CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS, SILVERSTONE, OCTOBER 11/12
Veteran Morris stars as Formula Ford wows at Silverstone Championship Finals
On a weekend when several title fights went down to the wire, the 2025 HSCC Championship Finals meeting at Silverstone will long be remembered for tremendously competitive racing on the National circuit – particularly in the Formula Ford categories – and a strong spirit of camaraderie in the pits and paddock. The best entry in several seasons, around 260 competitors across the 17-race programme, plus the enthusiastic Karting Legends demo set, was encouraging as the club gears up for its 60th anniversary celebrations next year. Remarkably few incidents and super-efficient marshalling enabled officials to have everything cleared by 1745 on Saturday and 1715 on Sunday. Bravo all!
If the sun did not put in an appearance on chilly autumnal days, the quality of racing certainly warmed spectators of all ages. Silverstone’s tastefully refurnished race office within the tower at Woodcote offered not only a friendlier welcome for everybody, but its revised layout also engendered a more relaxed working environment for the HSCC team.
Classic Formula Ford
Cream of the racing action came from the Classic Formula Ford [up to 1981] combatants at the spiritual home of sponsor SDC – Bedford headquartered Survey Design Construction – which has renewed its wonderful commitment for 2026. Jordan Harrison, already confirmed as a three-time champion in his Lola T540E, secured pole position with a 1m03.357s (93.21mph average speed) charge on the 1.64-mile track, but closest pursuers Rick Morris – the 1982 BRDC champion a decade after he started racing in FF1600 – Historic subset leader Oliver Chapman and Tom Gadd were within 0.436s. The 34-strong field, showcasing nine chassis marques, was covered by 6.240 seconds, 10 in the 66s alone, assuring plenty of lappery across twin 20 minute race slots.
Saturday’s stanza was incredible, for while 78-year-old Morris in the clone of his 1981 Silverstone race-winning Royale RP29 slugged it out up front with Harrison, Gadd (Numanair/Mike Mackonchie tribute Van Diemen RF81), Chapman (Lola T200) and Swiss veteran Gislain Genecand (Crossle 16F), midfielders squabbled amid great slipstreaming gaggles of cars compressed by the hairpin at Becketts and the Brooklands/Luffield section at the end of each quick-fire lap.
Harrison occasionally purged Morris’ defences, but Rick prevailed by an almost luxurious 0.731s, with a 1:03.600 (92.85mph) fastest lap on the penultimate tour an extra feather in his cap. Chapman and Gadd hustled Harrison down to fourth mid-race, but Jordan drafted back to second ahead of Tom as they tackled heavy lapped traffic. Chapman outbraked himself at Becketts, which dropped him to fifth behind Genecand. Philip Senior (Royale RP24) did well to land sixth from ninth on the grid as young Cal Bennett (Van Diemen RF80) slipped to ninth in the shadow of Grace Parkington (Crossle 25F) and Scott Rawlinson (Merlyn Mk11A).
Two humdinging battles raged in their wake. In the first, PRS RH01 racer Colin Williams – who helped spanner the recently departed Historic racer Peter Lee’s Chevron B8 in his youth – got the better of championship chairman Stuart Kestenbaum (Van Diemen RF81) for 10th after several exchanges, although Andrew Smith (Van Diemen FA73) passed them both before getting into a joust with Alan Fincham (RF80). Nick Sheppard (Merlyn Mk11A) got involved too, and nabbed 13th from Smith as they all finished in Kestembaum’s wheeltracks.
The next fight embroiled no fewer than nine drivers at its height, with Richard Yeomans (Royale RP24) mainly in the pilot’s seat. Graham Payne and Simon Langman (RF80s), Jake Barritt (Lola T202), Kevin Williams (Merlyn Mk20A), fast-rising Pete ‘Hobbit’ Hannam (Nike Mk6) and youngsters Grace Bates (RF80) and Sam Warburton (Caldwell D9B) were in the frenetic mix after Russell Giles’ McLaren-sque RF77 spun. Bates kept her cool to finish 16th, in Yeomans’ tow, and remain on the lead lap. A lap down, the recovering Giles, Warburton, Christopher Edwards (PRS RH02) and Langman completed the top 20 together. Hannam was among the retirements, when a pesky misfire returned.
