Never discount Rick Morris. Forty-four years after he won a British Racing Drivers’ Club FF1600 counter in a Royale RP29, the 78-year-old proved invincible in two mesmeric Classic races for pre-1982 machines in a clone over an excellent and efficiently run Historic Sports Car Club Finals weekend.
“Silverstone club circuit is the home of Formula Ford racing for me – it’s where I got my inspiration watching the F3 screamers around 1968,” said the Hertfordshire hero, who, proving that you are never too old to learn, benefited from son Stevie’s coaching on mid-corner speed at Brooklands.
Shadowed by now triple champion Jordan Harrison – in a Lola T540E reminiscent of Peter Morgan’s 1978 BRDC Esso title winner – after multiple lead exchanges on both days, Morris finished second in the SDC-supported championship, having won Snetterton’s opener in April. Former 750MC Locost and F1000 champion Tom Gadd (Van Diemen RF81) finished his FF rookie season third overall, ahead of Historic division champion Oliver Chapman (Lola T200).
The races evolved intriguingly. In Saturday’s five-car breakaway with Swiss visitor Gislain Genecand (Crossle 16F), Harrison was jostled back to fourth, but calmly regained second, 0.731 seconds adrift of maestro Morris.
At the back of the top 10 Colin Williams (PRS) led a six-long train, while Richard Yeomans (Royale RP24) had seven on his tail.
“The problem with a 32-car grid is that you are lapping people constantly from two-thirds’ distance,” said Morris. “They are in their own races and some are inexperienced, so it can be scary when you are battling, but I’m told it was a great advert for Formula Ford.”
Historic Formula Ford race start
Photo by: Mick Walker
The Historic FF1600 races were equally intense. Callum Grant (Merlyn Mk20A) and Benn Simms (Jomo JMR 7) – triple and quadruple champions respectively – bagged a win apiece, Benn’s on Sunday by 0.019s, but Grant edged the Paul Simms Memorial Trophy, named for Benn’s dad, on aggregate. Points leader Sam Mitchell (Merlyn) had a heart-in-mouth moment in Saturday’s chase when his throttle cable snapped under hard acceleration from Luffield towards Woodcote. As his car faltered, Will Nuthall’s shadowing Jamun rode over his rear wheels, savaging its nose. Mitchell pulled off, his points cushion depleted.
With support from father – 2009 HFF champion Westie – Sam lined up 30th for the final and was 20th within a lap. Head down, the Cotswolds racer coolly drafted up to join the leaders. Fourth, behind Chapman, was sufficient to reclaim the title he won in 2013. The ever-combative Simms, hit by an engine blow-up at Brands Hatch in July, ran him closest in the table.
The Derek Bell Trophy races were sensational, with F1 (invitee) and F5000 cars squaring up to some exceptionally well driven two-litre F2 and 1600cc Atlantic machinery. Lifetime Racing’s Dan Eagling seized pole in 1970s Modsports ace John Evans’s ex-Jimmy Mieusset March 742 – originally a BMW M12-powered hillclimb car, now with a Ford BDG – and duly hurtled to victory on Saturday.
Hopes of a Sunday double were crushed by cam belt failure flat-out through Woodcote. Mark Williams (ex-Craig Hill Lola T460, in F2 BDG spec) shook off Marc Mercer (ex-Bill Brack March 79B) and reeled in the tiring Peter Williams’s F1 LEC. Mark lunged for the line but was 0.125s short of victory in the rakish machine.
American Gary Lapidus recovered from a spin in his ex-John Morton Lola-Chevrolet T400 as the quicker stock block V8 runners picked off Mark Harrison’s ex-Jarno Trulli Dallara F394, substituted when his newly restored – but curiously liveried – ex-David Franklin March 772 broke a CV joint.
Peeved at their Mallory Park clash last time out, which left rival Graham Fennymore ahead in the 50th anniversary Historic FF2000 title race, Ben Glasswell did not enter the final double-header, confirming Fennymore as champion for the third time in five seasons with the TMJ Reynard SF81. But Graham met his match in Michael Moyers, who returned to Adrian Reynard’s spare SF79 and won Saturday’s tight stanza, despite only six laps of testing on Friday. Fennymore turned the tables on Moyers on Sunday.
