MSVR Winter Series – Palmer takes F4 Winter title

Will Palmer was consistent and finished all four BRDC Formula 4 Winter Series races in tricky conditions which allowed him to take the 2014 winter title. Saturday’s races were damp before consistent diabolical rain hit Brands Hatch on Sunday.

Gaetano Di Mauro was the dominant force in the first race but was hard pushed by Connor Jupp. Jordan Albert took third, ahead of Rodrigo Fonseca after Will Palmer fell off the track on lap two but wrestled back to sixth. Fonseca took his first ever F4 victory in race two, beating Albert. A fascinating race came to an end on lap 17 for Di Mauro and Jupp as they went into the gravel at Paddock. Therefore, Palmer took third ahead of Fernando Urrutia.

Fonseca took another victory in the first race on Sunday. He beat Palmer by nearly five seconds. Di Mauro came third ahead of Paul Seiljes in tricky conditions. Fonseca’s title challenge came to an end in the final race on the opening lap as he fell off at Paddock. Jupp, who was leading, went off at Graham Hill Bend on lap 13. Palmer was left to take his first victory of the weekend but more importantly took the Winter Series title. Albert and Di Mauro completed the podium.

The opening race in the Vee Festival was a slippery affair on an oily, wet circuit. Adam MacUalay (Sheane) took the early advantage but locked up and went off into the gravel trap at Druids. Favourite and 750MC Formula Vee champion Martin Farmer had a couple of spins throughout the race but still fought to third. Craig Pollard beat Ian Buxton for the victory. Paul Taylor and Daniel Pitchford completed a 1-2-3-4-5 for GAC cars. Pitchford dominated the second race to take a 22 second victory. Taylor defended off Pollard to take second. MacUalay took fourth from the back of the grid.

Pole man Pitchford stalled in horrendous conditions which greeted the final. He got away eventually but crashed out at Clearways on lap two. Farmer drove around the outside of Buxton at Paddock on that lap to take the lead and pulled away to a nine second win. Pollard took second when Buxton spun and held that position ahead of Stephen Morrin (Leastone). Jesse Chamberlain (AHS) held on to fourth ahead of Buxton and MacUalay. The race was stopped after eight laps with cars scattered around the circuit.

Tav Kirk and James Walker (Mazda MX5) took the victory in the Trackday Trophy. They beat James Bird and Andrew Stacey (Mini Cooper) by 18 seconds. James Birch (Vauxhall Corsa) beat Dan and Ben Abbitt (Peugeot 306) to third. James Britton (BMW M3) took the lead of the Team Trophy race on lap three and never looked back. He beat Steve Crocker (Mini) by 45 seconds. Kirk/Walker finished third and was the last car on the lead lap.

Graham Read (Dallara) won the opening Monoposto race when Robbie Watts (Lola F106/03) and Tony Bishop (Dallara F304) spun at Paddock on lap six. Read beat Chris Lord (Van Diemen RF82) and Julian Hoskins (Vector TF93). Hoskins did a remarkable job to take his Formula Ford to victory in race two, beating Bishop’s Formula Three. Read took third. Bishop took the final race of the weekend ahead of Will Arif (Mygale US1) and Lord.

Barnaby Davies (Toyota Starlet) took the first of two handicap Victor Meldrew Trophy races. Cliff Perrin (Ford Fiesta) came home second ahead of Robert Taylor (Fiesta) and Kieron Lehane (Citroen Saxo). Jody Halse (BMW M3) was the winner of the second race beating Peter Osborne (Renault Clio) by less than a second back. Trevor Buckley (Peugeot 106) beat Michael Collins (M3) to third.