THREE WINS FROM
THREE FOR PEERLESS MALVERN
25 April 2011:
Jamun Racing's Scott Malvern sealed a perfect weekend hat-trick of
race wins and fastest laps at Oulton Park today to rocket up the
Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain standings
into second place - having begun the event down in 12th position.
After a
disappointing season opener at Silverstone, albeit an event which
brought with it a race victory in round one, Malvern knew he had
to hit back with maximum scores at Oulton and throughout the
Easter weekend at the Cheshire track he simply couldn't be
toppled.
"It's been a
mega weekend, really sweet," said the Ilford driver. "It
really couldn't have gone any better - three poles, three wins and
three fastest laps. We're definitely back on track and now we need
to keep closing the gap."
The gap he speaks
of is now only 22 points to championship leader, and team-mate,
Jeroen Slaghekke, but the Dutchman scored well himself today to
back up Saturday's second place with a fifth and third.
Finland's Antti
Buri secured a deserved podium in round six for LMS with a
hard-fought second place while, in the fifth round, Australia's
Nick McBride (Jamun) and Jerseyman Dan De Zille (JTR) also
celebrated rostrum success.
Once again in the
Scholarship Class, Derbyshire's Cavan Corcoran was utterly
dominant and is now undefeated in the first six races of 2011. In
round five, he came within just 0.6s of the overall top 10.
Round five:
As in Saturday's round four, Malvern was in scintillating form
throughout this morning's first race of the day and ran untroubled
to a winning margin of almost seven seconds to secure his second
victory on the trot.
Before the green
flag lap even began, Geoff Uhrhane's weekend went from bad to
worse as he was forced to pit with an electrical problem. Held
back by gearbox issues on Saturday, the Australian once more faced
a frustrating time as his JTR mechanics worked to rectify the
issue and to get his Mygale fired up. He joined the race, but
late, and could only manage 12th.
Starting from pole
position, Malvern fended off a spirited challenge at Old Hall by
Slaghekke, who got better traction off the line and momentarily
nosed ahead, albeit on the outside. From there on, the pole man
disappeared into the distance leaving Slaghekke, McBride and Buri
to battle it out over the other podium placings.
Buri's pressure on
McBride paid off quickly and he moved ahead into third place
before turning his attentions to Slaghekke. The Finn got a very
good run down The Avenue and although his Dutch rival had the door
pretty much closed at Cascades, Buri attempted a late attack which
resulted only in a banging of wheels. Luckily, both continued.
Shortly after,
Slaghekke dropped back at Druids so Buri held second ahead of
McBride and De Zille. The continued battling over second place was
an absolute gift for Malvern, who pressed on with fastest lap
after fastest lap.
Buri worked hard to
keep his 2008-spec Mygale ahead of the 2011 variants in the hands
of McBride and De Zille but, as fourth placed De Zille redoubled
his efforts to pressurise McBride, so Buri was able to stretch out
a small margin.
Back in fifth,
Slaghekke had his mirrors completely filled by the Enigma Mygale
of rapid Philippe Layac and Jonny McMullen's Ray but, try as they
might, they couldn't usurp the Dutchman. McBride was however able
to carve open a chance in his attempts to wrest second from Buri
and after a great run through Lodge and up Deer Leap at the end of
lap nine he took the place into Old Hall.
De Zille didn't
want to miss out either on the possibility of a podium and so he
attacked Buri as the Finn tried to force a mistake from new second
place man McBride. The trio ran nose to tail into the 11th and
final lap and, at the last corner, Lodge, De Zille seized his
chance with a terrific pass up the inside to take the final podium
spot.
"It was a bit
close taking second," reported McBride. "Antti locked up
a bit and I took the opportunity." De Zille added: "I
got past Antti at Lodge with a perfect move up the inside after a
good dummy, we've come good today."
Slaghekke just
managed to retain fifth ahead of Layac, a very impressive drive
from the Frenchman netting him a deserved sixth, with McMullan
seventh and Spike Goddard eighth. Mention must go to a terrific
effort from Jake Cook, ninth place - from 16th on the grid - a
great reward after a horrifying roll in qualifying which ruled him
out of round four.
Round six:
Once again, Malvern was untouchable in the last of the weekend's
races, which came to an early conclusion with a stoppage following
contact between Luke Williams' Mygale and the Ray of Jesse Anttila
at the end of lap nine.
Malvern, Slaghekke
and McBride got away in grid order at the start with Buri moving
ahead of De Zille and Goddard slicing his way up the order from eighth. Into Cascades the Australian
and De Zille were in collision, putting them both briefly off the circuit.
Buri made good
early progress and took third at the hairpin from McBride, who
immediately felt pressure from compatriot Uhrhane - his car
finally performing to his satisfaction. The latter harried McBride
at almost every corner but couldn't find a way through.
Back in the fight
for second, Buri got ahead of Slaghekke when the Jamun driver ran
on at the chicane on lap four and then on the fifth tour Uhrhane
finally made his pressure pay off to pass McBride for fourth
place.
Ominously for
everyone else, Malvern continued to pull away at the front and,
with Buri able to edge away from Slaghekke - the Dutch driver
encountering increased attention from Uhrhane and McBride - the
top two positions were set.
Try as he might
Uhrhane couldn't break Slaghekke's defence - until lap nine that
is when, at the exit of Knickerbrook, he produced a stunning move
to take third. With the appearance of red flags though at the end
of the very same lap, his deserved podium was not to be.
McBride finished
fifth, ahead of Matthew Parry's Van Diemen, the Rays of American
Neil Alberico and his CDR team-mate Jonny McMullen and the Mygale
of De Zille, who recovered to ninth after his lap one incident.
Cavan Corcoran took his sixth straight Scholarship Class win in
12th overall, eight seconds ahead of David Moore.
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