Dempsey Edges Murray by 0.032s for WHT Heat Three Pole
B-M Racing's Jordan Dempsey narrowly beat Team Dolan's Niall Murray to claim pole position for the third heat of the Walter Hayes Trophy.
Dempsey initially set a benchmark lap time of 1m08.209s, while Lee Newsome struggled to get on pace on the drying Silverstone track.
Callum Grant, driving a Van Diemen RF91, took the early lead with a 1m07.343s lap before Dempsey improved to 1m06.742s within three minutes, leading Vertical Racing’s Ian Campbell by 0.012 seconds.
Shortly after, Dempsey extended his lead by 0.145s, and teammate Tom McArthur moved into second place, just 0.121s off Dempsey’s pace. Murray was seventh initially but then jumped to first with a significant 1.148s improvement, setting a 1m05.449s lap.
- Grant narrowed Murray’s advantage to 0.879s with seven minutes remaining.
- Dempsey then reclaimed the fastest time by 0.108s.
- McArthur edged past Grant by 0.061s for third place.
- Team Fox Racing’s Lewis Fox rose into the top four but was still 1.039s off the pole time.
Murray responded with a 1m05.016s lap to retake the lead, but Dempsey again improved the pace, setting a 1m04.597s lap to hold pole.
“Some drama at Brooklands prevented Murray from improving with his next lap, then AF Racing’s Adam Fathers had an off at Copse that briefly caused yellow flags,”
Campbell re-entered the battle for pole in the final five minutes, exchanging third place with McArthur as Murray stayed within 0.147s of Dempsey.
Summary: Jordan Dempsey claimed a tight pole by 0.032 seconds over Niall Murray in a competitive Walter Hayes Trophy heat, overcoming track challenges and late-session dramas.