Hill Cruises to Formula Ford Win Number Four

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Category: Single Seaters

Sunday, 19 September 2010

The World Champion’s son overhauled the car of his team-mate Scott Pye on the second lap and held off a late challenge from Dan Cammish to claim victory by a 0.25s margin.

Showers shortly before the start of the British Touring Car Championship-supporting 21st round of the Formula Ford season brought problems not only for the drivers but also for their teams, who struggled to set their cars up for the rapidly changing conditions.

It turned out that pole-sitter Pye’s Jamun Racing Mygale was in far from ideal shape for the increasingly slippery Donington track. “I just couldn’t get the power down like the others could,” lamented the championship leader, who led the opening lap from pole position before Hill overcame him through the Craner Curves on lap two. Thereafter Pye reversed down the order, being passed for second by Cammish’s JTR Mygale on lap three and then losing third to the Ray of his title rival Scott Malvern on the fifth tour.

Pye’s lack of grip played right into Hill’s hands, Josh managing to pull two seconds clear of his pursuers on the lap he stole the lead. By the time Cammish had disposed of Pye, Hill was 2.8s to the good, an advantage that was to prove crucial as Cammish gave chase.

Daniel established a new lap record for the revised Donington National circuit on lap four and, by the seventh of the 14-lap sprint, had reduced the leader’s advantage to 0.6s. “Pye was holding me up quite a bit,” said Cammish, “but once I was past him I was able to catch Hill pretty quickly. Unfortunately then the heavens really opened and I started to lose the advantage that I had had.”

Hill’s car improved as the conditions became wetter and was able to fend off Cammish’s lunges for the lead. “It was lucky that I managed to get a good gap early on,” said Josh. “That helped me a lot.”

Malvern finished ahead of Pye for only the sixth time this season but was unable to make it on to the podium: Tio Ellinas, who had slipped behind the Englishman on the third lap, found his JTR Mygale improving as the track became more slippery, and drove around Scott into Redgate on the penultimate lap. Malvern finished comfortably ahead of Pye to secure fourth and narrow slightly the Australian’s championship lead.

Garry Findlay placed sixth, and was the leading Guest class finisher, for the Fluid Van Diemen team, well ahead of Emil Bernstorff’s Jamun Mygale and the Enigma car of newly crowned Finnish Formula Ford Champion Antti Buri. Indian driver Zaamin Jaffer scored his best result of the season for Raysport with ninth, just ahead of Frenchman Philippe Layac.

Dan de Zille and James Tucker tangled on the 10th lap while disputing seventh, both men joining Luke Williams in retirement. Luke’s Juno came together with the Ray of his Scholarship class rival Tristan Mingay at McLeans on lap five; Mingay was able to continue after their collision to win the class and regain the Scholarship points lead.

Rounds 22 and 23 of the championship take place at Donington tomorrow, with coverage on ITV4.