Qualifying

“An early start for qualifying at 08:30 at a wet Oulton Park. 28 cars on the grid and a respectable 17^th on the grid for race one, which considering the classes of the cars on the grid was a great achievement. Lots of others complained of little to no grip on the circuit but I never found it an issue during the session and had total confidence in the car.�

Race One

“With a pack of higher-class cars behind me, keeping my place in the middle of the pack was always going to be challenge and although off the start a couple of places were lost, as the race evolved and progressed, places were taken back and good clean racing was had by all on circuit. The car was faultless and the brakes remain a key part in being able to brake later than others, giving me an advantage heading into heavy braking zones on the international circuit. Maximum points and a class win were secured and leading to a good place on the grid for race two and its typically unpredictable April weather.�

Race Two

“Tyre choice was key for race two, with torrential rain followed by warm spells of sunshine and the choice of tyres was left until the last second in the hope of gaining an advantage in the race. I opted for an intermediate tyre and it paid off; turn one was tricky at the start and caution was applied through the next couple of laps with cars on the wet choice of tyres making the most of the conditions whilst they could.

“However, a dry line appeared fairly quickly with just a few wet and damp sections remaining, especially in the braking zones at Cascades and Lodge.

“Pace-wise – considering the tyre choice and conditions – was good again, with a further advantage in key braking zones and happy to report a further class win and a maximum points haul for the weekend.

“The conditions were tough and challenging and yet again, 91´«Ã½ Racing came through the test giving me confidence throughout.â€�

Qualifying

“Oh dear, a complete non-starter – I headed to the holding area for noise testing and to await release on to the circuit. All seemed find until the circuit opened, when the car started holding its revs at 5000rpm. Back to the pit garage and a sticky throttle position sensor was found to be the culprit, along with an alternator that decided not all parts were required and started to break apart, how is your luck! So, parts were changed but qualifying was missed meaning I had to start from the back of grid for race one, I guess that’s racing.�

Race One

“The best start of my life, as the lights when out, I was off, and took three cars before reaching the congested Paddock Hill Bend before taking a fourth car before Druid. Within two laps, I had moved up eight places and was on the charge. As the racing intensified, 3^rd place was in my sight, but a safety car put pay to a space on the class podium with the race being finished under safety car conditions, following a collision between two cars at Surtees. However, I had made up 12 places throughout the race, giving my support and sponsors some exciting racing to watch as I cut through the field, finishing 4^th in class.�

Race Two

“Is it wet or is it dry?! With seconds to go, I made the decision to run on intermediate tyres. Thinking fortune favours the brave seeing as most others were on full wets, It looked a good choice until we placed on the grid when the heavens opened! Paddock Hill was very interesting on the first lap with plenty of ‘moments’ from others and myself, however considering the tyre choice, the race was on for a podium spot with Aaron Tucker from HT Racing in his 1800 Pinto-Powered Sierra (who is also my engine tuner) and after a few laps of chasing him down, the conditions held and I was able to get by before fending him off for the last couple of laps to take 3^rd on the class podium. Given how the weekend started with qualifying and then the changeable weather what started out as a disaster turned into a great weekend’s racing. As for the brakes, superb throughout in both the wet and dry, keep up the good work all at EBC.�

Qualifying

“2^nd in class and a personal best time.�

Race 1

“A very congested start to race one as we headed down the main straight to the first corner, however I was able to make up some overall places and get ahead of some of the higher-powered cars. Class leader Steve Primett however was able to pull a gap that I was never able to claw back, however all was not lost with a solid 2^nd in class round a circuit I have historically struggled at. As the race settled, I found myself having to defend my overall position from some of the higher class cars and enjoyed some real battles which was to be a theme of the afternoon for me.�

Race 2

“I have never been under so much pressure to defend! From the start, I was under pressure from the 2023 Champion, Kevan Hadfield, and so we battled for 2^nd in class on every straight and in every corner and even exchanged paint at one point as the battle intensified, however having to let a chase for 1^st in class go due to the battle Kevan and I am pleased to have grab the 2^nd in class but only a couple of tenths of a second!�

“We’re excited to share a quick update before the next round at Oulton Park, as SBR Motorsport’s Max Buxton continues to lead the championship in dominant form.

“With three-from-three pole positions, converting two into wins, Max Buxton has put in a commanding performance in each race. EBC-backed Buxton and SBR Motorsport are now firmly at the top of the standings following the race win successes at Anglesey. Our drivers; Sophie Kinghorn, Xavier Zawisa and Marc Webb, have all asserted their dominance in speed, talent and personality on and off the track and there are certainly some podiums to be had here!”

“A key part of the team and Buxton’s success lies in the performance and reliability of our brake package. Using the EBC RP-X front pads, combined with EBC Bluestuff rears, we’ve found a setup that delivers unmatched consistency and confidence under pressure. There’s no second option for us – this is a guaranteed performance-enhancing solution that continues to prove itself, round after round.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support from 91´«Ã½, whose high-quality products clearly speak for themselves on the track.