After perhaps the race of the season, Sunday’s sequel was interrupted mid-way by a safety car when Murron Parkington (ex-Eddie Irvine Crossle 32F) and Kevin Williams’ Merlyn tangled at Becketts and met nose to nose. Harrison was leading at the time, but Morris used his guile to regain the advantage two laps from home and held on by 0.100s at the chequer. Historic class champion Chapman was a similar distance behind in third, with Gadd breathing down his neck. Cal Bennett won a fine duel to snatch fifth from Senior at the last gasp, with Grace Parkington completing a trio. Kestenbaum beat Colin Williams to eighth by a whisker, with Fincham shading Rawlinson for 10th. Saturday retiree Tony Kiss (Hawke DL15) charged from the back to 12th, ahead of Warburton.
“For me Silverstone club circuit is the home of Formula Ford,” said double winner Morris, who ended his campaign as he did the opening race of the season at Snetterton, and finished runner-up to Harrison in the SDC championship. “It’s always going to be difficult when you start lapping big groups from two-thirds’ distance, but very exciting to watch,” said Rick, who made a point of consoling Murron Parkington at the opposite end of her racing career. Former 750MC Locost and F1000 [Jedi] champion Gadd finished third in the points, having enjoyed his first season of FF1600.
Historic Formula Ford
Although their races were not until the following day, the Historic Formula Ford runners qualified an hour after their Classic brethren, triple champion Callum Grant qualifying his trusty Merlyn Mk20A quickest on 1:03.311 (93.28mph), having pulled 123.1mph through TSL’s trap under the vehicle bridge crossing the Wellington Straight. Benn Simms (Jomo JMR 7) closed to within 0.428s towards the end of the 15 minute session. Oliver Chapman and Over 50s group leader Gislain Genecand, doubling up with CFF, and Matt Wrigley – who shared an Audi R8 GT3 with dad Mike at Spa a fortnight earlier – also recorded times within a second of pole in his Merlyn Mk11A/20.
Points leader Sam Mitchell (Merlyn Mk20) gridded sixth, with welcome returnee Rob Wainwright (Elden Mk8), Ben Powney (PA Motorsport Jamun T3), newcomer Jacques Jensen (Merlyn Mk20A), Cristian Goller (Lola T202) and Danny Stanzl (Elden Mk8), also in the ‘fours.’ Fresh from his maiden 1000cc F3 win at Spa, which made an indelible memory on his first visit, dental implant surgeon Ross Drybrough was second of the O50 set, with Will Nuthall (Jamun T2) separating him from rivals Mark Wilkes (Merlyn), Cormac Flanagan (Alexis Mk14) and Merlyn trio Kevin Stanzl, Chris Willoughby and George Townsend.
Championship chairman Chris Sharples (Palliser WDF1) and Nick Sheppard (Merlyn Mk11A) completed the top 20, just over three seconds from Grant’s pole standard. George Ditchfield (Elden Mk8, which broke terminally at the end of the straight) were next up, ahead of Hawke-mounted Lucas Bscher (in James Hadfield’s car) and David Squire, and debutant Joseph Pomfret, the Mirage Historic F1 race engineer, in his Merlyn Mk11A. The presence of John Cottrill’s 51 from the birth of FF and a pair of wedge-bodied 61 derivatives made it a representative 32 car pack showcasing 11 marques.
Simms and Grant shot out of the starting blocks when the red lights went out, starting the morning race, but Genecand latched on. As Ben and Callum traded the lead, the feisty Gislain managed to split them for a lap in the closing stages, but Simms shot back from third to lead next time round, as Grant had previously done. Simms pulled off an audacious pass round the outside at Luffield, to which Grant wasted no time in responding, but it was always going to go down to the final lap, the approach to the deceptively quick 90 degree left-handed Brooklands bend always a potential passing zone after closely-matched cars and drivers have towed each other down the long Wellington chute.
Simms led onto the last lap, but Grant outfoxed him to take the chequered flag 0.350s to the good, watched from 1.8s back by O50 victor Genecand. Benn’s consolation was a 1:03.340 (93.23mph) best lap. Wrigley fell from fourth to ninth when he missed a gear at Becketts on lap four, but fought back to fifth behind Chapman, who got sideways exiting the hairpin a couple of circuits later. The Jamuns of Nuthall and Powney finished sixth and seventh, ahead of Jensen, Goller and Wainwright. Drybrough and Wilkes were second and third in the senior classification.
