Michael Moyers and Josh Fisher top qualifying for first Walter Hayes heats

Photo: Ida Wood

Michael Moyers and Josh Fisher took poles for heats one and two respectively during a wet and dramatic Walter Hayes Trophy qualifying at Silverstone.

There was an early spin into the gravel for Sam Mitchell on the exit of Woodcote in heat one qualifying, causing red flags to be waved, with Logan Pacza setting the early pace with a 1m17.480s for Graham Brunton Racing.

Ammonite Motorsport’s Hugh Esterson lowered the benchmark by 1.2 seconds at the resumption but was displaced moments later by TM Racing’s Felix Fisher.

Esterson responded to reclaim the advantage with a 1m15.267s before Moyers went fastest by half a second, but Pacza then lapped 0.4s quicker.

Moyers reclaimed top spot with a 1m13.604s lap but, after not improving further in the final few minutes, the Simon Hadfield Motorsport driver initially slipped to fourth. Cooper ended the session at the top with a 1m13.090s, over 0.3s clear of Fisher and Esterson.

But, following a post-qualifying protest, the top three all were penalised for setting best sector times under yellow flags, promoting Moyers to pole ahead of Cooper, who decided not to lodge an appeal against his penalty. Esterson was third, Samuel Harrison was moved up to fourth, with Fisher fifth ahead of Pacza.

The rain intensified in heat two qualifying, resulting in slower laptimes. Wayne Poole Racing’s Josh Fisher led with a 1m15.060s effort and soon found a further 0.006s. PWR1 Racing’s Jeremy Fairbairn then moved ahead by 0.018s, with Team Dolan’s Jason Smyth the first driver to dip into the 1m14s bracket.

Fairbairn moved into provisional pole with a 1m14.691s, but Fisher denied him in the final moments by lapping 0.057s faster, with Smyth third ahead of KMR Sport trio Andrew Rackstraw, Josh Le Roux and Jacob Tofts.

Qualifying results