A first win of 2017 for Alex Quinn saw the 17-year-old benefit from a bruising encounter at Croft in the F4 British Championship to win the reverse grid race.
Making his debut in the reverse grid event was Olli Caldwell. The TRS Arden driver was too young to race yesterday and thus starts at the back of the grid taking over from Yves Baltas‘ unused car.
Another Arden driver, Ayrton Simmons, would start on the front of the grid, alongside Quinn, as the latter made the better getaway, forcing his way into the lead as Simmons dropped behind Jamie Caroline and Oscar Piastri as a result.
A safety car was soon called with Daniel Cao stuck in the gravel at turn one.
At the restart, Quinn found himself breaking away as Piastri snuck past Caroline, leaving the championship leader under threat from those behind. One soon turned into three as Caroline lost positions to Simmons, Linus Lundqvist and Logan Sargeant.
The four were all equally matched though with Lundqvist’s failed move on Simmons dropping him back to sixth. It would later become seventh as Oliver York muscled his way past into the last corner.
With six minutes to go, drama ensued as Jamie Sharp crashed into the barrier and Simmons was taken out by Caroline, sending Simmons into the corn field.
Caroline would continue but dropped a number of places. All this promoted Sargeant and Lundqvist with the latter having got his position back from York.
Back at the front, Quinn had been caught by Piastri with the Australian all over the back of the 2016 rookie champion. Sadly a thrilling final lap was halted as the red flag was halted early as Karl Massaad hit Harry Webb, sending Massaad onto the grass.
This saw Quinn claim his maiden win of the year from Piastri and Sargeant rounding out the podium. With the results being counted back a lap, Lundqvist would be handed fifth ahead of York, Patrik Pasma, Caroline and Webb who won the Ford F4 Challenge Cup.
