19th September 2021 - Mallory Park
Historic F3 Mallory Park
Jeremy Timms takes 2021 title with 2 wins at Mallory
Qualifying became a lottery after heavy rain flooded the track leaving most drivers with only 2 laps completed, one of those being Mike Walker who said “that was dangerous out there and I simply cannot afford to damage the car” he was hoping for a dry race! Eventually the session was abandoned owing to the long delay before track action resumed with a revised timetable.
This left Sam Wilson (guesting in Paul Waine’s De Sanctis) on pole from Ian Bankhurst, Simon Armer and Andrew Tart, leaving double Oulton Park winner and HF3 Championship leader Jeremy Timms languishing in 8th place.
Race 1
Mike’s wish was granted and race 1 formed up in sunshine, Bankhurst made a great start and held the early lead, until Sam Wilson blasted past on Stebbe straight on lap 3, Bankhurst was then demoted further when Timms passed in the same place a lap later.
Wilson then spun at Gerrards and stalled, Timms and Bankhurst made a break from Armer, Andrew Tart and Steve Seaman. An inspired Seaman found a way past them both on consecutive laps to bag the final place on the podium. Keith Messer was a strong 6th from Mark Linstone and Walker who was much happier in the dry conditions. Peter Hamilton led home Gil Duffy, Paul Booth, Simon Haughton, Tony Wallen, Simon Etherington and Andrew Thorpe (sole Class A competitor) in his Lotus 31
Race 2
Grid positions were determined by the fastest times from race 1 which put Seaman on pole from Timms, Bankhurst and the flying Walker.
Unfortunately, red flags brought proceedings to a halt out at the beginning of lap two, with an incident at Gerrards that took out Tart, Messer and Wallen, Seaman did complete the lap but due to a serious water leak did not make the restart. Etherington was lucky to make the restart after his car had died and parked in the bus top on lap one
Bankhurst again made the best start from Timms and Armer, Walker and Wilson. A lap later and Timms had assumed his place at the front or the race and the championship. This left Bankhurst keeping station in second, whilst Armer dropped behind Walker and Wilson.
Wilson passed Walker before his car again faltered with gearbox issues, and retired leaving Walker on the podium in a Formula 3 car for the first time since his heyday back in the 1960’s. Further down the field Duffy and Haughton had a mighty battle for 7th they exited the hairpin several times side by side as Duffy struggled with gears but he prevailed at the end. Armer’s car also stuttered with a flat battery on the last lap and he coasted over the line in sixth behind Linstone and Hamilton with Etherington and Thorpe completing the finishers.
Steve Jones
