Formula Ford

Kruger Survives Sutton Challenge for Victory

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JTR Motorsport’s South African racer, Jayde Kruger, is celebrating victory in the second of three races for the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britian at Knockhill. Kruger netted the victory after technical problems hobbled the race 1 winner Ashley Sutton, putting an end to a battle for the win which had thrilled for seventeen laps.

Kruger initially led his team mate Max Marshall while Sutton rocketed up the grid to third in the opening moments of the race. It took the MBM Motorsport driver three laps to dispatch Marshall and set off in chase of Kruger whio had already built a three second lead.

Twelve laps later the pair were in close company and Sutton tried all he could to make it past the race leader. The battle raged for five laps of the Scottish circuit until the MBM Mygale’s throttle jammed open, forcing Sutton across the gravel at the Hairpin and into the barriers. Sutton was unharmed in the final lap incident but his Mygale-Mountune was severely damaged.

“The throttle stuck on the second downchange as I approached the hairpin,” Sutton reported. “Once I realised what was happening I stamped on the throttle to try to unjam it, then back on to the brakes to try to stop it. But I was still going… Last lap, last corner, it’s a real shame. I had backed off by that point because the tyres had gone off a little; I pushed it that little bit too hard trying to catch Kruger.”

Jayde Kruger added, “When I saw him coming I tried to push but he was too fast. I just had to keep him behind me. I don’t know what happened to him at the end there – he came past me so fast it looked like he had an accelerator problem. I’m pleased he’s OK, and I’m pleased to have won and clawed back some points from Harrison.”

The crash promoted championship leader Harrison Scott to third place at the flag, though six seconds down on the JTR 1-2. It also gave Ricky Collard the victory in scholarship class, rescuing the result for Falcon Motorsport who run both drivers. With Collard in fourth Juan Rosso slotted in to fifth place for Radical Motorsport, less than half a second behind. James Abbott finished ten seconds behind his Radical team mate and twenty seconds clear of Richardson Racing’s Louise Richardson.

Greg Holloway’s SWB Motorsport Sinter-Scholar took eighth place, one of the best results for both driver and chassis manufacturer this year. It was however mainly due to the retirements of Sutton and Chris Mealin’s Falcon run Scholarship entry.

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I am a photographer, writer and podcast presenter, specialising in GT and Endurance racing. I've been with The Checkered Flag since 2014, covering a wide range of racing series from Formula Ford to Formula 1, with British GT the main focus of my work. You can hear me monthly on the British GT Fans Show which can be found in our Recommended Listening section.
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