| JAMES
COLE DOMINATES AT OULTON PARK
12 April, 2009:
Home-circuit hero James Cole was the dominant force in the first
race of the new MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain
season at Oulton Park yesterday, seizing pole position at the
wheel of his Jamun Racing Mygale and a race one win.
Twenty-year-old
Southport-based Cole made a strong start to head the field into
the first corner and remained in front to the end. "This
weekend's gone very well," said James. "We got pole and
won the race, with fastest lap as well, so very good." Cole
is hoping that tomorrow's second and third rounds will prove just
as successful for him: "In the next two races really anything
apart from a win is going to be disappointing after today."
A chaotic start to
the race saw the JTR Mygale of Josef Newgarden unable to get away
from the grid and a subsequent collision which left the American
championship debutant, Josh Hill and Fabio Gamberini out of the
running as Cole, Daniel Cammish in the Kevin Mills Spectrum and
Garry Findlay's works Van Diemen romped away at the front.
After a brief
Safety Car period, introduced during clearing-up of the startline
smash, Dutch driver Liroy Stuart continued his strong progress in
the surviving JTR Mygale. Promoted to fifth (from ninth on the
grid) on the opening lap by the crash, Stuart snatched fourth from
his countryman Rogier De Wit when the Getem Mygale driver ran wide
at Old Hall.
The race soon began
to take form, with the leading trio running nose to tail and
working together to pull away from the remainder of the pack.
Gradually Cole was able to break away from Cammish and Findlay,
extending his lead to a second by the seventh of the 10 laps.
Behind him, Findlay managed to make a move: a brave dive up the
inside of Cammish's Spectrum at Old Hall elevated him to second
place.
The battle for
fifth was another hot one, with De Wit reeled in and passed by
Chrissy Palmer, who was giving the all-new Juno an impressive race
debut. Reigning Scholarship Champion Palmer started 12th and
battled hard with De Wit, securing fifth only on the final lap.
Cole's victory
margin over Findlay was 1.3s. Garry was pleased with his result:
"It's good: good points straight away and I think that we're
in a strong position. On Monday we'll be going for the wins, but
we've just got to get through the first corner…"
|
