RHOSNEIGR, Wales – At 25 years old, Luke Williams knew this was the final season where he would be eligible to compete in the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200k Scholarship Shootout for a potential career changing opportunity. He needed to win the British Racing & Sports Car Club's Britcover National Formula Ford 1600 with Avon Tyres title and, come the checkered flag of race one at Anglesey on September 23/24, he duly delivered.



Continuing his strong late season form, Luke Cooper won the opener well ahead of guest entry and ex-British GT racer Joey Foster who was battling for the duration with champion-to-be Williams.



Poleman Cooper launched his Swift well and from there he never looked back. Three-time Walter Hayes Trophy winner Foster ran close before Cooper set the fastest laps of the race to win by a three-second margin, sealing a lights-to-flag victory. Cliff Dempsey Racing’s Jamie Thorburn finished an impressive fourth, just clear of the four-car battle for fifth. Fellow Ray driver Ross Martin was the eventual winner of that tussle from Josh Smith.



Williams’s nearest championship rival Neil Maclennan climbed from 10th on the grid but only to seventh. That, combined with Williams picking up points for an effective second place with Foster unable to score, was enough for the Firman runner to take the title.



Foster took his Don Hardman-tended Ray one better in race two. Although it was Williams who made the faster start in rainy conditions, poleman Cooper shut the door on the champion into Turn One allowing Foster to take the faster wet line around the outside and into the lead.



The treacherous final corner claimed all of Williams, James Roe Jr., Matt Round-Garrido and Michael Eastwell and with Cooper running wide on the entry to Rocket, Josh Smith finished up in second. Cooper eventually crossed the line for third ahead of Keith Donegan. The latter also took the race’s fastest lap as receipt of his electric pace up from ninth at the start.



Smith capped off the final race of the National season and his strong weekend showing with his first series win of the year ahead of Foster and Jake Byrne.



Having been drawn fourth for the partially reversed grid, Byrne rocketed off the start to lead the field into Turn One. Foster followed him into second but it was Smith who starred. His competitors were quick to point out that the Van Diemen driver had plenty of Anglesey experience and was a sure-fire contender, but nevertheless in greasy conditions Smith was peerless.



Starting seventh, he avoided a spinning Donegan and profited from Cooper’s early retirement to climb to third. With Smith then clocking lap times up to a second faster than anyone else he soon reeled in the leading pair. Byrne ran wide at Rocket and with Foster dispatched at the Hairpin the lead and eventual win was Smith’s.



Maclennan put an end to two months of politics and poor results to finish a very respectable fourth, confirming second in the standings ahead of Cooper. Thorburn rounded out the top five after running as high as second despite colliding with Donegan’s Van Diemen at the apex of Church in the early stages.



In his final race of his title-winning campaign that earned him a ticket to the Shootout, Williams finished a conservative eighth behind Eastwell and Jason Cooper.



Words by Matt Kew; photo of Luke Williams courtesy of Rachel Bourne.