11052018 - Moyers WHT win 2

Spectrum Victorious at 2018 Walter Hayes Trophy

Spectrum has claimed back-to-back Walter Hayes Trophy wins overnight, Kevin Mills Racing driver Michael Moyers winning the coveted Formula Ford event at Silverstone for the second year in succession.

After starting the WHT final from second on the grid alongside team-mate Julian van der Watt, Moyers led almost the entire race, which was held in damp conditions.

Moyers briefly lost the lead to Joey Foster when he ran wide at Brooklands at a third race distance, but he recaptured the top spot a lap later, and retained first position through to the chequered flag.

Moyers said he survived a couple of anxious moments.

“The first lap, we were banging wheels. I was banging wheels with Ollie White, banging wheels with Jordan [Dempsey]. It was chaos!” he said.

“I thought I’d blown it when I went into Brooklands, went straight on and Joey got past.

“The first opportunity to have another go at Joey, I took it.

According to Moyers, the changeable weather conditions also made car setup a challenge.

“When I looked at the track before we started, I gambled on it drying up, so we went with a drier set-up,” he said of his KMR-prepared Spectrum.

“As soon as we got over to the collecting area, they were like ‘nah, put it back!’”

With two WHT wins now under his belt, Moyers says he’s aiming to return in 2019.

“It’d be rude not to (return)! I’ve got to go for a hat trick, haven’t I?” he said.

2018 Chinese F4 Champion Jordan Dempsey came home in third place to make it two Spectrums inside the top three, while polesitter Van Der Watt was also among the front-running battle before his day ended when he was punted into the gravel at Woodcote.

After suffering engine dramas in the semi-final, Michael Eastwell was relegated to 22nd on the grid for the final, but this year’s British Formula Ford Championship runner-up put in a strong drive, progressing to ninth place at the finish.

Peter Gillespie drove his Spectrum to 25th while the other Spectrum runner, Roger Ogee, was a retirement.

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