Photo: Ida Wood
Drivers in older machinery at the Walter Hayes Trophy got to contest two additional races at Silverstone, depending on the age of their car.
The Janet Cesar Memorial Trophy ran for cars manufactured between 1982 and 1998, and consisted of a pre-final and final, while the Carl Hamer Trophy was open to all Formula Ford 1600 cars manufactured from 1967 to 1981.
The starring entry in the latter was ex-Formula 1 driver Jan Magnussen, racing in a GT Motorsport-run Van Diemen RF78, and he led the WHT’s last chance race briefly en route to the semi-finals. In those races, Cameron Jackson, William Liston and Alex Ames all got cars that were over 33 years old into the top 12.
Magnussen had an incredible victory fight in his pre-final, but hopes of victory in the final ended on lap one and you will be able to read about his weekend and how the trophy was won by just 0.068 seconds on Formula Scout soon.
The Janet Cesar Memorial Trophy also delivered two races of incredibly close action, and no unhappy endings for those fighting hard at the front.
Souley Motorsport’s Liston took pole by 0.105s over Neil Fowler Motorsport’s Jackson, with Sam Street and Team Dolan’s Stephen O’Connor third and fourth on the pre-final grid.
Jackson immediately jumped Liston off the line, and O’Connor made an even better start on the inside but then had a clash with Sam Street exiting Copse and the race was red flagged.
Liston instantly lost the lead again when the race was restarted, but then took it back before Maggotts as Ames cut across Jackson to be second. Nigel Grant Motorsport’s Callum Grant then passed Jackson at Becketts, and they were almost three-wide into Brooklands.
Jackson went around the outside of everyone to go from fourth to first, but Liston reclaimed the lead around the outside of Copse on lap two. Ames was passed by Grant then got crossed up at Maggotts after a three-wide moment, and Jackson got crossed up at Brooklands. He was then sent into a half-spin before being hit back into the right direction, with Liston suddenly pitting and Darwin Smith – now missing a nose section – up to fourth from 16th on the grid.
Grant led Richard Tarling by 0.15s entering lap three, and Tarling went down the inside of him at Copse to get ahead as Jackson recovered to fifth. Tarling ended the lap 0.015s ahead, and Jackson dived down the inside of Smith at Brooklands for third after both cleared Ames. The top two were split by 0.079s after lap four, and Grant went to the inside at Copse but Tarling got back ahead with the outside line at Brooklands. Grant did it again on lap six, and so did Tarling.
The gap was now 0.164s, and the top four tried to go four-wide into Copse but settled for three astern before getting back into line. Tarling weaved down the Wellington Straight, and Jackson saw an opportunity to dive down the inside at Brooklands to take second.
Smith passed Grant for third at Copse on the last tour, and Tarling weaved again before the top three crossed the line together in a photo finish. Tarling won by 0.084s, with Smith a further 0.02s back.
“Mental. Crazy good,” was Smith’s summary after to Formula Scout.
“A lot of fun. I think it would have been a bit more straightforward if we hadn’t got collected so many times, but lived to tell the tale and nearly had a go at Richard,” said Jackson. “I didn’t know it was the last lap, so silly me, really. But I think I would have tried a bit harder into Brooklands if I’d realised. I was still racing into the first corner after the chequered flag.”
He added: “I think it’s a real shame that these cars, even the national [FFord championship] nowadays is kind of overlooked. Because it teaches you a lot about car set-up and mechanical grip. I think you can spend a lot less money [than Formuola 4] and find out there’s a lot of good [mechanics out there] and a lot of expertise as well. A lot of amazing engineers and guys running these teams. So really pushing the envelope still. I love it.”
In the final the next day, Tarling swept across to keep the lead from pole into Copse, but Smith then swept past him after the corner. Ames got alongside into Maggotts before backing out, with Jackson, Grant and Benn Tilley close behind. Slightly further back Andrew Schofield ran wide exiting Becketts.
Ames got second place down the Wellington Straight, then Jackson came out of nowhere around the outside of Brooklands to go from fourth to second. Jackson was going to attack Smith for the lead approaching Brooklands on lap two when the safety car was called due to Neil Hunt going off, but racing was quickly able to resume on lap four.
Smith jumped the opposition on the restart, already being 0.9s clear as green flags waved. Ames took second into Maggotts, and Grant dived down the inside of Tarling at Brooklands for fourth.
They bunched up at Brooklands on lap five, and at Maggotts on lap six where Jackson attempted a move. The top four were covered by a second through to lap seven, where Smith defended twice against Ames on the run to Brooklands and Jackson went off at Brooklands in avoidance. He rejoined behind Grant, but got back past him at Maggotts on lap eight as Ames almost nerfed the rear of a defensive Smith again.
Grant dived down the inside of Tarling at Copse on lap nine, and got defensive at Brooklands but Jackson still attempted a move. It was Tarling’s turn to dive at Grant on lap 10, and he got the move done, then Jackson cleared Grant at Luffield too but went off at the final corner to avoid bump drafting Tarling.
They began lap 11 three-wide, with Grant passing on the inside and Jackson on the outside. It was Jackson who had third into Copse, and up front Ames was still pressuring. Smith defended in multiple places and Ames looked for room on either side down to Brooklands, but was kept behind and he could not profit from the leader going deep at Brooklands or sliding at the last corner.
Janet Cesar Memorial Trophy results round-up
Pre-final (8 laps)
1 Richard Tarling Midland Classic Restorations 8m31.664s
2 Cameron Jackson Neil Fowler Motorsport +0.084s
3 Darwin Smith Smiths Precision +0.104s
4 Callum Grant Nigel Grant Motorsport +0.552s
5 Benn Tilley Wayne Poole Racing +2.051s
6 Alex Ames Sema Racing +2.398s
7 Andrew Schofield KMR Sport +3.082s
8 David Parks +3.837s
9 Tom Hawkins TM Racing +4.038s
10 Nathan Ward Souley Motorsport +4.994s
Pole: William Liston, 1m02.500s
Fastest lap: Smith, 1m02.571s
Final (12 laps)
1 Smith 13m04.262s
2 Ames +0.154s
3 Jackson +2.044s
4 Grant +2.123s
5 Tarling +2.325s
6 Tilley +2.567s
7 Ward +4.699s
8 Schofield +4.878s
9 Hawkins +5.013s
10 Liston Souley Motorsport +7.934s
FL: Liston, 1m02.342s