9 April, 2007: British Formula Ford's new season blasted away to a dramatic start today (Monday) at Oulton Park with a familiar team in the winner's circle and an exciting new face atop the podium.

For the opening round of the championship belonged to champion team Jamun Racing Services and its new star driver, Callum MacLeod. The 19-year-old from Northampton dominated proceedings while his rivals struggled to find their pace, claiming pole position, a convincing race win and a new lap record.

Alas for the others, their chance to redress the balance in round two was thwarted by a combination of poor weather, an over-full event schedule and a succession of race-halting accidents in the F3 and sports car races. Time ran out for the Formula Fordsters, whose second race was due to close proceedings, and their event had to be canned.

MacLeod was in a class of his own from the word go, Callum planting his Mygale on the pole with a qualifying time seven-tenths better than that of his closest rival, 2006 championship runner-up Nick Tandy. Nick might have narrowed the gap a little but for a late-session spin into the barriers.

His crash was to prove a further handicap come the race for, although the JTR team worked miracles to get Nick's Ray on to the grid, its handling was less than perfect. Although Tandy made a blistering getaway to head MacLeod into Old Hall Corner, his tenure of the lead would not last the lap.

Once on top MacLeod worked hard to open an advantage, banging in a succession of fastest laps until he had lowered Peter Dempsey's year-old mark by 1.5s. By half distance Callum was 3.6s in front.

Tandy's troubles were compounded on the second lap when James Nash's Kevin Mills-run Van Diemen popped past him and sped away in pursuit of MacLeod. Nick was powerless to respond and settled in instead to a race-long defence of third.

MacLeod was 6.5s ahead of Nash at the chequered flag and pleased with his strong campaign start: 'It may have looked an easy win but it was anything but. First I had to get past Nick and then it was a question of putting in a few quick laps to make a break. After that I could afford to chill a little.'

His podium colleagues agreed on MacLeod's pace. 'I just couldn't catch him,' said Nash. Added Tandy: 'He was awesomely quick, and my car was oversteering badly, probably a result of my qualifying accident…'

Linton Stuteley held fourth spot in his Getem Racing-prepared Mygale for the first third of the race until Richard Tannahill unseated him and then Linton lost a further two places, to Jay Bridger and Marc Murray, after a slither at the chicane. Stuteley fought back past Murray but was unable to prevent Tannahill and Bridger from claiming fourth and fifth at the line.

Sarah Playfair lost ground at the start to slip to 10th but made good progress back up the order to finish in Murray's wheeltracks for eighth, ahead of Takashi Nagase and reigning Scholarship Champion David Brown.

Steve Roberts made a blinding start to zoom from 11th on the grid to fifth on the opening lap, but thereafter his progress was mostly backwards and he ended up 11th once more, just ahead of Lee Mumford, Adrian Campfield, James Stephen and Daniel Murray.

Matthew Payne was the sole Scholarship Class contender - more Zetec-powered cars are expected on the grid at the next rounds, at Donington Park in a fortnight.

Provisional results
British Formula Ford round 1 (of 25)
Oulton Park 9/4/2007. 11 laps / 29.61 miles
1, Callum MacLeod, UK/Northampton, Jamun/Mygale, 18m46.870s
2, James Nash, UK/Newport Pagnell, Mills/Van Diemen, +6.502s
3, Nick Tandy, UK/Bedford, JTR/Ray, +9.836s
4, Richard Tannahill, UK/Coleraine, Mills/Van Diemen, +13.456s
5, Jay Bridger, UK/Tonbridge, Jamun/Mygale, +13.751s
6, Linton Stuteley, UK/Stevenage, Getem/Mygale, +14.163s
Scholarship class: Matthew Payne / 19th overall, 10 laps
Fastest lap: MacLeod / 1m41.110s / 95.8mph. Record