Up and coming Historic Formula Ford racer Ed Thurston, sponsored by Footman James, is reinforcing his reputation as one of the country’s top young racing drivers with superb drives in the last two championship meetings.
Thurston has been competing in the HSCC Historic Formula Ford Championship this season with Silverstone-based Classic Team Merlyn. His first race saw him competing on the demanding 2.6-mile Grand Prix Circuit at Brands Hatch in July, where he qualified second in a 32-car field. After a good start in the first of two races, a three-car battle for second place saw him finishing in third position, only 0.1 seconds behind former champion Richard Tarling.
In race two, Ed slipped to fifth place in the opening laps. But after an exciting tussle with Classic Team Merlyn team mates Pierre Livingston and Ben Tusting, Ed broke clear and rapidly closed down the leaders, completing the race with another podium finish in third position.
In early August, the Historic Formula Ford Championship moved to the Croft Circuit near Darlington in County Durham. After a good day of testing on the Friday hopes were high, but a tightly packed grid of cars meant that Ed qualified in 5th position. By the end of race one though, he had fought his way up to third position for another podium finish.
In the second race, some fraught and extremely close wheel to wheel racing saw Ed finish second, while also claiming the fastest lap and a new lap record for the fast Croft Circuit.
Ed’s next and final race meeting of the year will be at Silverstone on October 19th and 20th. This is the home track for Classic Team Merlyn where Ed won the prestigious Historic Formula Ford final at the Walter Hayes Trophy last November. All the omens are good for an exciting finale to the 2019 season for Ed.
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