Never discount Rick Morris. 44 years after winning the British Racing Drivers’ Club FF1600 counter in a Royale RP29, the 78-year-old proved unbeatable in two spellbinding classic races for pre-1982 machines at an excellent and expertly driven Historic Sports Car Club final weekend at Clones.
“The Silverstone Club Circuit is the home of Formula Ford racing for me – it’s where I got my inspiration from watching the F3 screamers around 1968,” said the Hertfordshire hero, who proved you’re never too old to learn, having benefited from son Stevie’s coaching on mid-corner speed at Brooklands.
Shadowed by now triple champion Jordan Harrison – reminiscent of Peter Morgan’s 1978 BRDC Esso title winner in a Lola T540E – after several lead exchanges over both days, Morris finished second in the SDC-backed championship, having won the opener at Snetterton in April. Former 750MC Lowcost and F1000 champion Tom Gadd (Van Diemen RF81) finished his FF rookie season in third place, ahead of historic division champion Oliver Chapman (Lola T200).
Breeds evolved in interesting ways. In a five-car clash with Swiss visitor Ghislain Gennekind (Crossal 16F) on Saturday, Harrison was pushed back to fourth, but he calmly recovered to finish second, 0.731 seconds behind maestro Morris.
At the back of the top 10, Colin Williams (PRS) led a six-long train, with Richard Yeomans (Royal RP24) seven on the tail.
“The problem with a 32-car grid is that you’re constantly lapping people by two-thirds of the distance,” Morris said. “They’re in their own race and somewhat inexperienced, so it can be scary when you’re struggling, but I’m told it was a great advertisement for Formula Ford.”
Historic Formula Ford race begins
Photo by: Mick Walker
The historic FF1600 races were equally intense. Callum Grant (Merlin MK20A) and Ben Sims (Jomo JMR 7) – triple and quadruple champions respectively – edged Ben to victory by 0.019 seconds on Sunday, but Grant took the overall title and the Paul Sims Memorial Trophy, named after Ben’s father. Points leader Sam Mitchell (Merlin) suffered a heartbreaking moment during Saturday’s chase when his throttle cable snapped due to high speed from Luffield to Woodcote. As his car wobbled, Will Nuthall’s shadow berries ran over his rear wheels, damaging his nose. Mitchell pulled out, his points limit reached.
With the support of dad – 2009 HFF Champion Westie – Sam qualified 30th for the finals and finished 20th within a lap. Winding down, the Cotswolds racer calmly prepared to join the leaders. Fourth, behind Chapman, was enough to reclaim the title won in 2013. Sims, affected by an engine explosion at Brands Hatch in July, brought him closest to the table.
The Derek Bell Trophy races were sensational, featuring F1 (invited) and F5000 cars and some exceptionally well-driven two-litre F2 and 1600cc Atlantic machinery. Lifetime Racing’s Dan Eagling captured pole in 1970s Modsports ace John Evans’ former Jimmy Miuset March 742 – originally a BMW M12-powered hillclimb car, now with Ford BDG – and duly took victory on Saturday.
Hopes for a Sunday Double were completely destroyed by a cam belt failure through Woodcote. Mark Williams (ex-Craig Hill Lola T460, in F2 BDG spec) shook off Mark Mercer (ex-Bill Brack March 79B) and overtook the F1 LEC of a tiring Peter Williams. Mark charged to the line but fell 0.125 seconds short of victory in the rakish machine.
American Gary Lapidus recovered from a spin in his ex-John Morton Lola-Chevrolet T400 as the faster stock block V8 runners chose Mark Harrison’s ex-Jarno Trulli Dallara F394, having been replaced when his newly restored – but curiously liveried – ex-David Franklin March 772 tore a CV joint.
Frustrated by his Mallory Park encounter last time out, which left rival Graham Fenimore ahead in the historic 50th anniversary FF2000 title race, Ben Glasswell did not enter the final double-header, confirming Fenimore as champion for the third time in five seasons with the TMJ Reynard SF81. But Graham met his match in Michael Moyers, who returned to the SF79 in addition to Adrian Reynard and won Saturday’s tight race, despite only six laps of testing on Friday. Fenimore turned the tables on Moyers on Sunday.
