Lyons goes from strength to strength

After racing last weekend at Brands Hatch, this weekend Essex-based professional racing driver Michael Lyons was back in action but this time at Oulton Park competing in the MSC Formula 5000 category as part of the Classic Sports Car Club’s classic race meeting.

The 20-year-old was taking part in his Lola T400 on the Saturday meeting and put in an absolutely dominating display right from first practice. Lyons qualified for race on pole position in the 16 car grid and by a huge margin too. Race one pole position was secured by 3.9 seconds. By winning race one, Michael also secured pole for race two.

With such dominating form in qualifying, the races were to be equally unparalleled in performance with fastest laps being set in both races and storming drives from the front of the grid.

After the race Michael said;

“It was great to get a clean sweep of the race meeting – being fastest in every session, including fastest lap, pole position and race win!”

“Looking back on it, it would have been nice to lap the field and with four more laps, I think I might have done it.”

Michael’s engineer Matt Dobson said, “Mick did a great job, and every lap was quick, and every lap he consistently built up his advantage, proving what a fast driver he really is.”

Lyons will now go on to compete in the next Formula 5000 event at Brands Hatch in the annual Superprix meeting on 1st – 3rd July; before he then returns to the Avon Tyres British GT Championship where Michael will be back racing in his main racing series at Spa Francorchamps on July 8th and 9th in the Ferrari 458 GT3 with Scuderia Vittoria.

Qualifying
1. Michael Lyons (Lola T400) 1.34.603
2. Neil Glover (Lola T332) 1.38.576
3. Frank Lyons (Gurney Eagle) 1.39.959
4. Greg Thornton (Chevron B24 1.41.733
5. Andrew Higgins (Lola T400) 1.41.862
6. Mark Dwyer (Lola T400) 1.42.531
7. John Rand (Lola T460) 1.49.579
8. Russell Greer (Lola T332) 1.49.772
9. Keith Norris (Chevron B49) 1.50.252
10. Tom Thornton (Lola T460) 1.51.148
11. Stan Redmond (Lola T332) 1.51.421
12. Mike Sidgwick (Trojan T101) 1.52.561
13. Warwick Mortimer (Surtees TS5) 1.54.106
14. Aaron Burson (Talon MR1-A) 2.01.561
15. Antony Taylor (McRae GM1) 2.15.637
16. Judy Lyons (Lola T332) 2.50..804

Race 1 (13 laps)
1. Michael Lyons 20.56.646
2. Neil Glover +1.04.119
3. Greg Thornton +1.31.083
4. Stan Redmond +1 lap
5. Keith Norris + 1 lap
6. John Rand +1 lap
7. Mike Sidgwick +1 lap
8. Warwick Mortimer +1 lap
9. Aaron Burson +1 lap
10. Frank Lyons + 2 laps
11. Antony Taylor +3 laps
12. Judy Lyons + 5 laps
dnf: Russell Greer, Andrew Higgins, Mark Dwyer
Fastest lap: Michael Lyons 1.34.869

Race 2 (13 laps)
1. Michael Lyons 20.49.772
2. Andrew Higgins +1.23.579
3. Frank Lyons +1.23.740
4. Russell Greer +1 lap
5. Keith Norris +1 lap
6. Aaron Burson +2 laps
7. Judy Lyons +4 laps