But what of Mitchell. What should have been a relatively straightforward points-gathering exercise towards a second title went wrong on lap 10. Having started cautiously, then tussled with Chapman and Nuthall to reach fourth three laps earlier, Sam’s throttle cable – adjusted after an issue in Friday testing – snapped as he accelerated through Woodcote. Nuthall could not avoid the red Merlyn as it instantly lost momentum, savaging his nosecone as he rode up a rear wheel, but Sam managed to miss the barrier, pull off and push the car to safety with a marshal. Now his task for the finale became more complicated.
The afternoon race would also decide the destiny of the Paul Simms Memorial Trophy, put up by Benn, based on the aggregate of both races. Needing to finish in the top half dozen, Mitchell found himself on P30 for the start and rocketed past at least six cars before Copse. Twentieth at the end of the opening lap, Sam’s cut the best lap to date second time round, but his progress naturally slowed as he picked his way through the mid-teens. Nonetheless, once up to 12th six laps in, the way forward became clearer. Eighth became fourth over the course of two very productive laps, and Mitchell was back on target.
Again, Simms and Grant disputed the lead, clear of Chapman. This time Benn staved off Callum to the flag, but his 0.019s winning margin – the event’s closest – meant that he handed the beautiful Paul Simms trophy to his rival, who proudly took it back to Bolton, as he did in 2023. Benn finished second in the championship, with Goller claiming third from Powney, Danny Stanzl and the ambitious Chapman, who has recently added F1 and F2 Marches to his stable.
Mitchell chased the podium trio home to repeat 2013’s championship on his CV, although Nuthall was overlapping, 0.072s later over the timing stripe, with Powney filling his mirrors in the Scalextric Jamun. Wrigley and Goller were next, ahead of ninth placed Flanagan who nicked O50 honours from his buddy Drybrough after Genecand retired, having clipped Dick Dixon’s Lotus 61. All but three of the 30 starters finished.
Derek Bell Trophy
Often strung out in the past, Derek Bell Trophy Series competitors provided a couple of sensational races as a superb selection of pristine machinery from the 1970s and ’80s showcased invited F1 cars, plus F5000, F2, FAtlantic, F3 and Ayrton Senna era FF2000 machinery. Two-litre F2 cars were to the fore in qualifying, Lifetime Racing’s Dan Eagling putting John Evans’ ex-Jimmy Mieusset March 742, now with BDG rather than original power on pole with a 53.699s (109.97mph) shot, 0.483s quicker than Chris Porritt in his ex-Divina Galica Chevron-BDG B40.
Invitee Peter Williams (F1 LEC-DFV CRP1) sat third, in the 54s, pursued by Marc Mercer (ex-Bill Brack FAtlantic March-BDA 79B) and American Gary Lapidus in his F5000 Lola-Chevrolet T400, now back in John Morton’s period livery. Mark Williams, out in his ex-Craig Hill Lola T460 (in F2 spec with BDG) for the third time, was a strong sixth ahead of Mark Dwyer, who shook down his F1 Osella FA1D, but did not race it. DBT ringmaster Mike Bainbridge and son Calvin were next up in Chevron-BDG B29 and Brabham-BDA BT35 respectively.
The pit garages contained much of interest, with Mark Harrison’s newly-restored ex-David Franklin Wendy Wools March 772 – another with BDG not period BMW power [but why the orange monocoque sides when they were red] – the return of the unrelated John Harrison’s Team Harper March 742 and Mike Lane’s Flying Tigers Chevron B49, plus Monoposto convert Jim Spencer’s F3 Reynard 883 and Duncan Ross’ ex-Steve Thompson Chevron B17C. When CV joint failure stopped Mark Harrison’s March, he substituted the ex-Jarno Trulli F3 Dallara 394.