“Looking forward to keeping this momentum going into the next round at Oulton Park…�

“Starting from the back of the grid in Race 2 was always going to be a challenge – we had a mechanical issue earlier in the day meaning we missed Race 1, but the team got the car repaired so we could go racing.

“Fighting our way through the pack meant being opportunistic with the overtakes, with lots of them being done on the brakes. Confidence on the brake pedal is paramount and the EBC SR-11 pads provided us with a great consistent feel.”

“Against the odds, we fought our way through the field until we caught the leader. Following closely looking for a way to pass, we made yet another move on the brakes to take the lead into Shell Oils Corner and held onto that position to the chequered flag. 

“A fantastic team effort, rewarded with a great win, made possible by fantastic components on the car.�

Qualification

“An early start for Qualifying saw the field take to the track at 08:30am. The session became broken up due to a stranded car on the circuit, but I managed to place the car 2^nd in class and put in a personal best in what I would argue is the best track in the UK.�

Race One

“An odd start to round 3 of the Modified Fords, with some confusion around the start with some cars expecting to be placed on the grid with others keeping an eagle eye and taking advantage to gain places and put space between them and the nearest rivals. I am pleased to report I was one of the eagled eyed who made good progress and put several car lengths between the 3^rd in class car piloted by Keven Hadfield and headed into Old Hall with a surprising amount of space. The race soon settled given the space that had happened due to the start, and try as I might, I was unable to catch Steve Primmet’s BDA-powered Mk1 Escort, but managed a solid drive taking a 2^nd in class and moving up the field in the process, continuing the solid start to the season.�

Race Two

“No mistakes this time by anyone at the start and cars went into Old Hall, Avenue and Cascades 3 and 4 deep; everyone kept it clean and drove with respect with close, fast and fair racing. Again, as per round 2 at Snetterton, the 2022 Champion Keven Hadfield and his Ford Puma gave me a hard time, so some very late braking and defending was required to keep him at bay, giving the spectators some excellent, exciting racing! Again, Steve Primmet was proving hard to catch, but perhaps he just pushed a little too hard to keep a distance from me and suffered an off at Cascades. I was close enough to take advantage and took the class lead with 3 laps to go and took the chequered flag for the class win. The brakes were faultless all weekend and were well and truly punished given how close the racing was. Again, many thanks to my sponsors, especially 91´«Ã½ whose stoppers never cease to amaze me.â€�

“Snetterton is a circuit that historically I have no luck at, so having just repaired the gearbox on the car and testing being at a premium, I headed into qualification with some concerns, however a solid qualification was had, with 3^rd in class and a good chance to get to a feel for the repairs and to bed in the new Front RP-1s and Rear upgrade from Greenstuff to Bluestuff.�

Round One:

“A frantic start to race one saw a congested pack head into the fast right-hander at Riches with a few changes of positions taking place, as the race settled I was able to put together some great laps and pull back some of the time that had been lost on the 1^st corner and gaining a personal best time at the circuit.

“Both Steve Primmet in his superb Mk1 Escort powered with a 1600cc BDA and Justin Fuller in his super quick 1700cc Puma had the legs on me on long straights of Snetterton’s 300 circuit, however, Steve had problems with the Escort and I was able to gain a place and put fair distance between myself and another 1700cc Puma piloted by the 2022 Champion Kevan Hadfield to claim 2^nd in Class.

“Unfortunately, the race was cut short by a lap or two following a nasty off and red flags being deployed with a few minutes remaining.â€�

Round Two:

“A difficult start was had by all in the middle and back of the grid in race two after the circuit had to switch to starting the race with the national flag, rather than lights, following a recovery truck incident that saw the light gantry badly damaged, however I managed to gain a good start and stayed ahead of the Kevan Hadfield who was behind me on the starting grid, as the race settled the battle of the day in class C commenced with Kevan applying maximum pressure to me throughout the last 4 laps. However, I managed to prevail and held on to another class 2^nd making for a solid start to my title defence, ending the weekend as class leader.

“The car was faultless all weekend and I gained further confidence into the high-speed braking zones with the upgraded pads, and hands on support from Chris at MTS Motorsport, Neil from Blue Blue and Dan from Ellmore Clothing.

“The Modified Fords head next to the amazing track at Oulton Park on the 26^th April, here’s to another solid weekend.â€�

“Round 6 of the MSVR Trackday Championship saw us packing our car to the brim with tools and spares and sending it on its way to sunny Spain to the newly refurbished Circuito de Navarra. Acquired by MSV recently and subject to lots of recent updates of the facilities and track itself, we would be the first race series to battle it out on the new layout. A very exciting adventure having not raced overseas before. A logistical challenge as much as a racing one!

