The Walter Hayes Trophy is a non-championship Formula Ford race. Sanctioned by the Historic Sports Car Club and created by James Beckett the race has grown into the most prestigious Formula Ford race worldwide. The race is held annually in November at the Silverstone Circuit.
History The first Walter Hayes Trophy was held at Silverstone between 26 and 28 August 2001 after being created by James Beckett. It is named after Walter Hayes who was a Ford Motor Company public relations executive. As a public relations executive Hayes was very much involved with racing and was instrumental in the creation of the famous Cosworth DFV engine. Hayes died on 26 December 2000, aged 76 and since, his name has carried on in this event.
Neil Fowler won the inaugural race in a classic Lola T200 beating 48 competitors. The 2001 race was the only Trophy held in August as part of the Silverstone Historic Festival in which the race was sanctioned by the BRDC (British Racing Drivers club). From 2002, the race became (and still is) a stand-alone event. The events held between 2002 and 2006 were sanctioned by the BRDC, with this role being taken by the HSCC (Historic Sports Car Club) from 2007. Gavin Wills won the 2002 edition and after that, Joey Foster won three races consecutively in 2003, 2004 and 2005 in a Reynard chassis. He is the most successful competitor after winning the race 4 times, once more in 2022 with Don Hardman Racing in a Firman RFR20 chassis. Four Team USA Scholarship racers have won the race, Conor Daly in 2008, Connor De Phillippi in 2009, Tristan Nunez in 2012 and Max Esterson in 2021. Fellow Team USA Scholarship drivers have finished highly in the event such as Oliver Askew, who finished second in 2016 to Niall Murray. Drivers from the United States must use a Ford Kent engine, as the Honda L15A7, which has dominated domestic Formula Ford racing in Sports Car Club of America sanctioned competition since being legalised in 2010 for Kent-based Formula Ford racing, is prohibited in this event.
Winners Year Driver Team Car 2001 Neil Fowler Neil Fowler Lola T200 2002 Gavin Wills Team West-Tec Swift SC92 2003 Joey Foster Marque Cars Reynard 92FF 2004 Joey Foster Marque Cars Reynard 89FF 2005 Joey Foster Marque Cars Reynard 89FF 2006 Peter Dempsey Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray GRS06 2007 Peter Dempsey Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray GRS05 2008 Conor Daly Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray GRS07/08 2009 Connor De Phillippi Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray GRS08 2010 Peter Dempsey Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray GRS05 2011 Adrian Campfield Kevin Mills Racing Spectrum 011C 2012 Tristan Nunez Cliff Dempsey Racing Ray GRS08 2013 Scott Malvern Kevin Mills Racing Spectrum 2014 Wayne Boyd Medina Motorsport Van Diemen MS13 2015 Graham Carroll BM Racing Van Diemen JL13 2016 Niall Murray Bernard Dolan Racing Van Diemen RF99 2017 Michael Moyers Kevin Mills Racing Spectrum 011C 2018 Michael Moyers Kevin Mills Racing Spectrum 011C2019 Jordan Dempsey Kevin Mills Racing Spectrum 011C2020 Oliver White Souley Motorsport Van Diemen JL015K2021 Max Esterson Low Dempsey Racing Ray GR182022 Joey Foster Don Hardman Racing Firman RFR202023 Chris Middlehurst Team Dolan Van Diemen LA102024 Rory Smith B-M Racing Medina Sport JL182025 Jason Smyth Team Dolan Van Diemen RF00/JL12
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