Simon Benes, Porsche 924
Photo by: Mick Walker
After a disappointing spin “on cold tyres” through the Copse on his first flying lap on Saturday, which foretold a tigerish recovery drive in fourth place, on Sunday “incredibly nervous” 1979 EFDA Euroseries champion Reynard’s third place – Andrew Storer’s sixth – reclaimed P3 in the standings by one point, to grandson Luca. Impressed. “We need more young drivers in FF2000,” said the 75-year-old, who raced his own design in the Pinto class’s inaugural 1975 season.
Adrian Russell’s front-engined Formula Junior double – the first in a standalone race dating back to 1961 – was insufficient to turn the overall title race into an uneconomical-looking Condor. Nick Carlton-Smith (Lotus 20/22) was not to be denied a fourth crown, surviving Saturday’s race at Becketts to win his drum-brake category and start the mass-ranked final four points ahead. While poleman Sam Wilson (Cooper T59) could not hold on in both rear-engine contests, Carlton-Smith won a great D1 squabble with the super fast but spirited Nathan Metcalfe (Lotus 20) and the experienced Robin Longdon, driving his Lola Mk3 as if he had recaptured his youth.
Eleven years after son Jono won the HSCC Classic Racing Car Championship, Simon Baynes captured a popular 70s road sports title in his emerald green Porsche 924. The fast-starting Cumbrian won it from Class D, with the 911SC of hero John Williams following a clutch failure in qualifying, in which he could not hold off Tim Child’s brilliant Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV.
Scott Elliott Paterson (Morgan +8) and Antony Ross (TVR 3000M) took outright wins, while defending champion Howard Payne (Lotus Europa) took out class honors by beating Mark Leverett (Allen) twice. New Historic Road Sports champion Mark Godfrey (Lotus 7) led all of Allen’s players, notably Robert Rowe and Paul Toms in the Wichampton Garage cars and Sunday spinner Fraser Gibney.
Two drama-packed Alfa Romeo races were won by Jamie Thwaites’ daring Giulietta TCR and Jack Berry’s 4C, the latter by Mike Hilton’s 4C in the gravel at Luffield. Toby Broome retained his title with two class wins.
The close of the Guards Trophy season attracted only a dozen starters, but four had taken the lead before a broken transmission stopped the fast Lenham of Robert and Ben Tusting. Early leader Andrew Hibberd (Lotus 23B) drove brilliantly to beat Elliott and Russell Patterson (Ginetta G16) and Neil Fowler/Ross Drybrough (Chevron B8) to win the championship on tie-break with Tustings, five class wins to three.
Guards Trophy winner Andrew Hibberd
Photo by: Mick Walker
2025 HSCC Silverstone Final Winner
HSCC SDC Classic Formula Ford Races One and Two: Rick Morris (Royal RP29)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford Race One: Callum Grant (Merlin MK20A)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford Race Two: Ben Sims (Jomo JMR 7)
HSCC Derek Bell Trophy Race One: Dan Eagling (MAR-BDG 742)
HSCC Derek Bell Trophy Race Two: Peter Williams (LEC-DFV CRP1)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford 2000 Race One: Michael Moyers (Renard SF79)
HSCC Historic Formula Ford 2000 Race Two: Graham Fenimore (Reynard SF81)
FJHRA Silverline Historic Formula Junior, before 1961: Adrian Russell (Condor S2).
FJHRA Silverline Historic Formula Junior, Rear-Engine Races One and Two: Sam Wilson (Cooper T59)
HSCC 70s Road Sports, Historic Road Sports and Historic Racing Salons: Elliot Patterson (Morgan +8)
HSCC Historic Road Games: Mark Godfrey (Lotus 7)
HSCC 70s Road Sports: Antony Ross (TVR 3000M)
Alfa Romeo and the Italian Intermark Race One: Jamie Thwaites (Giulietta TCR)
Alfa Romeo and the Italian Intermark Race Two: Jack Berry (4C)
HSCC Guards Trophy: Andrew Hibbard (Lotus-Ford T/C 23B)
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