“With testing completed on the Friday, the technicalities of the circuit and its challenging mix of elevation and compound corners combined with tricky braking brakes was becoming more fluid to us. We were using three-race-old pads up front with very little material left, which is one of the many benefits we’ve found using the RP-X compound – we can use them pretty much to the backing plate and suffer no loss of pedal feel and modulation. With one last session to go, we strapped on a new set of Ultimax front discs and RP-X pads to bed in ready for race day to complement the tried and tested Yellowstuff rears that have been in there all year so far testament to their wear and performance characteristics.

“With fewer numbers making the trip to the Spanish circuit than at previous rounds, the class pressures were largely diminished, however the opportunity to mix it up with the higher class cars wasn’t to be dismissed. We powered on qualifying the current Class C championship leader, putting us a solid 8th on the grid of the main event. The heavy braking zones into the four tight hairpins made light work of by the RP-X/Yellowstuff combo.”

“With the temperatures rising, the race would be a tough one on the cars, with race management being key. As we set off, as the lights dropped we got into the battle with the Class C Celica and Class B Civic just ahead. With a ‘last of the late brakers’ move into the top hairpin after a great run up the hill, we dived up the inside of the Semprini Civic after a few laps of lining up a move. After a few laps re-defending the higher power car, I was able to focus on reeling in the Celica who looked to be struggling with tyre temp. With a great battle all the way down the main straight into the fast sweeper, I snuck up the inside gaining a further position on the brakes. Confidence on the middle pedal being the most important factor at this circuit! With Kev now in the car after the pit stop, he dutifully went about the business of consolidating the position and managing the car and gaps to the end as there was no potential to gain on the higher-class cars ahead.

“Another class victory and high points finish to go towards the championship campaign! With 1 round to go at the probably not-so-sunny Brands Hatch later this month, we can hopefully add to the season’s silverware!�

Qualifying:

“I qualified 2^nd in class, from 9 in class C and 12^th overall from a total of 26, I also set a personal best of 56:9 on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, there is no doubt the new RP-X pads made a significant difference in my ability to out-brake others.�

Race One:

“A very busy start to the race due to my qualifying position in the middle of the pack and a tricky first corner at Paddock Hill with cars four abreast in places and bumper to bumper. However, as we headed into Graham Hill, space started to develop and although the class C pole sitter had managed to gain a lead, a squabble between Aaron Tucker in his HT Racing Sierra 1.8 Pinto developed, and we enjoyed close, fast and fair racing for long periods until Aaron was able to get the better of me into the Cooper Straight, having just that bit more torque. However, I was happy to take 3^rd in class and was happy it gave my new sponsor BlueBlue.uk and their clients something to cheer.�

Grid Walk:

“Ford Power Live also had an exclusive Modified Fords Grid Walk during the lunch period between Races One and Two and this saw the grid packed with show and race fans asking many questions about all the cars, their setups and gave younger fans a chance to enjoy a seat in the cars and grab some autographs and photos.�

Race Two:

“Race two again saw a busy start into Paddock Hill as is expected at Brands Hatch, and I lost a place in the class to Gary Littlewood who was also on his home circuit putting me into 4^th in class. Gary and I have had some superb battles this season and Race Two was no different, with 3^rd and 4^th places swapping multiple times and in the end to my favour before Gary had to retire with a puncture. The racing gods were also in my favour during the race with Aaron Tucker who had 2^nd in class having to retire pushing me into 2^nd place behind the class pace setter Justin Fuller and his Puma.

“However, I am pleased to announce that my finishes over the weekend a 3^rd and 2nd were enough for top honours in Class C and overall for 2024!!

“The Modified Fords now move onto the last round of the season at MSV’s Navarra Circuit in Northern Spain, were I am sure the racing will again be hugely competitive.

“I am so impressed with the brake pads! Personally, I think they are a much more suitable pad for me than the RP-1; they are much better from cold and the braking power is so much better whilst still giving great pedal feel, I had so much confidence in them and was able to brake so much later which reflected in my times over the whole weekend.�

Qualified: 28^th out of 36 (2^nd in class by 4/10ths)

Race One: Finished 23^rd out of 36 (1^st in class)

Race Two: Finished 22^nd out of 36 (1^st in class)

“Qualifying was more a test than a qualifying session, following repairs and upgrades from last round’s DNF at Snetterton, and was cut slightly short due to incidents on the circuit. However, I qualified 2^nd in class (4/10ths of a second behind the class pole).

“Race One was saw close racing between Gary Littlewood and myself throughout and following a slight mistake from Gary running wide at Copse, I seized the chance to pass and led the class for the remain five laps, taking the class win.

“Race Two’s start was chaotic with lots of congestion going into Copse and Maggots and Gary Littlewood pulled the same move on me as I had on him in race one, however once the field spread I was able to get back past Gary on the Wellington Straight and led the class for the entire race, building a gap of approximately half a straight, taking maximum points for the weekend.

“Brakes were perfect all weekend! And I have now extended my lead in the class and overall championship, putting me in a good position going into the two last rounds at Brands Hatch and Navarra. Fingers crossed the car and I perform!