Jake on top after spills for Lichtenstein, Williams and champion BuriMatt Rao pips Fabian Welter for Duratec class crown
The Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain came to a dramatic close at Donington Park yesterday, with new champion Antti Buri denied a final chance for victory, Jake Cook returning to the top of the podium and Matt Rao securing Duratec class championship victory.
Sunday had been due to see two Formula Ford races, but an over-running timetable caused by accidents in the GT1 sports car event forced the cancellation of the final races of the day; thus round 23 brought the Formula Ford season to a close.
It was a thriller of a race for spectators, if not for some of the fancied runners. Late-season championship charger Eric Lichtenstein led away from the pole in his Jamun EcoBoost Mygale only for his team-mate Luke Williams to nose ahead down the back straight. Lichtenstein fought back into the Melbourne hairpin to end the first lap ahead, but locked up at the same corner next time around to give Williams the chance to repass.
Alas neither man made it beyond the next corner - they came together at Goddards as their battle for the lead raged and both suffered damage which would lead to their retirement.
That dropped the race into Cooks lap, but Buri, with the championship crown already secured, had every intention of ending his season with a win. The Finn challenged Cook around the outside into Redgate on lap four to nose ahead before making a mistake and slipping back.
It took JTR driver Buri a couple of laps to get back on terms with Cook, and Antti challenged again on lap seven at McLeans. Alas there was contact and Buri limped back to the pits with a damaged car. Cook was able to continue, however, and romped home to a six-second victory, his second of the British championship season.
It was eventful, said Jake, and probably my best race of the year. It always gets a bit fraught towards the end of the year when there is less for people to lose. I maybe didnt have the pace of the others but I just tried to race as well as I could. Antti tried a couple of ambitious moves and we touched, but it was fair racing. For his victory, Jake was also awarded the Muriel Tomlinson Trophy by the Donington Park Racing Association Club.
With JTRs Julio Moreno delayed on the opening lap, the battle for what became second was disputed by Ryan Cullen and Cavan Corcoran, with the latter making the decisive move into the Goddards hairpin on the 10th lap to secure the position.
He made a great move on me, said Ryan, for whom it was a second podium finish of the season. It was a good battle for the whole race; we were moving through the field, avoiding the accidents and trying not to create one of our own because it was very close. Fair play to Cavan, he drove well.
The Duratec class battle was a tense affair also, between Rendez-Vous Racings Fabian Welter and Enigma Motorsport driver George Blundell. Welter held the initiative for four laps before Blundell found a way through at Redgate, the Essex driver repelling an eighth-lap challenge from the Mexican at McLeans to secure his second class victory of the season.
Im feeling much more comfortable with the car now, said Blundell, its taken a while but weve got there. George ends the year as Top Rookie and wins a free entry into the 2013 championship.
Fluid Motorsport Van Diemen driver Matt Rao placed third, claiming enough points to snatch the Duratec class championship title from Welters hands. Though Welter, a 13-time class winner this year, scored more points in total than Rao, Matt moved ahead when dropped scores were taken into account.
Provisional results
Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great BritainFinal round, Donington Park GP 30/9/201212 laps / 29.85 miles
Overall & EcoBoost1 Jake COOK / GBR Jamun Mygale 18m 51.341s / 94.97mph2 Cavan CORCORAN / GBR CCM Mygale +6.142s3 Ryan CULLEN / GBR Cullen/Jamun Mygale +8.626s4 Julio MORENO / ECU JTR Mygale +35.752s
Duratec class1 George BLUNDELL / GBR Enigma Mygale +38.236s2 Fabian WELTER / MEX RVR Mygale +38.884s3 Matt RAO / GBR Fluid Van Diemen +42.449s
Fastest lap Lichtenstein 1m 31.773s / 97.57mph Rec
Full results http://bit.ly/Ps9v4k
Provisional final championship standingsOverall 1 Antti Buri 556 points; 2 Cook 490; 3 Eric Lichtenstein 484; 4 Moreno 416; 5 Corcoran 372; 6 Cullen 324; 7 Luke Williams 264 etcDuratec class 1 Rao 515; 2 Welter 503; 3 Blundell 419; 4 Alex Drabble 350 etc
