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DONINGTON DOUBLE
TOP FOR MACLEOD
22 April, 2007:
First-round victor Callum MacLeod maintained his unbeaten British
Formula Ford Championship record today at Donington Park, the
19-year-old guiding his Jamun Racing-prepared Mygale to twin wins.
And as at Oulton
Park a fortnight ago, it was the Van Diemen of James Nash which
proved the greatest threat to MacLeod. Nash finished less than a
second behind him in an accident-blighted race one, and then piled
on the pressure once again in race two.
MacLeod's progress
to his first victory of the day in the Ford-backed series was
delayed by a first-lap accident triggered when championship
newcomer Freddie Hunt, son of late Word Champion James Hunt,
hooked a wheel on the grass on the exit to Redgate Corner and
spun.
Hunt, who had
qualified an encouraging 18th on the 26-car grid in his JTR-run
Ray, collected the Spirit of French driver Philippe Layac and the
ensuing chaos brought to a premature end the outings of several
others, including Jamie Jardine and Chris Acton. The only
surviving Scholarship Class contender, Matthew Payne, was caught
up in it too but his Mygale survived only to succumb after three
laps with engine problems.
Removing the
accident debris to a place of safety necessitated a three-lap
spell under the safety car, negating MacLeod's best efforts to
make a break after a good start from pole position, which he had
secured by a six-tenth margin. Callum was further frustrated when
Adrian Campfield's Celre Mygale expired at Coppice and the safety
car was put back on track for a further lap.
The second and
final restart, with six minutes remaining on the clock, marked the
proper beginning of the race. MacLeod was immediately on the pace,
setting fastest lap as he tried to edge away from the closely
pursuing Nash and his Kevin Mills Racing-run machine.
Nash was having
none of it and, though he had Nick Tandy's Ray breathing down his
neck, made several attempts at pressuring MacLeod into an error.
"There was a lot of oil down on the track," said James,
"and that gave me a bit of trouble. Callum seemed more
confident in the conditions."
MacLeod's tyres,
which had cooled during the safety car period, were now coming
into their own and there were to be no mistakes. On the final lap
he sliced eight-tenths from the circuit lap record to beat Nash to
the line by just under a second. "My tyres came good late in
the race and gave me the edge I needed," said Callum. Pole
position, race win and fastest lap is all good for my championship
hopes."
Tandy, visibly
outpaced on the straights, could do nothing about those in front.
"I hung back a bit in the hope that James would have a go at
Callum and that I could make a run on both of them, but the
opportunity never arose," said Nick, who had to settle for
third.
Ulsterman Richard
Tannahill put in a solid performance in the sister car to Nash,
unseating South African Marc Murray from fourth with three laps to
go. Murray managed to fend off the attentions of the
ever-improving Linton Stuteley to secure fifth.
Sarah Playfair lost
ground at the start but managed to nab a place from Lee Mumford
after the second restart to follow her seventh-placed team-mate
Jay Bridger across the line. "We have the pace to stay with
the front-runners," said Sarah, "so I am annoyed about
the start."
David Brown,
Mumford, Daniel Murray and Takashi Nagase completed the top 12,
with Finnish 16-year-old Jesse Krohn piloting the Alan Docking
Racing Spectrum to a solid 13th on his championship debut.
There were no
interruptions to race two, and few problems either for MacLeod as
he romped to his third win in succession, once again from the
pole. But Callum had his hands full at the start in fending off a
very rapid Stuteley, who started alongside him, and then after a
couple of laps he found his mirrors full once more of Nash's Van
Diemen.
James was the most
determined he has been all season and his gritty efforts to
pressure MacLeod into handing over the lead very nearly paid off
at mid-distance when Callum made a slight mistake into McLeans.
But although Nash closed on to the Mygale's gearbox there was no
way past.
MacLeod then popped
in a succession of quick laps to atone for his error, lowering his
lap record in the process, to pull away from Nash to a 4.1-second
victory. 'That one is down to the team,' said Callum. 'They
suggested some good tactics and it all worked out perfectly.'
Stuteley shadowed
Nash all the way to the chequered flag and his first British
Formula Ford podium, with Jay Bridger making excellent progress
from ninth on the grid to finish fourth ahead of Tannahill and a
subdued Tandy, whose straightline pace seemed yet further sapped.
Reigning
Scholarship Champion Brown continued his steady progress towards
the sharp end with a well-deserved seventh ahead of fellow Scots
drivers Playfair and James Stephen, who was going great guns in
the Kartstart Van Diemen. The top 13 was rounded out by a quartet
of overseas drivers: Nagase, lap one spinner Marc Murray, Krohn
and Daniel Murray.
Fast learner Hunt
meanwhile kept out of trouble to come home 21st at a circuit which
three days previously he had never seen. "It's been a very
steep learning curve," said Freddie, "but I have enjoyed
every minute of it."
*The British
Formula Ford Championship campaigners barely have time to draw
breath before they are in action again. Next weekend (28/29 April)
the venue is Brands Hatch, the birthplace 40 years ago of Formula
Ford, where the championship plays a supporting role to the A1GP
series.
The regulars will
be joined on the grid in Kent by 2006 top-three championship
finisher Peter Dempsey, piloting a works-run Ray.
Provisional
results
British Formula Ford round 3 (of 25)
Donington Park 22/4/2007. 11 laps / 21.52 miles
1, Callum MacLeod, UK/Northampton, Jamun, Mygale, 18m02.444s
2, James Nash, UK/Newport Pagnell, Mills, Van Diemen, +0.795s
3, Nick Tandy, UK/Bedford, JTR, Ray, +2.081s
4, Richard Tannahill, UK/Coleraine, Mills, Van Diemen, +3.994s
5, Marc Murray, ZA/Sudbury, Fluid, Van Diemen, +4.115s
6, Linton Stuteley, UK/Stevenage, Getem, Mygale, +4.318s
Fastest lap: MacLeod 1m11.039s / 99.2 mph. Record
Round 4 / Donington
Park 22/4/2007. 16 laps / 31.31 miles
1, Callum MacLeod, UK/Northampton, Jamun, Mygale, 19m11.257s
2, James Nash, UK/Newport Pagnell, Mills, Van Diemen, +4.112s
3, Linton Stuteley, UK/Stevenage, Getem, Mygale, +9.302s
4, Jay Bridger, UK/Tonbridge, Jamun, Mygale, +11.614s
5, Richard Tannahill, UK/Coleraine, Mills, Van Diemen, +13.257s
6, Nick Tandy, UK/Bedford, JTR, Ray, +13.853s
Scholarship class: Sean Gaffney / 22nd overall, 15 laps
Fastest lap: MacLeod 1m10.989s / 99.2mph. Record |
