Smith Strikes Gold In F2 March

FORTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER RONNIE Peterson won the last Formula 2 race at Oulton Park in a March 722, Northern Ireland’s Darwin Smith drove a sister car to a scintillating double victory over Richard Evans’s 742.

- Marcus Pye

It was a wonderfully evocative FIA International Series feature, enjoyed by a large and appreciative audience, and topped the best HSCC Gold Cup event so far.

The colourful double-header brought back international interest with competitors from the US, France, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany. It included Paul Bason’s March 712, in which James Hunt finished third in 1972, and the ex-Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus 69 of Roger Bevan in a 23-car field showcasing nine marques, and three chassis eras celebrating champions Bruno Giacomelli, Jochen Rindt and Gilles Villeneuve.

Evans pursued Smith for all he was worth on Sunday and Monday, his BDG engine blunted by a misfire in the opener, with Chevron drivers Chris Lillingston-Price (B40) and Michael Bletsoe-Brown chasing. Behind the two-litre cars, American James King – revelling in his first visit to Oulton since his British F3 season in 1977 – inflicted rare 1600cc defeats on reigning quadruple champion Robert Simac in a similar 712.

Richard Tarling proved the master of defence in narrowly winning both Historic Formula Ford finals from Callum Grant, although his Jamun sounded like a jalopy in the first. Tarling has won four from 10 now, but fourth and third for Michael O’Brien eased him closer to the crown. Sam Mitchell netted third in the first points payer. Swede Roland ‘Rockcrusher’ Svensson, Neil Shinner and Rob Smith were the over-fifties standouts as the top five finished the finale together.