Eagling streaked away from Saturday’s rolling start, pursued by Peter Williams’ LEC – designed by Mike Pilbeam for David Purley’s father Charlie’s refrigerator company in Sussex – Porritt, Mercer, Lapidus and Mark Williams. A front suspension joint failure at 150mph under braking for Brooklands on lap 7 gave Mike Banbridge a scary ride, but fortunately the ex-Joe Sposato Chevron did not hit anything when it went straight on. A safety car thus bisected the race, which finished with Eagling, back in the 53s, 2.235s ahead of Peter Williams, with Porritt third, chased by Mark Williams and Mercer, monstered by Lapidus. John Harrison, Frank Lyons (Eagle-Chevrolet FA74) and Mark Harrison on the lead lap.
Sunday’s race saw Eagling charge anew, but as he screamed through Woodcote his engine fell silent when its cambelt broke and he coasted forlornly to Copse. Peter Williams took up the cudgels, but namesake Mark reeled him in lap after lap. Braking later and later, ducking in and out of the three-litre F1 car’s slipstream, Mark tried one final dive to the line with his best lap of 54.747s (107.87mph) but it came up 0.125s short. “One more lap and I think I would have got him,” smiled the Bristolian, son of the much-missed Ted.
Mercer, Porritt, Lapidus – making up for a spin at Luffield in the high airboxed Lola for a double class win – Calvin Bainbridge and Lyons. Fast starter Mark Harrison relied on his F3 steed’s cornering speed to hold off the big bangers initially, before being outgrunted. Mike Bainbridge’s repaired Chevron fell to a broken gear linkage, joining Eagling and John Harrison in retirement.
70s & Historic Roadsports
Back in championship territory, Road Sports – of Historic and 70s ages – plus Historic Saloons created a great spectacle in a 35-strong pack on Saturday. Alas 70s RS points leader John Williams was unable to stake his claim when clutch failure sidelined his Porsche 911SC, having qualified sixth and third in class behind TVR 3000M duo Antony Ross and multiple champion Julian Barter. Williams’ misfortune advantaged fellow marque rep Simon Baines, whose self-prepared 924 sat atop class D, also super-competitive, with Alfa Romeo and Lancia opposition.
Representing the long-established family Morgan dealership, Revolutions in Perth, 27-year-old Scot Elliot Paterson qualified the family Plus 8 on pole with a stout 1:06.802 (88.40mph) lap, 0.402s quicker than Ross’ best, with HRS champion-elect Mark Godfrey (Lotus 7) a meritorious third. The ‘massed ranks’ race panned out that way too, Paterson finishing 8.337s clear of Ross, with Godfrey and Barter third and fourth. The home built Alfa Romeo 2000GTV of Nigel Musto led the trio of 70s newbies, followed by the Capri of Mike Thompson and a wide eyed Adele Hunt who described her experience of racing the diminuitive Mini on a 40 car grid in only her third ever circuit race as ‘like taking a knife to a gun fight.’
First Lotus Elan was Frazer Gibney’s Historic S1, ahead of Robert Rowe’s S3. Farmer Rowe enjoyed a terrific scrap with team-mate Paul Tooms – out in Larry Kennedy’s Witchampton Garage S1 for the first time in a year – until the former HRS champ gyrated, finishing 11th behind 70s outsider George Daws (Datsun 240Z). Will Bibb (Morgan Plus 8), Nic Strong’s fire-breathing Marcos 3000GT and saloon standout Neil Wood (Ford Anglia 105E) also made their presence felt. Baines led class D initially, until hounded down and passed by local man Tim Child (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV). Mark Bennett’s progress from the back to catch fellow MGB GT V8 man Mike Eagles was another eye catcher.
Cumbrian Baines completed his quest on Sunday, when the 70s set had the track to itself. Again faster-starter Simon and his emerald green 924 were beaten home by Child – “the only place the Alfa’s quicker is at Luffield, where it turns in better” – but was elated to seal the championship, 11 years after son Jono won the long-discontinued HSCC Classic Racing Cars title from its FF1600 class. In beating Mark Leverett (Elan S4) for the second day running, outgoing champ Howard Payne (Lotus Europa) overturned his arch rival’s points lead to grab the class title, to spannerman Lewis Beales’ delight. Ross and Barter scored an overall 1-2 in their sonorous Ford V6-powered TVRs, from Russell ‘Papa’ Paterson in the Moggie, who denied Strong’s final fling by 0.982s. Bibb and Daws completed the top six.
