Donington Park HSCC Highlights: FF1600 Rare Caldwell Car Race

Unusual Car: Warberton’s Caldwell Formula Ford

Caldwell UK is a rare formula Ford Chesis, but returned history in 1969 when a D9 won the first SCCA National Formula Ford Championship in Detona, in the hands of Skip Barber, the pioneer of the US racing school.

In the US, the Formula was seen in Ford and Formula V, the cars were made by Ray Caldwell’s Autodionamics Company. Andy Warberton owned her D9B for almost seven years and is her first race car. “I had helped friends with my cars in the past, so I was there, and when I was living in California, I spoke in it.”

“I bought a car from a driver in San Diego who was retiring and knew that they were vigilant in Formula Ford and V, but were very rare in the UK. It came up with an additional engine, but the car was completely original and became a project for me and my son.”

After returning to the UK in 2021, Warberton started his race with Caldwell two years later. He said, “This year my son Max has started sharing the car with me, he had never raced before and he is faster than me, but it is very fun in the well -supported championship,” he concluded.

Warberton SR stood in the historic FF1600 race, 20th and 23rd in Donington Park, while Max Classic FF1600 came out in competitions. He missed the top 10 in the top 10 before he retired from the ninth in Race Two, before being ranked 11th in the opener.

Star Car: The Tustings’ Lenham

Father-end-son racer Robert and Ben Tasting’s Lenam P69 Spider have been a regular guard trophy winner in recent years, as the pair opted not to run against each other.

Developed during the late 1960s, cars tasted many successes and recently in the historic racing scene. In 1969, a similar car won its class in STP Motoring News Championship with Ray Calcutta.

Tusting Senior said, “Now we have a four-year-old car, it has got a Lotus Twin-Cam Engine and before Brian Casey and Greg Caton run it for a few years.”

“We used to run against each other in Ford Ford 1600 and 2000, until both of us were not involved in an incident in Ooulton Park, and vowed each other to run again.”

The pair have also ventured at Mondelo Park with Lenham – “We won the Martin Biran Trophy in the Irish Grand Prix and passed Martin Donley in a Chevron,” Tusting said.

After being eligible on the pole for his latest competition in Donington, Robert started the race and handed over to Ben after retaining the lead. Ben then fought closely with Daniel Picket’s Chevron B16 with Dan Eagleing, before his race ended in retirement of two laps from the house.

Best Race: Historical FF1600

Sam Michelle’s Marilyn MK20 won the historic FF1600 race to contest two hot elections as single-seater provided a lot of entertainment in Donington.

Polling Ben Sims’ Jomo JMR 7 led a moist race from Ben Pani’s Jamun T3, while Crasal 16F of Gislain Zenkand hit the head-to-head with Mitchell for the third. Mitchell grabbed a place in Redgate for the second time, before he moved from Pani from one lap to another with a similar step.

As the initial advantage of Sims evaporated, Mitchell scored a run on the leader on Lap Four, and was ahead as he walked out of Chirke. The third place was running in third place after shaking Powney Genecand, but with Daniel Stanzel’s Alden, the outside security car came out – which took them to the checker flag, sealing for Michelle from the ceiling win, Sims, Pani and Zenkand.

“I had new tires, so it was a strategic gamble,” Mitchell said. “I was able to see where Ben was sharp and where he was struggling, so once ahead I tried a different line and did it.” Sims said: “I quickly saw him running with Pauni, after some lap, he caught me too.”

Sims Race two again broke up, assisted from the fight for the other for the other, the Zenkand took the place from Mitchell to the chicken on Lap Three. However, it was not long until Mitchell proceeded forward and gradually, the other place’s fight closed on Sims.

Michelle took advantage of chicken, only to resume the lead on exit for Sims. Michelle was then again through a lap from the house before he was in the chirin of about three for the last time.

Mitchell said, “It came out of the gear one -two times, so I had to keep the karbas well – if I had given them an inch, they would have taken it,” Mitchell said, the victory number two over the Sims for 0.178 seconds, the Genkand took equally close to the third. Neil Hos pipped Pani for only fourth.

Star Driver: Ben Glasswell

The weekend did not start well for the historic FF2000 racer Ben Glasswell. His Renard SF77 was the third fastest in qualifying, but he managed three laps after going to the chicken with only a sticky thrust.

Starting from the back of the grid, he was later ranked third by three and the second two lap, but still the winner was six seconds down on the winner Graham Fenimor (SF81) by the checker flag.

Row five to he was second in Race Two when an oil pipe was torn near Fenimore and the race was red flag. Glasswell was then a comfortable winner of the five-lap restart. “There is a good way to finish the weekend, but I still had to drive around throttle issues,” he said.