Lucas Romanek, racing for Oldfield Motorsport bounced back from a qualifying incident to win both United Formula Ford races at Silverstone on Saturday 15th April 2023, claiming the coveted Jim Walsh Trophy in the second, and taking fastest lap in both races.
Lucas triumphed over two-time Walter Hayes Trophy winner Michael Moyers and Formula 1 Esports champion Lucas Blakeley in race one, and won the second race (Jim Walsh Trophy) ahead of Moyers and Ammonite Motorsport’s Nolan Allaer from Michigan, USA.
Romanek (19, from Swindon) was leading the qualifying session when he suffered an early blow after he collided at Woodcote with another car, with the resultant damage leaving both drivers down the order for race one. The team did a great job getting his car back out, but with limited time they had ran out of laps and Romanek could only watch his lead slip away, eventually qualifying in 11th place.
Race 1, Lucas Romanek had a great start and climbed from 10th on the grid to fifth in the first few corners before passing Lewis Fox, and then taking third away from Elliott Budzinski on lap three.
Blakeley remained ahead after defending from Romanek into Brooklands and Luffield. Romanek snatched the lead into Copse after getting a good run through Woodcote. Blakeley tried to keep with Romanek on the final lap but ran wide at Brooklands.
Race two included two safety cars. The first came as a result of a stalled car off the line and the second immediately followed the restart when Blakeley was nudged from behind by Budzinski exiting Woodcote and spun backwards into the pitwall.
The race finally resumed with four minutes remaining, with Romanek crucially breaking the tow to Moyers immediately and controlling the final laps to win by 1.332s.
Romanek had not expected to take two wins after his qualifying incident. “Definitely not,” he said. “But in the end it was a brilliant result. I could feel the pressure behind [in race two], I just had to keep my head down and keep it consistent.”
The Jim Walsh Trophy takes place at Silverstone. This Formula Ford event celebrates the career of Jim Walsh, a racer known as the 'King of Silverstone', and was the star of Silverstone FF1600 events during the 1970s and early 1980s.
The Jim Walsh Trophy was first held in 2003, this being the 20th anniversary of the trophy race.
This was the second race meet in the United
Formula Ford Championship 2023. With Lucas Romanek taking 1st and 3rd at Donington earlier in the month.
Lucas currently leads the championship with 24 points. Next race, is at Oulton Park, 22nd April 23, in the opening round of the National Formula Ford 1600 Championship.
Then back to Castle Combe for the May Day Madness Race, 1st May 2023.