelly and Josh Smith. When racing resumed on lap 11, Kelly had a 4.8s lead due to Nash holding up the rest of the pack and from there Kelly cruised to a dominant victory.

Rory Smith passed Dolan’s Jonathan Kotyk for sixth at Paddock Hill Bend, and Cooper went wide at Surtees which led to a four-car squabble for the following direction change. Losing out was Foster, who got sent into the gravel and down to 16th, with McMullan losing fourth to team-mate Smith.

On the penultimate lap Cooper lost out to him too at Paddock Hill Bend, but he went off at Clark Curve on the final tour while pressuring Josh Smith and finished 13th while Foster recovered to 11th.

James Harridge stopped his car on the pit straight with one lap to go, preventing overtaking there and meaning Josh Smith secured second ahead of Cooper.

Race result (14 laps)