Jamun Racing’s Scott Malvern sealed a perfect weekend hat-trick of race wins and fastest laps at Oulton Park today to rocket up the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain standings into second place - having begun the event down in 12th position.
After a disappointing season opener at Silverstone, albeit an event which brought with it a race victory in round one, Malvern knew he had to hit back with maximum scores at Oulton and throughout the Easter weekend at the Cheshire track he simply couldn’t be toppled.
“It’s been a mega weekend, really sweet,” said the Ilford driver. “It really couldn’t have gone any better - three poles, three wins and three fastest laps. We’re definitely back on track and now we need to keep closing the gap.”
The gap he speaks of is now only 22 points to championship leader, and team-mate, Jeroen Slaghekke, but the Dutchman scored well himself today to back up Saturday’s second place with a fifth and third.
Finland’s Antti Buri secured a deserved podium in round six for LMS with a hard-fought second place while, in the fifth round, Australia’s Nick McBride (Jamun) and Jerseyman Dan De Zille (JTR) also celebrated rostrum success.
Once again in the Scholarship Class, Derbyshire’s Cavan Corcoran was utterly dominant and is now undefeated in the first six races of 2011. In round five, he came within just 0.6s of the overall top 10.
Round five: As in Saturday’s round four, Malvern was in scintillating form throughout this morning’s first race of the day and ran untroubled to a winning margin of almost seven seconds to secure his second victory on the trot.
Before the green flag lap even began, Geoff Uhrhane’s weekend went from bad to worse as he was forced to pit with an electrical problem. Held back by gearbox issues on Saturday, the Australian once more faced a frustrating time as his JTR mechanics worked to rectify the issue and to get his Mygale fired up. He joined the race, but late, and could only manage 12th.
Starting from pole position, Malvern fended off a spirited challenge at Old Hall by Slaghekke, who got better traction off the line and momentarily nosed ahead, albeit on the outside. From there on, the pole man disappeared into the distance leaving Slaghekke, McBride and Buri to battle it out over the other podium placings.
Buri’s pressure on McBride paid off quickly and he moved ahead into third place before turning his attentions to Slaghekke. The Finn got a very good run down The Avenue and although his Dutch rival had the door pretty much closed at Cascades, Buri attempted a late attack which resulted only in a banging of wheels. Luckily, both continued.
Shortly after, Slaghekke dropped back at Druids so Buri held second ahead of McBride and De Zille. The continued battling over second place was an absolute gift for Malvern, who pressed on with fastest lap after fastest lap.
Buri worked hard to keep his 2008-spec Mygale ahead of the 2011 variants in the hands of McBride and De Zille but, as fourth placed De Zille redoubled his efforts to pressurise McBride, so Buri was able to stretch out a small margin.
Back in fifth, Slaghekke had his mirrors completely filled by the Enigma Mygale of rapid Philippe Layac and Jonny McMullen’s Ray but, try as they might, they couldn’t usurp the Dutchman. McBride was however able to carve open a chance in his attempts to wrest second from Buri and after a great run through Lodge and up Deer Leap at the end of lap nine he took the place into Old Hall.
De Zille didn’t want to miss out either on the possibility of a podium and so he attacked Buri as the Finn tried to force a mistake from new second place man McBride. The trio ran nose to tail into the 11th and final lap and, at the last corner, Lodge, De Zille seized his chance with a terrific pass up the inside to take the final podium spot.
“It was a bit close taking second,” reported McBride. “Antti locked up a bit and I took the opportunity.” De Zille added: “I got past Antti at Lodge with a perfect move up the inside after a good dummy, we’ve come good today.”
Slaghekke just managed to retain fifth ahead of Layac, a very impressive drive from the Frenchman netting him a deserved sixth, with McMullan seventh and Spike Goddard eighth. Mention must go to a terrific effort from Jake Cook, ninth place - from 16th on the grid - a great reward after a horrifying roll in qualifying which ruled him out of round four.
Round six: Once again, Malvern was untouchable in the last of the weekend’s races, which came to an early conclusion with a stoppage following contact between Luke Williams’ Mygale and the Ray of Jesse Anttila at the end of lap nine.
Malvern, Slaghekke and McBride got away in grid order at the start with Buri moving ahead of De Zille and Goddard slicing his way through to sixth from eighth. Into Cascades the Australian made contact with De Zille, putting them both briefly off the circuit.
Buri made good early progress and took third at the hairpin from McBride, who immediately felt pressure from compatriot Uhrhane - his car finally performing to his satisfaction. The latter harried McBride at almost every corner but couldn’t find a way through.
Back in the fight for second, Buri got ahead of Slaghekke when the Jamun driver ran on at the chicane on lap four and then on the fifth tour Uhrhane finally made his pressure pay off to pass McBride for fourth place.
Ominously for everyone else, Malvern continued to pull away at the front and, with Buri able to edge away from Slaghekke - the Dutch driver encountering increased attention from Uhrhane and McBride - the top two positions were set.
Try as he might Uhrhane couldn’t break Slaghekke’s defence - until lap nine that is when, at the exit of Knickerbrook, he produced a stunning move to take third. With the appearance of red flags though at the end of the very same lap, his deserved podium was not to be.
McBride finished fifth, ahead of Matthew Parry’s Van Diemen, the Rays of American Neil Alberico and his CDR team-mate Jonny McMullen and the Mygale of De Zille, who recovered to ninth after his lap one incident. Cavan Corcoran took his sixth straight Scholarship Class win in 12th overall, eight seconds ahead of David Moore.
Provisional resultsDunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great BritainRound 5 (of 24) Oulton Park (International) 25/4/1111 laps / 29.59 miles1 Scott Malvern GBR/Ilford Jamun Mygale 18m 34.737s / 95.63mph2 Nick McBride AUS Jamun Mygale +6.684s3 Dan De Zille JEY JTR Mygale +8.364s4 Antti Buri FIN LMS Mygale +8.455s5 Jeroen Slaghekke NED Jamun Mygale +20.099s6 Philippe Layac FRA Enigma Mygale +20.254s11 & Scholarship class Cavan Corcoran GBR/Matlock Getem Mygale +24.673sFastest lap Malvern 1m 40.221s / 96.69mph
Round 6, 8 laps / 21.52 miles1 Malvern 13m 36.523s / 94.95mph2 Buri +5.487s3 Slaghekke +8.990s4 Geoff Uhrhane AUS JTR Mygale +9.101s5 McBride +9.444s6 Matthew Parry GBR Fluid Van Diemen +16.417s12 & Scholarship class Corcoran +26.584sFastest lap Malvern 1m 41.163s / 95.79mph
Provisional championship standings1 Slaghekke 146 points; 2 Malvern 124; 3 Uhrhane 118; 4 McBride 117; 5 De Zille 116; 6 Buri 113 etcScholarship class 1 Corcoran 186; 2 David Moore (GBR/Tockwith) 135; 3 Jake Jackson (GBR/Crowborough) 75
Next rounds Snetterton 300, 14/15 May
