Ben Glasswell and Graham Fennymore share Formula Ford 2000 spoils whilst Jordan Harrison and Ben Simms claim respective double Classic and Historic Formula Ford victories as the Historic Sports Car Club made a welcome return to Mallory Park.

Mallory is not always a hit with competitors as entry lists sometimes reflect. Not that this is a problem given the track is at least half the length of most other UK circuits but on this occasion the Historic Sports Car Club’s largely Formula Ford focused one day event seemed to strike a chord with potential entrants.

Indeed, celebrating 75 years of Formula Ford 2000, a whopping 23 machines would appear on the final entry list with 21 of the delightful slicks and wings variant of the Formula Ford dynasty making the the start of race 1 headed up by Ben Glasswell in his Reynard SF77.

Despite suffering a broken exhaust in qualifying, Graham Fennymore would still register a time good enough for the front row and the double champ would apply pressure to the polesitter throughout the first part of race 1. Glasswell would make lighter work of the traffic though and go on to record a relatively comfortable 6.7 second victory over his championship rival. Meanwhile Andrew Storer would round out the podium positions with Adrian Reynard just missing out.

After a relatively sedate opening race the second encounter would prove a different kettle of fish entirely as Fennymore and Glasswell swapped positions on more than one occasion before a lap 6 collision forced the pole sitting Suffolk driver into early retirement. Conversely, in what was deemed a racing incident, Fennymore would Nurse his damaged machine home to victory and put himself in a strong position to reclaim the title he last held in 2023. Behind, Andrew Storer would register a second podium of the day and Adrian Reynard would complete the top three.

The Classic Formula Ford entry was not too shabby either as 19 Pre-82 machines would line up for race 1 where Jordan Harrison proved to be the class of the field. However, whilst the Lola T540E pilot would dominate the first encounter (despite a late safety car) he wouldn’t have it all his own way in race 2 as fellow front row starter Rick Morris briefly led after an excellent move around the outside of the Lake Esses.

The Royale RP29 pilot would lose out at Shaws one lap later though and whilst Harrison would go on to wrap up a second victory of the day Morris would endure a rather untidy second half of the race which would see the race 1 runner up take the flag in 9th. Double class B winner for Pre-74 machinery, Oliver Chapman, meanwhile would follow up an earlier 3rd with an excellent second in race 2 aboard his Lola T200 whilst Tom Gadd (Van Diemen RF81) would claim the final step of the race 2 podium.

Elsewhere, Ben Simms would claim a commanding pair of Historic Formula Ford victories in what unusually proved to be relatively processional affairs. Behind, Oliver Chapman would made it a hat-trick of second places after putting his Lola T200 through it’s paces in both the Historic and Classic Formula Ford events whilst James Hadfield would complete the podium on both occasions. In claiming double victory Simms had taken full advantage of Sam Mitchell’s none appearance to keep his slim championship hopes alive.

It wasn’t just single seaters on display as two races for the combined Pre-66 Historic saloons and Roadsports would complete the day’s billing and it would be George Daws, aboard his 70s Roadsport class Datsun 240z, who would top the time sheets in qualifying, just edging out the very rapid Ford Anglia of Neil Wood.

Wood would be the man to beat when the action turned competitive however, taking advantage of Daws failing to make the grid for race 1 to record a mammoth 35 second victory, and following this up with a mere 20 second victory in race 2! Daws meanwhile would make up for his race 1 none start by claiming second (and top Roadsports competitor) in race 2 despite starting from the back row of the grid whilst Mark Watts (Ford Mustang) followed up an earlier second place with the final step of the race 2 podium.

I almost opted out of my annual trip to the Leicestershire circuit in preference for a first visit to Loton Park but the final entry list suggested this event was too good to miss, and boy was I right! There may not have been a great deal of overtaking but witnessing that level of competition around the quite unique 1.35 miles of Mallory Park was a sight to behold, especially as, in a world where catch fences become bigger and bigger and spectator access becomes less and less, you can still get so close to the action.

FULL RESULTS

GALLERY