BRSCC 1600 Race Report Season 2015 - Issue 5: Indy Circuit, 20th June MEGA MCMULLAN Pole and 2 wins for Jonny

Best ever points haul for Capezzone BRSCC Formula Ford 1600: Race Report - Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 20th June CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 3

Qualifying 4

Faces of FF1600 7

Race 1 8

Race 2 12

Data & Credits

Meeting Type: Double Header Words: Dave Williams Circuit: Brands Hatch Indy Editing: Dave Williams Circuit Length: 1.2079 miles www.gramtext.co.uk

National Championship: Rounds 7 & 8 Copyright on Pictures: Bourne Photographic Triple Crown: Round 4 & 5 www.bournephotographic.co.uk

Organised by BRSCC Next Events: Sponsored by Avon Tyres 4th July: Northern Championship: Round 4 BRSCC FF1600 Championship Co-ordinator: 18th July: Castle Combe Ian Smith (07939 107888) National Championship: Rounds 9 & 10

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Introduction Brands Hatch was the venue for the latest instalments in the Avon Tyres Formula Ford 1600 National Championship and Triple Crown. This marked the half-way point of these series both of which have attracted a high quality entry this season. All the action – a qualifying session followed by 2 races – took place in a compact 4 and a half hour time-frame. Light drizzle made conditions tricky for the opener but this didn’t prevent some superb racing taking place. Sometimes the wheel to wheel antics were a little too close which meant there were quite a few busy mechanics in the brief period between the two races with a number of drivers looking to work their way up from the back of the grid in the second encounter.

Page: 3 www.brsccff1600.co.uk BRSCC Formula Ford 1600: Race Report - Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 20th June Qualifying

The loss of a bolt thwarted Chris Middlehurst

BOLT FROM THE BLUE For Jonny McMullan, the first part of his visit to Brands Hatch mirrored his last BRSCC Formula Ford 1600 meeting at Oulton Park. Great pace during testing on Friday was followed by setting the fastest time in qualifying the next morning. Early in the 20 minute qualifying session, the current Dunlop Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year put in a banker 50 second lap which was 3 tenths faster than anyone else at that stage. He then made a planned pit-stop to adjust the tyre pressures on his LA10. Just as he came in Stephen Daly, who was a contender at Donington Park’s first Triple Crown meeting, put in a time that was only a couple of hundredths from McMullan’s best. Two minutes later the Bernard Dolan engineered driver was back out defending his position at the top of the time screens. He was soon putting together 3 laps that were below 50 secs with a best of 49.895 secs. This magnificent trio of circuits were accomplished without the aid of a tow. After another great showing against the clock, the pole-sitter was hoping for better fortune once racing got under way having failed to take a victory the last time he competed with us in Cheshire. Daly couldn’t find any further speed in the second half of the qualifying period but would take his place in a Ray GR13 on the outside of the front row for race 1 nonetheless. Third fastest was another Ray GR13, this was the red example in the hands of Luke Williams. Tom McArthur was leading the Triple Crown after the opening two rounds and he put the hammer down in the B-M Racing Van Diemen LA10 as he set the fourth best time which was just 7 hundredths away from Williams. Two top class drivers occupied row 3 with Chris Middlehurst’s GV15K just ahead of Patrick Dussault in his Ray GR13/14. Middlehurst had been hoping to start

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The pole-sitter was hoping for better fortune once racing got under way race 1 from the first couple of rows but a bolt connecting the right hand steering arm came loose at Graham Hill Bend early in the session and then came off altogether at Surtees. He managed to get the car back to the pits and his crew were able to make repairs after one of the Fun Cup teams provided a replacement component but this cost him half the session and restricted the number of flying laps he could make. In the month since he last raced in BRSCC Formula Ford 1600, Dussault had taken a first and a second place in support events at the Canadian Grand Prix in his native Montreal and watched the in Toronto. Dussault’s Cliff Dempsey Racing team-mate, Ben Spurge, was another to put in a creditable performance and he was the next faster qualifying in seventh. Thomas Capezzone was unable to test on Friday and so he was delighted to put in a best effort of 50.4 secs to claim eighth. This put him two places ahead of his Swift Cooper team-mate, Luke Cooper, who was struggling to get to grips with his car. The two Swifts were separated by the other B-M Racing car of David McArthur. The Top Ten were covered by three quarters of a second underlining the competitiveness of the category.

