Chris Middlehurst has made his intention clear to fight for a spot in the final of the Walter Hayes Trophy with an impressive performance in the progression race. The Team Dolan driver claimed a convincing victory after finishing just 0.035 seconds behind the winner of the previous day’s second heat.
A 30-second penalty for a non-functioning transponder relegated Middlehurst to 19th position in the results, thus preventing his automatic qualification for the semifinals. After several unsuccessful appeals, the driver was forced to compete in the progression race, from where he started the race from third position on the grid.
Despite the competition from drivers with older vehicles, Middlehurst dominated the race, easily overcoming the difficulties of reduced visibility and a very slippery track due to the present fog.
Stuart Adam started from pole position, followed by Alan Crocker, driving his distinctive Cheetah Mk4. However, it was Middlehurst who took the lead before the first braking zone after Maggotts, and entering the Wellington Straight, he already had several cars ahead.
As the race progressed, Middlehurst managed to improve his pace on a challenging track, and at the end of the 10 laps, he finished with a lead of 21.334 seconds over Ian Campbell of Vertical Racing, who took second place.
Crocker and Alan Slater of Swift Cooper occupied third and fourth places after the first lap, but Campbell managed to surpass them and inherited second place when McArthur, who was required to enter the pits to activate the water light, retired from the competition.
In a dramatic moment, on the eighth lap, Crocker suffered a major spin exiting Becketts, falling from fourth to eighth position, which he also lost in a close finish where Adam beat him by just 0.061 seconds.
With this victory, Middlehurst secures a spot on the grid for the Last Chance Race, and will now have to prove his skill to climb positions once more if he wants to access the semifinals.
Race Results (10 laps)
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Middlehurst | Team Dolan | 11m43.489s |
| 2 | Ian Campbell | Vertical Racing | +21.334s |
| 3 | Joshua Law | Classic & Race | +40.361s |
| 4 | Anthony Denham | Team CKM | +43.300s |
| 5 | Tim Fitzgerald | +44.675s | |
| 6 | Henry Campbell | +45.125s | |
| 7 | Jamie Perry | +51.100s | |
| 8 | Stuart Adam | +54.864s | |
| 9 | Alan Crocker | Team Black Magic Motorsport | +54.925s |
| 10 | Alan Slater | Swift Cooper | +58.609s |
| 11 | Stephen Daly | +1m09.293s | |
| 12 | Koen Baretta | +1 lap | |
| 13 | Luke McShane | Enigma Motorsport | +1 lap |
| 14 | Colin Lewis | +1 lap | |
| 15 | Andy Clark | +1 lap | |
| 16 | Kevin Teager | +1 lap | |
| 17 | Simphiwe Mohlahlo | KMR Sport | +1 lap |
| Ret | Neil McArthur | B-M Racing |
Fastest Lap: Middlehurst, 1m09.461s
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_9826ec2568f43523735268da70b33c5346397676