Malvern & Hill Share Silverstone Silverware

After Scott Pye's Saturday race win at Silverstone in the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain it was the turn of Scott Malvern and Josh Hill to share the victory spoils at the home of British motor sport on Sunday. Malvern's win in the first of the day's races was his first since Oulton Park in April, while Hill's victory in the finale was his second of the season also.

Josh Hill on his way to Silverstone victory. Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography/British Formula Ford

Championship leader Malvern ended his 12-race victory drought when the Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray pilot snatched the lead of the 14th round of the Ford-backed championship on the opening lap and hung on in front throughout an extended safety car period to claim a hard-earned win.

Malvern seized his chance when pole-sitter Pye's Jamun Racing Mygale failed to get cleanly away, which allowed Pye's team-mate Hill to take the early advantage. Pye fought back to lead out of Club corner but by the time the train of Formula Fordsters arrived at Bridge corner it was Malvern out in front.

JTR's Dan Cammish got the better of his team-mate Tio Ellinas early on to move into third and then, on lap three, the Leeds lad managed to put one over on Pye to take up third.

Malvern had meanwhile managed to clear a small lead, posting the fastest lap of the race on his third tour, but any hopes of making a clean break were swept aside by the arrival on track of the safety car following a collision between the cars of Philippe Layac and Ernie van der Walt. Their debris took four laps to clear, which left just a single lap of racing to decide the outcome.

Malvern made an excellent restart, outfoxing Hill, who was forced to defend his second spot from a determined Cammish. And that's how the top three finished, blanketed by all of half a second. Malvern was pleased enough with his win: "It's a good result for my championship; it wasn't much of a lead but it was enough," he said.

Hill was disappointed by his final lap: "I screwed up the restart a bit and although I managed to get back on to Scott towards the end of the lap I just wasn't close enough."

There were some great battles behind the top trio despite the truncated nature of the race. Pye held on for fourth ahead of Ellinas, Flying Finn Antti Buri and Jake Cook, who raced well after starting from 11th on the grid. Jesse Anttila, Emil Bernstorff and James Tucker completed the top 10.

In the Scholarship class, Luke Williams' Juno started in front of the Ray of his class rival Tristan Mingay and held on in front all the way to the chequered flag to repeat his success of Saturday.

There was heartbreak for the Raysport team: after an all-nighter to repair Zaamin Jaffer's car, which was damaged in a heavy qualifying accident, its gearbox broke after three laps.

The third and final race of the Silverstone weekend proved even more tense and exciting, with a five-car battle for the lead for much of the duration and a popular victory for Josh Hill on the circuit owned and operated by the British Racing Drivers Club, of which Josh's father, former World Champion Damon, is president.

Hill's Jamun Mygale was on the pole for the finale and the Surrey-based racer made an excellent start to lead the field away, his immediate pursuers comprising Pye, Cammish and Ellinas. Alas his hopes of making an early break were dashed by the return of the safety car, this time for two laps to allow marshals to mop up after a clash between the cars of Williams and the luckless Jaffer.

Hill held his nerve and held on in front at the restart on lap four but was pushed back to second next time around by Cammish, who had a few corners earlier disposed of Pye. Josh did not take the demotion lying down, however, and swept past to regain top spot at the start of lap seven, into Copse.

The squabbles going on behind him allowed Hill to get his head down and pull a clear lead over his rivals, which extended to 4.8s after a major last-lap dust-up between second-placed Pye and his arch title rival Malvern in third. Pye got the better of the encounter to maintain second, while Scott's Jamun team-mate Emil Bernstorff nipped through the confusion to steal third place and claim his first Formula Ford podium finish.

Hill was delighted with his win: "I have a good track record here, and it's an absolute joy to win at Silverstone. It's something every driver needs to have in their CV."

Malvern recovered to take fourth ahead of Cammish, Ellinas, James Tucker's JTR car and Finns Antti Buri and Jesse Anttila. Dutch drivers Jeroen Slaghekke and Pieter Schothorst finished in line astern for 10th and 11th.

Williams's first-lap demise allowed Tristan Mingay an unopposed run to Scholarship class honours and the opportunity to extend his class points lead.

Provisional results
Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain
Round 14 (of 25) Silverstone Grand Prix 15/8/2010
8 laps / 25.56 miles

Pos  Driver          Nat/Home            Team     Chassis  Time
1    Scott Malvern   GBR/Ilford          Dempsey  Ray      18m 51.836s / 81.28mph
2    Josh Hill       GBR/Farnham         Jamun    Mygale       +0.349s
3    Daniel Cammish  GBR/Leeds           JTR      Mygale       +0.511s
4    Scott Pye       AUS/ Mount Gambier  Jamun    Mygale       +1.029s
5    Tio Ellinas     CYP/Larnaca         JTR      Mygale       +1.155s
6    Antti Buri      FIN/Masku           Enigma   Mygale       +1.632s
Scholarship class: 
     Luke Williams   GBR/Sowerby         Williams Juno         +9.185s

Fastest lap: Malvern 1m 56.440s / 98.76mph



Round 15
9 laps / 28.75 miles

Pos  Driver           Nat/Home            Team     Chassis  Time
1    Josh Hill        GBR/Farnham         Jamun    Mygale   19m 02.40s / 90.59mph
2    Scott Pye        AUS/ Mount Gambier  Jamun    Mygale      +4.804s
3    Emil Bernstorff  DEN/Cascais         Jamun    Mygale      +5.134s
4    Scott Malvern    GBR/Ilford          Dempsey  Ray         +5.419s
5    Daniel Cammish   GBR/Leeds           JTR      Mygale      +6.189s
6    Tio Ellinas      CYP/Larnaca         JTR      Mygale      +6.283s
Scholarship class: 
     Tristan Mingay   GBR/Hailsham                            +21.683s

Fastest lap: Bernstorff 1m 56.984s / 98.30mph




Provisional championship placings

1  Malvern           370 points
2  Pye               332 
3  Cammish           282 
4  Buri              272 
5  Hill              269 
6  Ellinas           254 
7  Jake Cook         211 
8  Bernstorff        171 
9  James Tucker      155 
10 Jeroen Slaghekke  141 etc.



Scholarship class

1 Mingay      318 
2 Williams    267 
3 Dani Domit  168 etc.


Next rounds: 29/30 August Snetterton

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