Since winning twice at the previous meeting at Oulton Park, Patrick Dussault has visited the F1 and IndyCar paddocks

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Matthew Cowley was the fastest Pre90 driver

Page: 6 www.brsccff1600.co.uk BRSCC Formula Ford 1600: Race Report - Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 20th June FACES OF FF1600

Page: 7 www.brsccff1600.co.uk BRSCC Formula Ford 1600: Race Report - Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 20th June Race 1 BRANDS CLASSIC

Jonny McMullan (5) leads Stephen Daly (2) in a classic Battle of Brands Drizzle made track conditions treacherous throughout this race which proved to be full of action. Despite the adverse camber on the section of track where pole position is located at Brands Hatch fastest qualifier, Jonny McMullan, was able to take the lead into Paddock Hill Bend. Given the varying levels of adhesion, this was not necessarily the best situation to be in as the Irishman was the first to find out how much (or more importantly, how little) grip was available at each corner. Adding to his difficulties was the fact that Stephen Daly was the first of 6 cars right on his gearbox and his fellow countryman was looking for a way past each time they tackled Druids. After being fended off for 3 laps, Daly tried the outside line but he went backwards instead of forwards as Luke Williams seized the opportunity to take second. A lap and a half later, Daly was pushed down to fourth by Chris Middlehurst at Clearways. Middlehurst was holding the fastest lap at this point and was soon looking to take second from Williams at Druids after the latter had in turn gone for the lead round the outside at Paddock. With everyone attacking and defending at the same time, Luke Cooper was able to latch on to the back to make it an 8 car train at the front having made changes to get his car handling far more to his liking after problems in qualifying. On lap 7, Daly attempted to take third from Middlehurst at Druids but the St Helens driver held on round the outside. This cost Daly a little momentum on the run down into Graham Hill Bend. Fifth placed Tom McArthur had a sniff down his inside but decided against the move. As he switched right to take the racing line through the corner he found Patrick Dussault making a move round his outside. The two made contact. The Canadian was able to rejoin down in tenth but McArthur

Page: 8 www.brsccff1600.co.uk BRSCC Formula Ford 1600: Race Report - Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 20th June Everyone was attacking and defending... spun to a halt on the exit of the corner with broken suspension. The Safety Car was scrambled to enable the black and white Van Diemen to be moved out of danger. After a couple of laps the green flags were out. McMullan’s restart was excellent, he was already 3 quarters of a second ahead as he sped past the timing beam however the conditions were making it difficult for him to find the confidence to really push and increase his advantage. Williams, Middlehurst and Daly were able to reel him in. Soon it was three abreast for the lead with second and third swapping place. Middlehurst then tried to go round the outside of McMullan but found himself on the grass allowing Williams to get back into the runner-up position. With Cooper continuing to make places and finding himself in fifth, Daly (in fourth) took a wide line into Clearways and swept back towards the apex but found Middlehurst occupying the piece of tarmac he wanted to use. Daly spun down the order while Middlehurst continued although with the performance of his car having reached a plateau due to the huge amount of grip his Mygale chassis had extracted from his tyres early in the race he was now in danger of losing the final place on the podium to Cooper. The battle between these two culminated in contact on the exit of Paddock. This sent both cars into the barriers on the inside of the circuit. While the drivers were ok, the Clerk of the Course elected to red flag the race with just over 5 minutes remaining as the wreckage was in a vulnerable location. Thus McMullan and Williams took first and second. The latter was troubled by an 8 inch piece of metal rattling around under his feet which he had been aware of since the formation lap. He thought it was part of the bracket that holds the battery in place but when he removed the bodywork back in the paddock he discovered it was a section of chassis! The problem was so severe, he would miss race 2. With Cooper and Middlehurst exiting stage right, David McArthur moved up to third from ninth on the grid. He had made a great start to immediately overtake the two cars ahead of him and then benefitted as others hit trouble. Luke Williams got closest to winner McMullan!

