Mills wins WHT heat, Middlehurst 19th under appeal after victory fight

Photo: Ida Wood

Tom Mills resisted race-long pressure to win Walter Hayes Trophy heat two as a penalty has provisionally proven extra costly for Chris Middlehurst.

A race control message on lap two stated that Middlehurst and Enigma Motorsport duo Xavier Michel and Luke McShane had no working transponders, despite the trio appearing on live timing continually without issue.

The consequence of this was 30-second penalties for each driver, consigning them to the progression race on Sunday, which proved most impactful for Team Dolan driver Middlehurst since he had finished second on-the-road.

His first appeal of the penalty failed, and Middlehurst told Formula Scout he planned to lodge another so to make the grid of the semi-finals. He had pre-race drama too having changed a master cylinder.

KMR Sport’s Mills started from pole, ahead of B-M Racing’s Rory Smith, Swift Cooper’s Luke Cooper, Middlehurst and B-M’s David McArthur.

Mills swept to the inside off the line to cover off Smith, while Middlehurst overtook Cooper. There was still enough room for Smith to be alongside Mills as they entered Copse, then Middlehurst went to Smith’s inside into Maggotts.

Although he drifted slightly as they turned into Becketts, he pulled off his move for second place. Smith pressured Middlehurst into Brooklands, where the top two went searching for grip.

They began to break away from Cooper, and on lap two Smith looked to Middlehurst’s outside into Maggotts. His next tease of a passing attempt was on the outside at the end of the Wellington Straight on lap three, then on lap four he got inside of Middlehurst exiting Copse to reclaim second.

It soon became a lead group of five, with TM Racing’s Ricky Simpson having got up to fifth on lap two but being down in seventh by lap four. Smith attacked Mills on that lap, and McArthur dived down Cooper’s inside at Brooklands to set up a move for fourth completed into Luffield.

Just 0.052s split the top two at the race’s halfway point, and Smith eyed Mills on the outside of Copse, while exiting Becketts and under braking for Brooklands on lap five. Middlehurst got boxed in behind them down the Wellington Straight, but at Luffield went around the outside of Smith to become Mills’ closest rival once more.

Cooper took fourth back from McArthur early on lap six, while yellow flags at Brooklands due to Alan Williamson retiring in the grass prevented any passing there.

The top three began lap seven three-wide, and Smith nosed ahead on the outside before Copse where he had a small wobble, ran wide and had to settle for second. He got alongside Mills again into Maggotts, then spent the final lap defending.

Having boxed in Middlehurst again, Smith then lost second to him by locking up into Brooklands. There was more drama at the finish line, as the top were side-by-side and Mills remained ahead by just 0.035s.

Stephen O’Connor ended up being Dolan’s top driver, finishing seventh after his team-mate’s penalty was applied.

Heat 2 results (8 laps)