Rackstraw wins WHT heat two after fight with Smyth and Smith

Photo: Ida Wood

Andrew Rackstraw won a race-long fight with Rory Smith and Jason Smyth in the second Walter Hayes Trophy heat.

Team Dolan driver Smyth started on pole, ahead of KMR Sport’s Rackstraw, Dolan team-mate Gilkes and B-M Racing’s Rory Smith.

The best launch was by Smith who got into second very quickly and attacked Smyth on the inside onto Copse. He then dived down Smyth’s inside into Becketts, sending both deep and freeing the inside line for Rackstraw who then grabbed the lead.

Smith was defensive against Smyth down the Wellington Straight then tried Rackstraw’s outside at Brooklands, remaining in second. Smyth got to his inside through Luffield though, and they banged wheels as they began lap two.

Second place was claimed by Smyth down the pit straight, and soon Gilkes was attacking Smith. Down the Wellington Straight, Smyth looked to Rackstraw’s outside and Smith had Gilkes and KMR’s Robert Wolk on either side of him. Nobody changed position, but it became a five-car train.

Smyth tried reclaiming the lead around the outside of Brooklands again on lap three, but went deep and Smith went past. They were brushing wheels again by the pit straight, and through Copse on lap four but there were no consequences and Smyth then overtook into Becketts.

This helped Rackstraw break clear, but by lap six he was under attack again and Smyth dived down his inside at Copse. That allowed Smith to sweep ahead of Smyth through Becketts, then they interlocked wheels again before Brooklands.

They avoided doing the same on lap seven, instead going either side of Rackstraw down the Wellington Straight. Smith went for the lead on the outside but slid wide and Smyth returned to second once more. He did not have enoug grip to commit to a final-lap move on the outside of Copse, then went for a swithback exiting Becketts but Rackstraw now had the pace to ignore his rivals.

“I almost forgot how intense FFord racing is. But it’s great to be back, honestly,” said the winner.

“To hop back in is quite tough. It was good fun. This is only the heat. So P1 of course that’s what we wanted, but there’s still a long way to go.”

“It honestly did feel like the final. I think we were all a bit more reserved than we will be in the final, so if that’s anything to go by for the final I think the spectators will have an amazing time.”

Rackstraw had to refamiliarise himself with FF1600 after winning the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup GB title.

“Honestly I completely forgot where the brake markers are [on lap one], how it was in the dry. I had no idea where I was going. I had to judge it from people behind me. But I think we started to suss it out towards the end.”

Smyth was watching his mirrors at the end, and was extremely defensive against Smith through Woodcote to retain second.

“It was feisty,” Smith said to Formula Scout afterwards. “But it was just about okay, I think. Set-up was fine, it was just straightline [deficit] for me.”

Smyth felt victory had gone admiss: “I made a mistake at the start. I shouldn’t have left that door open ever, and it just made it into a race, basically.”

“I had to try something. I just didn’t drive well in that one, to be honest. We have the pace, but I just didn’t make the right decisions in that one. But look, we learn.”

Gilkes was fourth, and a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits dropped Wolk from fifth down to 10th.

Heat 2 results (8 laps)