BOLTON racing driver Chris Hodgen got back to winning ways last weekend to put himself back in the championship challenge in his General Traffic sponsored, Myerscough College run Formula Ford Van Diemen.

After two disappointing race weekends in a row which involved a high-speed crash at Donington and an engine issue that restricted Hodgen to two non-starts at Silverstone, he was glad to get back to Oulton Park for round nine of the National Formula Ford Championship.

Things got off to a bad start when a split oil pipe restricted his testing to just eight laps but great work from his Myerscough College team got him back out for the last session of the day.

He was still confident of getting a good result over the weekend.

Qualifying took place in tricky, damp conditions but that did not deter Hodgen who managed to get back up to speed quickly enough to secure pole position and the important extra two points from ex-British Formula Three racer Josh Fisher with Jamie Jardine back in third.

Hodgen said: “It was a tricky session as some parts of the track were damp and some were dry, but it was drying all the time so you had to keep putting the laps in as the session got quicker.

“It was very important to get pole today as it sent a message back to my rivals that I was back to my best after a couple of disappointing weekends.”

At the start of the race Hodgen got a great start to lead championship rival Jamie Jardine into Old Hall for the first time and he knew he had to make a break and get clear of the pack.

He managed just that, his cause helped by Jardine losing second place to Stuart Jones on the third lap, and as they got embroiled in a mighty battle, Hodgen made the break he was never going to lose, taking the chequered flag after a fairly uneventful race nearly eight seconds clear. He said: “It wasn’t the most exciting race from my perspective but we came away with maximum points and that is what we went there to do.

“We now need to prepare properly for the next rounds at Anglesey International circuit.

“The event is a triple header meeting so I think that will have a big bearing on the outcome of the championship this year.”