Formula Fords spanning two golden eras from 1967-81 delivered sensational sport at Snetterton - birthplace of the Festival in 1972 - for last weekend’s Historic Sports Car Club season opener. Watched by Royale’s Alan Cornock and Van Diemen’s Ralph and Angie Firman, 78-year-old veteran racer Rick Morris won Saturday’s Classic championship round in a Royale RP29 liveried as his period machine.
“I saw cars going everywhere in my mirrors,” said Morris, who escaped when Adriano Medeiros and debutant Tom Gadd clashed at Chapman, the pinch point onto the Bentley Straight, sending the Brazilian’s Van Diemen RF80 flying. Locost and F1000 champion Gadd, debuting his Numanair/Mike Mackonochie tribute RF81, recovered from midfield to second, ahead of Simon Toyne (Winkelmann). When a suspension radius rod pulled out of his Lola T540E’s chassis, second-fastest qualifier Jordan Harrison shot Hadfield Motorsport’s Hawke DL2B from the back to fourth.
