Two more race wins for JTR and Dan Cammish as he extends his championship advantageJamun men Juan Rosso and Nico Maranzana, and Falcons Harrison Scott, claim the other podium places
Dan Cammish continued his winning ways in the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship sundayday at Donington Park, following up his Saturday Donington victory and the three he scored last month at Brands Hatch with another pair of pole-position-to-chequered flag displays.
Six rounds into the new championship, Cammish and his JTR-prepared EcoBoost Mygale have taken six poles and six wins, and the Leeds-based 24-year-old is 55 points ahead of his closest rival in the championship standings.
Dan won round five by a 5.6s advantage at the line and saved his best for last, claiming victory in the final race of the weekend by the biggest margin yet - 12 seconds - after another copybook performance.
Its all good, especially the car, said Cammish. Do I want some competition? No, Im quite happy doing it this way; you never get bored of winning. I know that the others will get there eventually and close the gap, but until they do I am happy.
Its been really good weekend for me again, he added. Three poles, three wins - three quite dominant wins in the end. The whole idea of coming back to Formula Ford was to get my name back out there, to do the best possible job that I can for myself and for the team, and see where life takes me after that. So far, so good. My great start to the season is not just down to me, its thanks to the team, my sponsors, everyone helping me.
In round five there was again an entertaining battle for the remaining podium positions which was not settled until near the end of the race. The Falcon Motorsport Mygales of Harrison Scott and Lassi Halminen made superb getaways from third and fourth on the grid to slot past Jamuns Nico Maranzana at the start, and rookie racer Scott, 17, held second place all the way until two laps from home, when his more experienced Argentinian rival, Juan Rosso (Jamun), launched an attack at Schwantz curve which he managed to make stick around the outside at McLeans to secure second place and his first podium of the season.
Said Essex-based Scott, who placed third and won the Scholarship Cup class: Rosso put up a good fight towards the end. I managed to keep him behind me for two laps but I destroyed my tyres doing so and lost a lot of grip. But this is only my second weekend of car racing and its my second podium so I am not disappointed.
It was an interesting race, said Rosso. The start was nice, the car was perfect. I made it up to third and thought OK, I stay here. but after that I thought maybe I could try for second, so I did, although my tyres were not so good by then.
Maranzana battled back from a second-lap error, which saw him drop to ninth, to deprive Halminen of fourth place two laps from the end, Lassi another suffering from over-used tyres. George Blundell completed the top six for Enigma Motorsport, ahead of Sam Brabhams JTR car and Brabhams team-mate Camren Kaminsky, who lost a lot of ground on the opening lap when he was squeezed on to the grass and hit an adverting hoarding for championship title sponsor Dunlop. James Abbotts Radical-run Sinter was the only other finisher, in ninth, struggling with badly flat-spotted tyres.
The other Sinter, driven by Fred Martin-Dye, enjoyed a great run up to fourth in the opening laps but Fred missed his braking point at the chicane and hit the tyre wall on lap five. He was joined in retirement by Luke Williams and Andy Richardson. Williams lost several laps in the pits with technical issues but was able to go out on track once again to set fastest lap, and with it a solitary championship point.
In round six, Cammish never came under threat. Maranzana made a great getaway from the front row of the grid to take up the running in second, but by the end of the opening lap Dan was 1.5s clear and speeding away. Maranzana also enjoyed a lonely race, but was robbed of a certain second on the final lap when fuel-surge problems struck and Rosso was able to take advantage.
I had no power, said Nico. It was the fuel. It was a shame. I had a good start, and thats important for me as I learn how to do them, after that I was going well. One day I will be able to catch Dan - I am working hard for that. Maranzana held on to third place at the flag, and with it victory in the Scholarship Cup division.
Williams made it a Jamun 2-3-4 after battling through the field, and surviving a fourth-lap collision with Halminen which resulted in the Finn spinning off into the Redgate gravel. Williams lost time in the incident also and had to do it all again, lifting fourth from Scott at Hollywood mid-distance after Harrison had defended well for two laps.
That was a bit better, said Thirsk driver Williams. I got held up for a long time by Halminen and Scott, and I had a lot of understeer, as well as a lack of speed down the straights. Im really struggling.
Scott claimed fifth at the flag ahead of impressive championship debutant Brabham and Abbott, who was looking much more at home at the wheel of the Radical Sinter. James passed the similar chassis of Martin-Dye at Redgate near the end: Weve made a bit of a step forward, he said.
Blundell lost time with a spin at Coppice but came back to pass Martin-Dye on the final lap for eighth, with Richardson completing the top 10 in his Richardson Racing Mygale. Kaminsky pulled out just after half distance with car trouble to put the tin lid on what proved to be a miserable Donington weekend for the American.
Cammish and his challengers will be back on track in a fortnights time at Thruxton, the UKs fastest circuit.
Provisional resultsDunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great BritainRound 5 (of 30) 21 April 2013, Donington Park18 laps / 35.62 miles1 Dan CAMMISH / GBR/Leeds JTR/Mygale 20m 25.176s / 104.67mph2 Juan ROSSO / ARG Jamun/Mygale +5.606s3 Harrison SCOTT / GBR/Althorne Falcon/Mygale +5.977s4 Nico MARANZANA / ARG Jamun/Mygale +7.528s5 Lassi HALMINEN / FIN Falcon/Mygale +9.106s6 George BLUNDELL / GBR/Grays Enigma/Mygale +13.520s7 Sam BRABHAM / GBR/Henley JTR/Mygale +13.892s etcScholarship class 1 Scott, 2 Maranzana, 3 BrabhamFastest lap Luke WILLIAMS / GBR/Thirsk Jamun/Mygale 1m 06.621s / 106.94mph
Round 6, 18 laps / 35.62 miles1 CAMMISH 20m 10.667s / 105.92mph2 ROSSO +12.030s3 MARANZANA +15.037s4 WILLIAMS +15.311s5 SCOTT +16.858s6 BRABHAM +22.619s etcScholarship class 1 Maranzana, 2 Scott, 3 BrabhamFastest lap Cammish 1m 06.543s / 107.06mph
Full results
Provisional championship standingsOverall 1 Cammish 183 points; 2 Maranzana 128; 3 Scott 119; 4 Blundell 110; 5= Williams & Halminen 86 etcScholarship 1 Maranzana 117; 2 Scott 100; 3 Brabham 41; 4 Martin-Dye 20
Next rounds 4/5 May Thruxton