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Another making a great improvement on his qualifying position was Andy Charsley who steered his Ray GR15 from eleventh on the grid to be classified fourth. Thomas Capezzone enjoyed a trouble free race to be classified fifth ahead of Ben Spurge who had started from row 4 of the grid alongside him. Daly and Dussault recovered from their spins to be classified seventh and eighth while Chris Acton and Vincent Jay in their Rays rounded out the Top Ten. A lack of budget for pre-event testing meant Paul Mason set an unrepresentively slow time in qualifying. He felt confident enough on the slippery track to pass a few cars in his Swift SC94 and annexed what would become eleventh by demoting Harry Cobbold’s Ray GR10 at Druids with a few laps to go. Cobbold was taking part in only his second Formula Ford 1600 race meeting having made his debut in the two Triple Crown rounds at Donington Park. The engine problem which caused him to retire from the second race in Derbyshire had been fixed and he made a great start that saw him move up a couple of places. The Safety Car allowed Mason to get on to his tail and eventually breech his defences after a few laps of dicing. Rather neatly, Jack Wolfenden finished thirteenth in his Van Diemen JL013K. He came home safe and sound having had a couple of off-track excursions in testing and qualifying. Matthew Cowley cemented his lead at the top of the Pre90 National and Triple Crown standings. In truth he didn’t have much competition, especially when Andrew Kluge who was the only other runner in this class pitted to have his Van Diemen RF89’Rs engine cover re-attached, but this made spectating less stressful for his mum and dad. Cowley was pleased to set respectable lap times in comparison with the newer Post89 cars despite the gearbox of his Reynard 88FF being reluctant to stay in fourth just before the Safety Car appeared

Andrew Kluge’s Van Diemen had an “air brake”!

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Chris Middlehurst (2) and Luke Cooper (26) race wheel to wheel. Seconds later they would be in the barriers

Page: 11 www.brsccff1600.co.uk BRSCC Formula Ford 1600: Race Report - Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, 20th June Race 2 UNCATCHABLE

No one had the pace to match Jonny McMullan in race 2 In the damp conditions of race 1, Jonny McMullan feared he might spin off while leading but he had no such worries in this encounter. On a dry track he took the lead from the start and was able to show his dominance. The Irish driver was 5 and a half seconds ahead at one point, as he set the fastest lap of 50.183 secs in the process, before easing back to take the chequered flag with a 3 secs advantage. His nearest challenger was Chris Middlehurst who was one of the many drivers coming from the back of the grid as the starting order was established by the classification of the drama filled opener. With his Mygale chassis providing awesome grip levels, he made a great start and seized every opportunity that arose to gain places. Chris was just hoping to get up to third to make it on to the podium but by lap 9 he had gone one better than this having taken second from Stephen Daly. With the purchase his tyres had on the road once again levelling off, he was unable to challenge McMullan for the lead but was pleased to take the runner-up spot. He was grateful to Quantum Racing Services for help with dampers, this massively reduced the wear-rate on his rubber compared to earlier in the season. In the opening exchanges, Daly had overtaken David McArthur who was struggling with a lack of grip. The Mancunian would be demoted further by Thomas Capezzone who, in being classified fourth, finished one place higher than earlier in the day. This was the Frenchman’s best points haul from a BRSCC Formula Ford 1600 race meeting. An eventful day for Patrick Dussault continued into this contest. Having finished eighth before lunch he had been excluded from that race which meant he should have been sent to the back of the grid but, having submitted an appeal which was later upheld, he was

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was allowed to start from his actual finishing position. However, just before the red lights went out the judges noticed that he had rolled forwards and was starting from the incorrect position. This resulted in a 10 second penalty and, while he was embroiled in a fantastic battle with Daly for third on the road, he was awarded sixth on the results sheet. As the faster cars came through from the back of the pack, Andy Charsley conceded a few places so that having started from fourth he came home seventh. One of those coming up the order having failed to finish race 1 was Tom McArthur. He got as high as eighth before a coming together with Ben Spurge at Druids pushed him back down to thirteenth. He fought back and was classified ninth despite a further spin at Graham Hill Bend and a 5 secs Track Limits penalty. The incident at Druids caused Spurge to retire while Luke Cooper, another who had started from the back, was caught up in the melee. His Swift sustained damage which affected its performance but he soldiered on to claim a frustrated eighth as he felt he could have finished much further up the order with a healthy car. Vincent Jay completed the Top Ten ahead of Paul Mason who undid the good work from earlier by making a poor start which meant he once again had to do some overtaking. The highlight of these passes was when he went round the outside of Harry Cobbold at Graham Hill Bend. His opponent was very gentlemanly and provided him with plenty of room to manoeuvre. Both these drivers set their fastest times of the day, and Mason was delighted to get into the 51s on his first visit to Brands but Cobbold felt his inconsistency let him down. This allowed Jack Wolfenden to take twelfth. In the Pre90 class, there hadn’t been enough time for Matthew Cowley’s gearbox to be repaired and so he had to hold the ‘shifter in place whenever he was in fourth. This didn’t prevent him from finishing ahead of Andrew Kluge who was the last man to take the flag as Chris Acton’s race ended in the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.

Chris Acton ended his race in the gravel

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Andy Charsley chases Thomas Capezzone across the grid hatchings

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