An impressive 120 Formula Fords descended on the home of British Motor Racing last weekend to take part in the Walter Hayes Trophy. The season finale for this race series was held over two cold November days at Silverstone. 

To get to the final and have a shot at taking the trophy home, professional and amateur drivers compete in a series of knockout races over the weekend. The final race has a line up of 36 drivers ready to take on the 1.6-mile national circuit. 

You might be thinking who is Walter Hayes and why did they name a trophy after him? Well he is not a racing driver of any regard but an ex journalist who ended up working for the Ford motor company. 

He was instrumental in starting the junior racing category, Formula Ford, the breeding ground for motor racings future stars. Formula Ford has now been established for over 50 years and due in no small part to Hayes. His foresight has enabled many up and coming race car drivers to fulfil their dreams of becoming a professional race car driver.

British F1 stars Johnny Herbert, David Coulthard, Jenson Button and touring car champion Gordon Shedden have all competed in Formula Ford. Other drivers of note are Emerson Fittipaldi, Jody Scheckter, Mark Webber and Le Mans star, Oliver Jarvis.

Formula Fords appeared on race tracks for the first time in 1967 with the Hayes Trophy being established in 2001. It has now been won by 13 different drivers.

It wasn’t just the latest Formula Fords fighting it out for honours over the weekend, the classic Fords were also re-living their youth. The Carl Hamer Trophy, for Formula Ford cars made between 1967 and 1981 and the Janet Cesar Trophy for slightly more modern 1982-1988 cars were also up for grabs.

Stamford based Ed Thurston led from start to finish, driving a 1971 Merlyn Mk20A to win the Carl Hamer Trophy for cars made between 1967 and 1981. By now the track was very wet, however Thurston put in an impressive fastest lap of 1:10.701. 

In second place number 8 was Mark Armstrong in the Van Diemen RF80; he was just over 3 seconds behind Thurston with Rick Morris coming in third, driving a Royale RP29.

In the Janet Cesar Trophy for cars built between 1992-88, it was Callum Grant in a Van Diemen RF91 who stormed to victory. Grant won by over by 12 seconds from Richard Tarling in the Jamun M92 and Doug Crosbie coming in third driving a Van Diemen RF89.

The Walter Hayes Trophy has a variety of other support races over the weekend. The oddest to watch, having an eclectic grid is the Allcomers Closed Wheel. 

Putting Neil Harris in a Renault Clio up against the likes of Robert Nash's Prosport 3000 looks a bit odd but they are competing in different classes and Harris was surprisingly fast in the Clio.

Clive Hayes in his stunning MCR S2000 was first in class and second overall on the day.

Winning the Silverstone Allcomers Closed Wheel race was Richard Wise in the Chiron LMP taking it round the 2.6377km in a fastest time of 1:06.216  

Pictured is Katie Milner sliding around Luffield during one of the many showers in her Ginetta G40 GT5. In a close race she eventually came second to Natalie McGloin in the Ladies Allcomers closed wheel handicap

The final race of the weekend, saw the drivers line up in cold, rainy and therefore challenging conditions. Michael Moyers in the Spectrum 011C eventually coming out on top to get his name on the converted Walter Hayes Trophy. 

Moyers is no stranger to the trophy, this will be the second time his name will be engraved on the impressive silver bowl he won last year as well. The race itself could have been anyone's due to the conditions. Moyers left his braking a little late at Brookland's and left the track. Rejoining and fighting his way back in some exciting wheel to wheel racing he eventually took the win from Matt Cowley by a second.    

And that my friends concludes our coverage of the Walter Hayes Trophy 2018 at Silverstone. A big thank you to RP Watkinson Photography for helping out and the great images.    

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