UHRHANE TAKES
HIS SECOND SILVERSTONE WIN OF THE SEASON
ROUND 22,
SILVERSTONE GP 8 OCTOBER 2011: There's something about
Silverstone for both Geoff Uhrhane and Scott Malvern - it's a
lucky circuit for the former and a not-so-fortunate one for the
latter, as proved today in round 22 of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford
Championship of Great Britain. For Australian Uhrhane made it back
on to the top step of the podium - the last time he managed it in
Britain was at Silverstone at the start of the season, six months
ago - while champion Malvern posted only his third retirement of
the season, at the same track where he last faltered.
It was a superb
race throughout, with between five and seven cars vying for top
spot for most of its duration and multiple lead changes every lap
of the early stages - Formula Ford at its finest on a circuit
which suits the cars perfectly.
Jeroen Slaghekke
got away well from the pole to take an early lead but the Dutch
driver had to give best to his Jamun team-mate Malvern before the
lap's end. The second lap saw Uhrhane rise to the top through
Abbey as Geoff, Scott and Jeroen charged three abreast through one
of the circuit's toughest corners. Malvern got Uhrhane back, only
for the Australian JTR pilot to nip back past for the lead down
Malvern's inside through Luffield.
Malvern returned
the favour at Abbey next time through but had been pushed back to
third by Uhrhane and Slaghekke by the fifth lap, his engine
beginning to go off song. On lap six it expired and Scott was on
the sidelines, joining Luke Williams, who had run off the track,
in retirement.
Slaghekke found
himself pushed back to fourth by Dan de Zille and Antti Buri on
lap seven, the Dutchman believing that he had been unfairly
overtaken. "I'm a little disappointed," said Jeroen.
"I got swarmed by about four people under a yellow flag… I
would have defended into the chicane but there was a yellow flag,
so I didn't. People are not supposed to overtake under yellows but
they still did."
Slaghekke's delay
gave Uhrhane the opportunity he needed to pull a tiny gap, which
the Aussie held to the line and his second British championship
win of the season. "I like Silverstone," said a
delighted Uhrhane, "it's a proper track, a Formula 1 circuit.
It was a hell of a race, and I certainly had to work hard for the
win. It's good to be back on the top step, winning again."
Slaghekke made it
past de Zille for third on the final lap and was then gifted
second by Buri, the Finn running wide through Brooklands as he
tried in vain to defend. De Zille took the opportunity to pass
Buri also, to make it two JTR men on the podium.
Buri held on to
fourth ahead of yet another JTR car, this time in the hands of
Tristan Mingay, with Australia's Nick McBride sixth and heading
home his countryman Jack Le Brocq, who was making his championship
debut for the Jamun team. The Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray of Neil
Alberico was ninth and the only non-Mygale to make the top 10,
finishing just behind Philippe Layac's Enigma/Rendez-Vous Racing
Mygale, with Spike Goddard completing the top 10 for Jamun. Max
Marshall completed the JTR's team exceptional day with Scholarship
class victory well ahead of Fluid Van Diemen driver Matt Rao.
Post-race,
stewards deemed that de Zille had passed Slaghekke under yellow
flags and excluded him from the results, promoting Buri to the
final podium position
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