Godfrey and his agile Lotus 7 had the measure of Tooms, Rowe and Becketts spinner Gibney in the Historic race. Wood – one of three starters in the depleted saloon group, after a more encouraging turnout at Mallory Park in September – and Dr Patrick Ward Booth, out in his Ginetta G4 for the first time in three seasons, led their pursuers. Among the welcome newbies were Bob Lines’ muscular MGA and the MG Ashley Midget of Alpine UK brand chief Nicola Burnside.
Historic Formula Ford 2000
The 50th Anniversary Historic FF2000 title race was decided ahead of time when protagonist Ben Glasswell – points leader prior to the penultimate double-header at Mallory – took umbrage at an unfortunate incident in the second race there which merited no sanction and did not enter. Thus Graham Fennymore added the 2025 crown to his 2021 and 2023 victories with the flat rear-decked Taylor Made Joinery Reynard SF81 before it turned a wheel. Oxfordshire man Graham is a hard racer though, with a long list of titles to his name, and appeared nonetheless at his local circuit.
He met his match on Saturday in longtime Formula Fordster Michael Moyers who returned to Adrian Reynard’s spare SF79 and put it on pole despite a technical issue which restricted Friday testing to a few laps. Both he and Fennymore lapped inside the magic minute, but third qualifier Tom Smith non-started following an engine failure. Moyers aced the race by 0.504s over Fennymore, shaving his Q-time. Graham turned the tables on Sunday, beating Michael by 3.445s. Both went sub-minute exclusively again, the champion’s 59.347s (99.42mph) the Pinto-engined slicks-and-wings category’s weekend best.
Behind them third in the championship was in dispute, with 1979 European champion Adrian Reynard, endeavouring to regain the place he relinquished to Andy Storer – an HFF2000 stalwart since its inception at Cadwell Park in 2007 – at Mallory. Following a hairy spin through Copse “on cold tyres, I was very lucky everybody missed me” on his first flying lap on Saturday, Reynard got his head down determinedly and scorched back to fourth, behind Murray Shepherd in Anthony Hancock’s Delta T81, a Patrick Head design.
Cheered on by his grandson Luca and family from the Brooklands Suite – the BRDC’s temporary home while the clubhouse is refurbished – Adrian admitted to feeling “incredibly nervous” before Sunday’s decider. A strong third to Storer’s sixth, contending with a cracked exhaust in the Pukka Pies car, regained P3 by one point. Shepherd and Jonty Hair (Reynard SF78) finished between them. “I’m sorry for Andy. I wish we’d tied. A 75-year-old shouldn’t finish third in FF2000. We need more young drivers in the [Historic] formula,” said Reynard, who raced his own designs in its inaugural 1975 season.
Historic Formula Junior
Adrian Russell did all he could to alter the trajectory of the FJHRA Silverline Historic Formula Junior championship with his front-engined Condor S2, to no avail. Saturday’s first leg in a Pre-1961 race, in which Russell beat James Denty (Cooper T59) left Nic Carlton-Smith (Lotus 20/22) four points ahead. Carlton-Smith’s spin at Becketts on Saturday could so easily have undone his season’s work, but the Suffolk IFA charged back to win his drum-braked category.
While poleman Sam Wilson (Cooper T59) was uncatchable in both of his contests, Saturday’s for rear-engined chassis, when they combined to populate Sunday’s big grid Carlton-Smith won an exceptional D2 squabble with the fast but excitable Nathan Metcalfe (Lotus 20) and indefatigable veteran Robin Longdon (Lola Mk3) to secure his fourth title. A scant 0.665s covered the trio at the chequered flag, Metcalfe 0.071s from class victory.
Brabham drivers Jon Milicevic (BT6) and Geoff Underwood (BT2) chased the psychedelic helmeted Wilson home in Saturday’s race, but on Sunday Andrew Hibberd warmed himself up for the Guards Trophy sportscar mini-enduro by securing the runner-up spot in his Team Lotus 22, having retired the previous day. Having graduated from a square-cut Lotus 18 to a 22, Stuart Monument bested at an encouraging fourth in Sunday’s 32-strong championship finale.
Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque Championship
Saturday’s Hitek Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque Championship got off to a dramatic start when Graham Seager’s 147 and Andy Page’s old school Giulietta tagged and danced off together at Copse, sending Chris McFie’s fast Fiat Punto into the gravel in avoidance. Rob Hollyman’s 33 was involved too, but spun out at Becketts with a damaged brake pipe. Marshals sorted everything out under a two-lap safety car interlude. When the 500bhp cars of Jamie Thwaites (Giulietta TCR) – on pole by 2.591s with a 1:00.698 (97.29mph) charge – and Jack Berry (4C) got together it was game on. Following rapid fire exchange at Becketts from which Thwaites recovered speedily the Yorkshireman snorted after Berry and powered past on the final lap. Mike Hilton’s 4C was third, followed by Gareth Haywood’s meaty bewinged GTV, Scott Austin’s pretty 156 and defending champion Toby Broome’s snarling 147 GTA.
Sunday’s race was rather chaotic. Berry led initially from Thwaites, whose engine faltered momentarily at Becketts, dropping the combo to fifth. Undeterred, Thwaites bounded back to lead, only to spin under braking for the hairpin, which put Berry back ahead. When Hilton’s 4C shot into the gravel on the exit of Luffield marshals could not extricate it and the safety car, with Chris Alford and an observer up, two cars sat between it and Berry’s blue sportscar. When Dave Messenger and Andy Winterton were waved past, Berry – unaware he was leading as he’d not seen Thwaites’exit – went too. When he realised his error, Berry eventually stopped on the Wellington Straight and the BMW, flashing orange lights akimbo, regained its place. By then the decision had been taken to red flag the race.
Berry subsequently visited the clerks but kept his win over Haywood and Broome, who retained his crown from the Power Trophy class. George Osborne (75) with Stacy Dennis (Giulietta) in close company throughout, and Messenger (156 GTA) completed the unlapped runners. Masterminded by Andy Hancock, the attractive series gains an Historic element for selected rounds in 2026, so expect to see some gorgeous 105-shelled cars on the grid, and more powerful Puntos on the Italian Intermarque side of the equation.
Guards Trophy Championship
The final race of the HSCC championship season would decide the Guards Trophy sports racing and GT honours. Although only a dozen cars started, four of them were disputing the lead before broken transmission stopped reigning champions Ben Tusting’s pole-sitting Lenham-Ford T/C P69 Spider, started by father Robert. Andrew Hibberd made a fantastic start to head in his 1963 Lotus 23B, and soloing brilliantly over 47 laps, beat Elliot and Russell Paterson (Ginetta-BMW G16) to the chequer by almost 40 seconds.
Chevron-BMW B8s were relegated to the minor places in the hands of Neil Fowler/Ross Drybrough, Mark and Hugh Colman and Joel Hopwood to the chequer. Dan Balfour’s B8 led before breaking while a rear suspension issue forced the BMW M10-powered B16 of Dans Pickett and Eagling out. Stephen Reece (Elan) was the only GT runner. Much scratching of heads followed with Hibberd and the Tustings finishing on equal points. Hibberd took the crown on a tie-break, five class wins to three, his third Historic title in two years following a long wait for Historic F3 and Formula Junior crowns last season.
Henry Woodgare
And there was a special celebration on Sunday when veteran club steward Henry Woodgate was presented with a huge cake to mark his 90th birthday. Born on the same day as fabled Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, Henry’s contribution to motor sport dates back more than 50 years, to when he began marshalling ‘on the banks.’
On behalf of everybody, thank you Sir.
Report: Marcus Pye (MAWP) Images: Motorsport Classics Media
HSCC 2025 Calendar
25-25 APRIL: HSCC SNETTERTON SPRING TROPHY
30-31 MAY: HSCC DONINGTON PARK RASCE WEEKEND
13-14 JUNE: HSCC CADWELL PARK WOLDS TROPHY
20-21 JUNE: HARC ZANDVOORT HISTORIC GP
11-12 JULY: HSCC LEGENDS OF BRANDS HATCH SUPER PRIX
25-26 JULY: SCL SILVERSTONE CLASSIC
08-09 AUGUST: HSCC 60TH ANNIVERSARY CASTLE COMBE
29-31 AUGUST: OULTON PARK GOLD CUP
10-11 OCTOBER: HSCC SILVERSTONE FINALS
31-01 NOVEMBER: BRDC WALTER HAYES TROPHY