A pair of pre-1982 Formula Ford 1600 races run alongside but outside the Festival contested the new John Webb cup at Brands Hatch last weekend, honouring the memory of the late circuit boss and ‘creator’ of Formula Ford, in the 50th year since the event moved from Snetterton to Kent.
Saturday’s outing featured a race-long duel between ‘racing reverend’ James Rigby in his suitably liveried Jesus Saves Van Diemen RF79 and Cameron Jackson’s Winkelmann. Jackson took the lead on lap five of 18 but Rigby never allowed him to escape, setting fastest lap. Six different marques occupied the top-six places.
Race two was another tensely close contest. Jackson pitted with a misfire and Rigby spun early on but recovered as others hit trouble. Ben Powney (Jamun) was horribly delayed in traffic and ran out of time to reel in winner Mark McKenna’s Crossle, though there was only 0.26 seconds in it at the end.
Two of the three Fiesta championships on the Festival undercard were still to be decided, and the ST150 series was settled on day one in a confusing and verging on farcical fashion.
Dillon Davis put himself in the strongest position by winning race one, ahead of Sam Watkins and George Foxlow, but title outsider Foxlow delayed race two when his car shed a wheel at Paddock on the green-flag lap. The next effort lasted little longer, another car losing a wheel and causing a red flag. Then it rained, resulting in crashes and another stoppage.
Watkins dominated a shortened finale, and non-scoring guest driver William Kellett passed Davis for second, but Dillon had done his sums and third was enough for the championship.
Doble enjoyed a successful weekend in Fiesta Junior
Photo by: Gary Hawkins
There was also plenty to play for in Fiesta Junior, but Isaac Doble’s Saturday win on a damp track put the crown out of his rivals’ reach. The younger brother of British Touring Car driver Mikey won again on Sunday to emphasise his success, and cousin Christopher completed a family triumph in second place. The race was interrupted by a safety car and cut short when Oscar Homerstone suffered his second roll of the weekend.
Alastair Kellett came to Brands already champion-elect in Fiesta ST240, and he finished second to Gary Miller in their first event. Third-placed Jason O’Connell, Am category champion, wanted his first overall win but, after leading, he paid the penalty for a missed gear and a couple of incidents.
Miller and Kellett went clear in race two while others exchanged paint and bashed wing mirrors, but the man on a charge was John Cooper – up from 17th after Saturday problems – until his engine let go. Miller was an easy winner from Kellett, and Morgan Kidd survived in third for her first podium, after more contact in the group behind.
A first-lap spin didn’t stop Rich Hockley recovering to win the first Production Cup race. Hockley’s Honda Civic was then pushed away from pole in the sequel, leaving Dave Tyson (Peugeot 308) to win as he pleased ahead of a group of cars that would have made a close race for first place without the runaway leader.
Rod Birley reigned in his Ford Escort’s clear advantage while beating a weak field of Classic and Modern Motorsport Club Super Saloons and Tin Tops. The local man paced himself to beat remarkable nonagenarian Tony Skelton in his Renault Clio over the course of two races, the second one run in damp conditions.
INSIGHT: The remarkable 90-year-old who’s still racing
Birley’s Escort was too strong for nonagenarian Skelton’s Clio
Photo by: Gary Hawkins
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– The Autosport.com Team
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