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Cameron & Levy take wins in Round 1 & 2 at Donington Park (Race reports below) – 9th April 2108
Entries for the ‘Spirit of Thruxton’ races at the circuit’s 50th Anniversary (2nd – 3rd June 2018) weekend are now open. – 22nd March 2018
Entries for Round 1 & 2 at Donington Park on 8th April close this Friday 16th March – 12th March 2018
The HSCC will allow FF2000 cars from 1984 to 1989 to enter the Up to 2Litre race at Thruxton on 2nd/3rd June. It will be possible for later FF2000 cars to mix it with the currently accepted 1974 – 1983 models, along with Pre 84 Formula Atlantic and F3 cars at this special anniversary weekend. – 12th March 2018.
Classic FF2000 drivers are invited to race at Charade, in France, on 23-27th May. The invitation from the HFF2000 association gives the wonderful opportunity to drive this famous circuit. – 27 Feb 2018.
Universal Racing Services Classic FF2000 is now a registered series with the MSA. The HSCC have actioned this on Ken Thorogood’s behalf.
CFF2000 will now aim to build momentum throughout the year and drive up grid numbers. The challenge has been set to stage a stand alone race in the near future (the series currently shares grids with CF3 and the HFF2000).
‘Classic FF2000 currently offers a place to race for the first 9 years of the forumla’s cars (1974 – 1983). We are keen to rebuild the healthy grids this series enjoyed from the mid 80’s, right through to recent years’. – 2 Feb 2018.
Race Reports:
The opening two rounds of the year were held at a rather chilly and overcast Donington Park. The Classic FF2000s joined the Classic F3 cars for a busy day of qualifying and two races squeezed into the one day.
Qualifying:
Erik Pagano, returning from a URS hiatus, took pole by 0.4s from Chris Levy in second and Drew Cameron in third. There were a number complaints from drivers of being slower than their usual pace at Donington. Nevertheless, the URS cars were well spread amongst the more powerful F3 machines demonstrating the capabilities of these great little cars!
Race 1:
Erik Pagano made a good start from pole. Drew Cameron kept the gap but it looked set for Pagano to take the win.
An uncharacteristic spin from Chris Levy, struggling on oil dropped by a car ahead, left him well buried in the gravel at the exit of the chicane. This forced the safety car out for a couple of laps. On the restart Pagano, forced to tighten his line on cold tyres, spun into the infield at Redgate and left Drew Cameron to take the lead. Cameron nearly handed the lead on to Chris Lord a lap later after outbraking himself into Redgate but gathered it up to take the win. Chris Lord took second and a recovering Pagano, third.
Behind the lead three, Clive wood finished ahead of Classic FF2000’s stalwart, Rodney Toft and Jeff Williams, 6th. Richard Cooke sadly retired on Lap 3 and would also not make it out for the second race.
Race 2:
Some drizzle and reports from previous races of the track becoming very slippery put the tyre choice for race 2 into question. The majority stuck with slicks but a few, including Chris Lord, opted to chance the wets.
Drew Cameron made a good start to maintain the lead but a rapid Chris Lord overcame Cameron in the tricky conditions to take the lead and was second overall by lap 3. It became apparent after a few laps that that the race was coming back to the slick-shod cars. A nudge from a following car forced Lord to make a trip through the gravel and with overheating tyres he decided to call it a day and pulled off.
Erik Pagano was back in the lead but later also had a coming together with a Ralt F3 car on lap 10. This left him stuck in the gravel at the Old Hairpin and out of the race.
Meanwhile, Chris Levy, who had been forced to start from the back of the grid, drove a faultless race and managed to work his way passed Clive Wood and Drew Cameron to take lead. After 13 years of trying, Chris took a very much deserved first win in Classic FF2000. Drew Cameron finished second and Clive Wood took the last podium spot. A much reduced FF2000 field was brought home by Rodney Toft and Jeff Williams.
The URS cars will out next at Thruxton on the 2nd June to help celebrate the circuit’s 50th Anniversary before continuing their usual calendar at Silverstone on 16th/17th June.
Series Results:
Donington Park Silverstone GP
R1 R2 R3 R4
URA:
7 E. Pagano P3 DNF
11 J. Williams P6 P5
12 A. Cameron P1 P2
16 R. Cooke DNF DNS
20 H. Bishop
22 J. Finch
33 M. Mercer
34 P. Finnigan
35 J. Conway
40 K. Thorogood
49 G. Davies
50 C. Wood P4 P3
57 C. Levy DNF P1
76 A. Hancock
80 M. Dunham
98 R. Toft P5 P4
114 A. Lancaster
117 C. Lord P2 DNF
URB:
41 D. Mercer DNS DNS
Ex-Champions from 1987-2018:
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