Stephens Finishes a Fine Third in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone

Michai Stephens

Michai Stephens produced a stunning performance to finish on the podium in today's prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy Formula Ford event at Silverstone – the Home of British Motor Racing. Team USA Scholarship teammate Aaron Telitz also played a starring role, fighting his way from 32nd place in the Progression race to finish 11th in the Grand Final – after no fewer than six different races today! – despite being spun out by a rival midway through a thrilling 15-lap Grand Final which was won by former British Formula Ford champion and USF2000 race winner Wayne Boyd.

The 14th annual Walter Hayes Trophy weekend, held in memory of one of the founding fathers of Formula Ford, produced drama from start to finish.

After being taken out in his Heat race yesterday, Telitz, 22, from Birchwood, Wis., had his work cut out even to make the 36-car grid for the Grand Final which had been whittled down from an initial entry of 118. Telitz stormed from 22nd to second in the Progression Race (which was red-flagged and restarted following an incident on Lap 3) this morning, then 32nd to fourth in the Last Chance Race to ensure 30th place on the grid for his Semi Final. Once again Telitz quickly moved forward to finish eighth (despite another red flag stoppage) and secure the 15th starting position for the Final.

Stephens' path was rather more straightforward. His fourth-place finish in yesterday's Heat race meant he would start 11th for his Semi Final race, which was held on a wet track in sunny conditions. As the two pacesetters, 2013 WHT winner Scott Malvern and Chris Middlehurst edged clear at the front, Stephens found himself embroiled in a fraught contest for the minor places. Stephens steadily and surely moved his way through to finish an excellent fourth – including a sensational pass around the outside of 2014 MSA British Formula Ford Champion Jayde Kruger at Brooklands on Lap 13 – to ensure both Team USA Scholarship cars would be in the Grand Final.

A sensibly conservative start by Stephens, 22, from Evanston, Ill., in extremely difficult semi-wet conditions saw him lose a couple of places on the opening lap, then gain two when Malvern and three-time WHT winner Peter Dempsey collided at Luffield corner. Telitz, meanwhile, had charged up onto Stephens' tail after starting 15th.

Stephens latched onto the gearbox of a charging Boyd, who had started 14th following a spin in his Semi Final, and the pair gradually began to move forward. On Lap 6, Telitz, unfortunately, fell victim to a tap from another three-time winner, Joey Foster, who was recovering from a spin while leading the race a couple of laps earlier, dropping him from ninth to 16th. By the finish, turning some of the fastest laps of the race, Telitz had recovered to 11th.

"This was probably the longest day of racing I have had so far," said Telitz. "I had to start at the very tail of the Progression race. I passed almost everybody and made it to second place and moved onto the Last Chance race where I again nearly passed everybody and came in fourth and made it into the Semi Final. In the Semi, I made it from nearly dead last again in 30-something to eighth which was awesome and meant that I started 15th for the Final. I had a good start and made it up to battling in the top 10. I made a pass on another driver and in the next corner he dove up the inside and spun me. I went backwards a little bit but regrouped and came back to pass a few cars and ended up 11th. In coming from 110th or something at the beginning of the day to finishing 11th overall, that was awesome.

"It would have been nice to see what I could have done if I wasn't spun out and maybe caught the lead group. It was awesome nonetheless. Thank you to all the guys at Cliff Dempsey Racing and the Team USA Scholarship for putting this together because without all the supporters, neither I nor Michai would be over here and we wouldn't have had this awesome experience."

Stephens, meanwhile, driving like a seasoned veteran rather than someone competing in just his 18th race – ever – posted the fastest lap of the race on Laps 5 and 7 as he continued to pick off cars. He rose to fifth on Lap 11, then third when Middlehurst and Irish champion (and 2013 Formula Ford Festival winner) Niall Murray out-braked each other, and themselves, at Brooklands on lap 13. With two laps to go he was within touch of the race leaders, Boyd and Robert Hall, who then exchanged places twice at Brooklands during a thrilling final lap. For a moment it seemed as though the race win might be within Stephens' grasp, but Boyd and Hall somehow held it together to take first and second, with Stephens a scant 1.053 seconds behind the race winner.

"Wrapping up the month-and-a-half's work of the Team USA Scholarship over in England has been tremendous," said Stephens. "A big, big thanks to everyone involved in the Scholarship and all of the supporters, and everyone from Silverstone and Brands Hatch who rode the roller-coaster ride with me and helped me pick up my self-esteem when it was down and helped me turn it all around. A third-place finish in the Walter Hayes Trophy – I never expected it but I am happy to have it. The race was beyond thrilling. A lot of excitement and a lot of patience came into play and some good fortune as well."

"What an amazing two weeks," said Team USA Scholarship founder Jeremy Shaw. "Aaron did a fabulous job at two of the most storied race tracks in the world and Michai's performance today was simply sensational. I have been around this sport a long time and I'm not sure I have ever seen anyone produce such measured performances with so little experience. Furthermore, Aaron and Michai proved to be exemplary representatives of the Scholarship, their nation and their supporters. Both have big futures in this sport."