Gallery Results 2017 06 June Cadwell Park
17th-18th June 2017 - Cadwell Park
Milicevic does the Cadwell Park Double Again
Jon Milicevic made it four wins from five rounds of the Historic Formula 3 Championship during the HSCC Wolds Trophy meeting at Cadwell Park over the weekend (Saturday/Sunday 17/18 June).
The annual visit to the spectacular three-dimensional Lincolnshire track was once again for the Justin Haler Trophy and a fabulous 27-car field arrived at the sun-drenched track to ensure a capacity grid. As well as a very strong UK contingent, five European visitors and Australian Kim Shearn in the Penny Ford packed out the field. New to the grid was the ex-John Fenning Merlyn Mk9, now superbly restored by Andrew Tart.
Other welcome guests included 1969 Cadwell Park international F3 winner Ulf Svensson with countryman Leif Bosson and Malcolm Smith, re-united with his former Brabham BT21B for the first time since June 1967. The car is now raced by Jim Timms.
Milicevic (Brabham BT21B) put down a marker in qualifying by taking pole by a useful margin over the closely matched cars of Francois Derossi (Chevron B17), Andrew Hibberd (Brabham BT18) and Christoph Widmer (Brabham BT18A). The Swiss racer was elated to be fourth fastest but knew that Peter Thompson (Brabham BT21), from fifth on the grid, would soon be on the attack.
The capacity grid made a fine sight rushing away from the start and Milicevic soon started building his lead. He was six seconds clear when the safety car was deployed while a stricken car was moved. Hibberd had been running second and Milicevic was expecting a challenge when the safety car peeled off. However, Hibberd was immediately in trouble with suspected fuel vaporisation. “Up until the safety car it was perfect, and then it had no go,” he said after retiring to the paddock. “I wasn’t too bothered when he disappeared,” admitted Milicevic of his friend and rival, as the race winner was suffering from overheating feet by the end of the race.
With Derossi already stopped in the pits, Widmer came through to a tremendous second place from Jim Blockley (Brabham BT21) and Peter Needham (March 703). With a delayed Thompson down in ninth, Thierry Gallo (Tecno) was a fine fifth and John Waggitt (Chevron B15) raced from the back of the grid to sixth after qualifying problems in the ex-Reine Wisell car.
Sunday’s second race delivered a fourth win of the season for Milicevic as he stretched clear of Hibberd. Derossi completed the podium but only just held off the impressive Needham before Widmer and Waggitt rounded out the top six. Despite the scorching temperatures, an impressive 22 cars lined up for the second race to wrap up an excellent weekend at a track very little changed since Svensson’s win back in 1969.
Paul Lawrence
View Results and Timings (as a PDF document) [PDF]
