Josh Hill turned in a masterful performance in difficult track conditions at Donington Park (Saturday) to notch up his fourth race win of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain season. The World Champion’s son overhauled the car of his team-mate Scott Pye on the second lap and held off a late challenge from Dan Cammish to claim victory by a 0.25s margin.
Showers shortly before the start of the British Touring Car Championship-supporting 21st round of the Formula Ford season brought problems not only for the drivers but also for their teams, who struggled to set their cars up for the rapidly changing conditions.
It turned out that pole-sitter Pye’s Jamun Racing Mygale was in far from ideal shape for the increasingly slippery Donington track. “I just couldn’t get the power down like the others could,” lamented the championship leader, who led the opening lap from pole position before Hill overcame him through the Craner Curves on lap two. Thereafter Pye reversed down the order, being passed for second by Cammish’s JTR Mygale on lap three and then losing third to the Ray of his title rival Scott Malvern on the fifth tour.
Pye’s lack of grip played right into Hill’s hands, Josh managing to pull two seconds clear of his pursuers on the lap he stole the lead. By the time Cammish had disposed of Pye, Hill was 2.8s to the good, an advantage that was to prove crucial as Cammish gave chase.
Daniel established a new lap record for the revised Donington National circuit on lap four and, by the seventh of the 14-lap sprint, had reduced the leader’s advantage to 0.6s. “Pye was holding me up quite a bit,” said Cammish, “but once I was past him I was able to catch Hill pretty quickly. Unfortunately then the heavens really opened and I started to lose the advantage that I had had.”
Hill’s car improved as the conditions became wetter and was able to fend off Cammish’s lunges for the lead. “It was lucky that I managed to get a good gap early on,” said Josh. “That helped me a lot.”
Malvern finished ahead of Pye for only the sixth time this season but was unable to make it on to the podium: Tio Ellinas, who had slipped behind the Englishman on the third lap, found his JTR Mygale improving as the track became more slippery, and drove around Scott into Redgate on the penultimate lap. Malvern finished comfortably ahead of Pye to secure fourth and narrow slightly the Australian’s championship lead.
Garry Findlay placed sixth, and was the leading Guest class finisher, for the Fluid Van Diemen team, well ahead of Emil Bernstorff’s Jamun Mygale and the Enigma car of newly crowned Finnish Formula Ford Champion Antti Buri. Indian driver Zaamin Jaffer scored his best result of the season for Raysport with ninth, just ahead of Frenchman Philippe Layac.
Dan de Zille and James Tucker tangled on the 10th lap while disputing seventh, both men joining Luke Williams in retirement. Luke’s Juno came together with the Ray of his Scholarship class rival Tristan Mingay at McLeans on lap five; Mingay was able to continue after their collision to win the class and regain the Scholarship points lead.
Rounds 22 and 23 of the championship take place at Donington today with coverage on ITV4.
Provisional resultsDunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great BritainRound 21 (of 25) Donington Park 18/9/201014 laps / 27.71 milesPos Driver Nat/Home Team/Chassis Time1 Josh Hill GBR/Farnham Jamun/Mygale 18m 23.129s / 90.41mph2 Daniel Cammish GBR/Churwell JTR/Mygale +0.252s3 Tio Ellinas CYP/Larnaca JTR Mygale +4.724s4 Scott Malvern GBR/Ilford Dempsey/Ray +5.730s5 Scott Pye AUS/Mount Gambier Jamun/Mygale +8.121s6 Garry Findlay GBR/Eye Fluid/Van Diemen +9.850sScholarship class: Tristan Mingay GBR/Hailsham Raysport/Ray +1m 09.373sFastest lap: Cammish 1m 17.369s / 92.08mph Est Rec
Provisional championship placings1 Pye 499 points; 2 Malvern 497; 3 Cammish 405; 4 Buri 384; 5 Hill 381; 6 Ellinas 370 etcScholarship Class1 Mingay 407; 2 Luke Williams 391; 3 Dani Domit 168 etc
Next rounds: Donington Park 19 September
