REVIEW : HISTORIC F3
Ian Bankhurst heads the field
Timms waits for no man
An abbreviated season of five rounds faced the HSCC ’ s 1000cc F3 Championship , with the opening round at Cadwell Park attracting 19 entries . Marcus Pye reports .
Benn Simms , guesting in Jim Blockley ’ s immaculate ex-Ken Sedgeley Chevron B17 took both wins : he ’ d faced stern opposition from Jeremy Timms in race one , which unfortunately ended with Timms climbing out of a rather bent Chevron at the Gooseneck . Jeremy proved to be championship ’ s quickest driver but surveying the crumpled rear end of his Chevron B15 , the championship must have seemed an uphill battle . Nonetheless the Gloucestershire man was to secure the crown in style . His ex-Reine Wisell car ’ s frame was not square after its impact with the bank , but Nemesis Racing ’ s Jeremy Bennett ’ s compensatory settings enabled Timms to strike back at Donington , which again marked a 19-car entry . Two second places there , to Andrew Hibberd ( ex- Chris Irwin Brabham BT18 ), came after cracking battles which also embroiled Simms , again out in Blockley ’ s Chevron .
Thereafter Timms was dominant . His wet pace on Brands Hatch ’ s Grand Prix circuit defeated Hibberd , who ’ s work in the preparation business prevented more outings . Further braces of victories at Oulton Park and Mallory Park took his score beyond reach of stalwarts Mark Linstone ( Brabham BT21 ) and out-going champion Ian Bankhurst ( Alexis Mk8 ). Linstone scored in most rounds , fourths at the Brands Super Prix and Mallory ’ s finale out-pointed Bankhurst who shot up the order with four successive seconds at the Oulton Park Gold Cup and Mallory . Until he fell off at Oulton , Andrew Tart ( ex-John Fenning Merlyn Mk9 ) headed the points table , which even he couldn ’ t quite fathom . Fourths in both Cadwell races were his best finishes .
Tart slipped to fourth , ahead of his ageless team-mate Mike Walker - an F3 race winner in period - piloting the ex-Mike ‘ Winfield ’ Knight Brabham BT21 they co-own . Walker ended his campaign with a fine third in Mallory ’ s finale . Sixth was former champion Simon Armer , whose up-and-down season ( like championship ringmaster Keith Messer ’ s in the unique Vesey ) was highlighted by thirds at Donington , Brands and Oulton .
Simms was right on the pace in the Chevron , and he was a very welcome visitor to the championship . Other podium visitors were Jason Timms , Jeremy ’ s cousin , with two seconds at Cadwell ensuring a family presence in all 10 races , although his Brabham BT21 ’ s engine proved reluctant to keep its oil inside thereafter . Mike Scott ( BT28 ), Swiss Christoph Widmer ( BT21 ) and the mercurial Steve Seaman
Andrew Tart in the rare Merlyn
Mark Linstone
( BT21B ) earned a third apiece .
Emerging from the covid pandemic and related travel restrictions , it was great to see Widmer and Swedish BT28 racer Leif Bosson re-join the fray from continental Europe . Veteran Barry Sewell ’ s resolve to rebuild his ex-Derek Bell Lotus 41 following his Cadwell prang was meritorious too , as were Ewen Sergison ’ s crew ’ s efforts to re-engine Paul Waine ’ s pretty de Sanctis overnight there . The Italian car , like Peter Hamilton ’ s Tecno , were clearly not the best handling cars , even with master MAE engine builder Sam Wilson on board at Mallory .
Twenty-eight drivers took part in the championship racing chassis from 10 marques . New drivers are pencilled in for next season , Steve Smith ’ s Chevron
B15 has gone to Mike Lamplough , and Blockley ’ s Chevron B17 to Josh Sharp .
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