Kruger wins again, this time by less than half a second in Donington thrillerBrabham and Scott complete the podium as Mills claims Scholarship honours
Jayde Kruger added a third victory to his collection of 2014 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship race wins today, the South African leading home his team-mate Sam Brabham at Donington Park for a JTR 1-2. Apart from a lap or two mid-race under the Safety Car, Kruger led from pole position to chequered flag to extend his championship lead. Harrison Scott claimed third for Falcon, with Connor Mills triumphing in the Scholarship class for the first time.
Kruger made an inch-perfect getaway from the grid in his EcoBoost Mygale, fighting off a challenge from Brabham around the outside at Redgate Corner and leading Sam by 0.3s by the first lap’s end. Brabham pursued him relentlessly up to the end of the sixth lap when the safety car came out following an incident at the chicane involving the car of Ricky Collard. Kruger saw the flags and slowed and Brabham seized his chance to lead.
“I thought Jayde was slowing down because he had a problem,” said Sam, “but I soon realised what had happened and I handed back the lead to him.”
At the restart three laps later they duelled afresh, but Kruger held sway to the end to win by four tenths. “Sam put me under a little pressure and I made a mistake or two,” said Jayde, “but I think towards the end we used our heads and backed off a little to save our tyres. At least I think that’s what we were doing: I couldn’t be entirely certain about trusting him!”
“After the safety car period I still had the pace,” said Brabham, “and I nearly had Jayde into McLeans one time but it didn’t quite work. After that I thought there was still a long way to go and there was the chance that we could be caught, so I took it steady.”
Scott was pleased enough to have held third throughout, and with his third podium finish in four races, but was disappointed not to have been able to take the fight to Kruger and Brabham: “I’m happy but I need to try to find a bit more to get on terms with them. Starting in front of them for the next race will help…”
Max Marshall held fourth in the early laps for JTR but locked up at the Esses on the restart lap and slipped back; James Abbott got the better of an exciting race-long duel with his Radical team-mate Juan Rosso to secure fourth, with Marshall recovering to sixth by the end.
Mills took over in front of the Scholarship battle after Chris Mealin locked up at the chicane on the 10th lap, and drove a level-headed race to maintain seventh overall to the chequered flag. “It’s a really, really good result for me, especially after Brands Hatch: it’s the perfect way to bounce back. I got a really good start and then found my pace and everything seemed to come together.” Mills’s Scholarship wins nets him £500.
Mealin placed eighth, second Scholarship man home to move into the class points lead, with Bobby Thompson an impressive ninth on his single-seater debut in the Meridian Mygale. James Webb completed the top 10 in his SWB Sinter ahead of another track debutant, Nigerian Ovie Iroro, and Greg Holloway in the second Sinter. Collard was the only casualty of the race, Ricky going off at the chicane on lap five.
