Warrington drivers cursed with engine failures at Oulton Park meetings (From Warrington Guardian)

Warrington drivers cursed with engine failures at Oulton Park meetings

12:16pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in Sport

DAVID McArthur endured a mixed bag in the Avon Tyres Formula Ford 1600 Northern Championships at Oulton Park on Saturday.

The Rixton racer, who entered the weekend in fifth place overall for the championship, made a great start to race one in his Medina Sport sponsored 1600cc Van Diemen Formula Ford, taking the lead only to make another mistake on lap eight and the final lap to finish third.

He followed up this podium finish with another good drive in race two, but he disappointingly had to retire the car after deeming that the rear suspension was broken.

Lymm’s Barry Armstrong suffered an even more miserable time in his Mark Six Jedi, having to pull out of both of his Formula Jedi Championship races and putting his overall third place in jeopardy.

Engine problems forced him to retire from race one, before a similar fate also ended his hopes of a recovery in race two.

Warrington’s Martin Richardson continued the theme of engine disasters in the North West’s Motor Racing ‘Gold Cup’ weekend.

Driving his 1965 MGB in the HSCC Guards Trophy Race for GT Cars, Richardson qualified in 25th and sixth in class, but was making up the places brilliantly during the race before an engine failure caused him to retire on lap 10.

Stuart Baird, from Lymm, raced his 1969 1600cc Merlyn Mk11A into sixth position in the HSCC Grandstand Motor Sport Tours Historic Formula Ford Championships.

Qualifying in fourth place, he made up for early lost ground with a flying final lap to make up four places from 10th.

Penketh’s Dale Spruce raced his 1979 Reynard SF79 in the Armistead Barnett Financial Services & HSCC Historic Formula Ford 2000 Championship.

Qualifying in seventh, Spruce lost five places when going off the track but made up the difference in the slippery conditions to finish a deserved fifth place.