Simon Baines, Porsche 924
Photo by: Mick Walker
Following a disconcerting spin “on cold tyres” through Copse on his first flying lap on Saturday, which presaged a tigerish recovery drive to fourth, “incredibly nervous” 1979 EFDA Euroseries champion Reynard’s third on Sunday – to cracked exhaust hobbled Andrew Storer’s sixth – regained P3 in the table by a point, impressing grandson Luca. “We need more young drivers into FF2000,” said the 75-year-old, who raced his own designs in the Pinto class’s inaugural 1975 season.
Adrian Russell’s front-engined Formula Junior double – the first in a standalone Pre-1961 race – in the unergonomic-looking Condor was insufficient to alter the overall title race. Nic Carlton-Smith (Lotus 20/22) was not to be denied a fourth crown, having survived a Saturday gyration at Becketts to win his drum-braked category and start the massed ranks finale four points ahead. While poleman Sam Wilson (Cooper T59) was uncatchable in both rear-engined contests, Carlton-Smith won a great D1 squabble with the super fast but excitable Nathan Metcalfe (Lotus 20) and veteran Robin Longdon, driving his Lola Mk3 as if he’d recaptured his youth.
Eleven years after son Jono won the HSCC’s Classic Racing Cars championship, Simon Baines landed a popular 70s Road Sports title in his emerald green Porsche 924. With protagonist John Williams’s 911SC out following clutch failure in qualifying, the fast-starting Cumbrian won it from Class D, in which he couldn’t keep Tim Child’s lithe Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV behind.
Scot Elliot Paterson (Morgan +8) and Antony Ross (TVR 3000M) won outright, while defending champion Howard Payne (Lotus Europa) twice beat Mark Leverett (Elan) to snatch class honours. New Historic Road Sports champion Mark Godfrey (Lotus 7) headed Elan allcomers, notably Robert Rowe and Paul Tooms in the Witchampton Garage cars and Sunday spinner Frazer Gibney.
Two drama-laced Alfa Romeo races saw the brawny Giulietta TCR of Jamie Thwaites and Jack Berry’s 4C prevail, the latter with Mike Hilton’s 4C in the gravel at Luffield. Toby Broome retained his title with two class wins.
The Guards Trophy season closer attracted just a dozen starters, but four were disputing the lead before broken transmission stopped Robert and Ben Tusting’s rapid Lenham. Initial leader Andrew Hibberd (Lotus 23B), driving brilliantly, beat Elliot and Russell Paterson (Ginetta G16) and Neil Fowler/Ross Drybrough (Chevron B8) to win the championship on a tie-break with the Tustings, five class wins to three.
Guards Trophy winner Andrew Hibberd
Photo by: Mick Walker
2025 HSCC Silverstone Finals Winners
HSCC SDC Classic Formula Ford races one and two: Rick Morris (Royale RP29)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford race one: Callum Grant (Merlyn Mk20A)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford race two: Benn Simms (Jomo JMR 7)
HSCC Derek Bell Trophy race one: Dan Eagling (March-BDG 742)
HSCC Derek Bell Trophy race two: Peter Williams (LEC-DFV CRP1)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford 2000 race one: Michael Moyers (Reynard SF79)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford 2000 race two: Graham Fennymore (Reynard SF81)
FJHRA Silverline Historic Formula Junior, pre-1961: Adrian Russell (Condor S2).
FJHRA Silverline Historic Formula Junior, rear-engined races one and two: Sam Wilson (Cooper T59)
HSCC 70s Road Sports, Historic Road Sports and Historic Racing Saloons: Elliot Paterson (Morgan +8)
HSCC Historic Road Sports: Mark Godfrey (Lotus 7)
HSCC 70s Road Sports: Antony Ross (TVR 3000M)
Alfa Romeo and Italian Intermarque race one: Jamie Thwaites (Giulietta TCR)
Alfa Romeo and Italian Intermarque race two: Jack Berry (4C)
HSCC Guards Trophy: Andrew Hibberd (Lotus-Ford t/c 23B)
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– The Autosport.com Team
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