DURHAM teenager Sean Gaffney scored his first podium finish at Donington Park with a superb second place in round four of the Avon Tyres Formula Ford 1800 Championship.

After being taken out at the previous round at Brands Hatch three weeks earlier Gaffney was determined to make amends at Donington. He made an immediate impact with his best qualifying position of the season with third place on the second row of the grid in his Myerscough College prepared Van Diemen RF 03.

As the 14-car field left for the grid rain began to fall on the far side of the circuit which made conditions very difficult throughout the 12-lap race.

Gaffney made a good solid start and held his third place into the first corner and settled into the race gauging the changing conditions at every corner.

On lap three Gaffney took advantage of the hesitancy of the two cars ahead and passed both cars to briefly lead the race only to spin off before the end of the lap.

Dropping down to fourth, he then began his charge back and quickly regained third place from Italian driver Michele Calciendo and then set his sights on Championship leader Neil Tofts' second place.

In an audacious move down the outside of Tofts down the Craner Curves Gaffney took second place on lap eight. By then Calciendo had also caught Tofts and an exciting three-way battle for second continued for the remaining four laps, which Gaffney took at the chequered flag stretching his advantage from Calciendo, who had passed Tofts, to one second.

"It's a fantastic feeling to get on the podium, " said Gaffney afterwards.

"We've worked very hard for this and I'd like to thank everyone in team for their hard work over the weekend.

"We had a good test on Thursday and that showed in qualifying with third place.

"The race was very exciting especially with the slippery conditions on slick tyres but I had a great deal of confidence in the car and was able to push hard when others were having to be a bit cautious."

The second place moves Gaffney up to fourth in the championship standings with the next round at Castle Combe in Wiltshire.

Amanda Whitaker's Chevron B34 Formula Atlantic racing car took pride of place at Silverstone on the open day for the newly launched Silverstone Classic race weekend - a historic racing car festival featuring six decades of cars from Formula One to Le Mans sportscars.

Parked on Pole Position outside the main base of circuit owners the British Racing Drivers Club, Whitaker, from Newton Aycliffe, was helping to promote the Historic European F2 series that will be racing at the meeting on July 30 and 31.

Whitaker next races at Germany's famous Nurburgring circuit on June 25 and 26 where she hopes to consolidate her championship lead in the Formula Atlantic class.

Published: 03/06/2005