Ford backs Form Ford in 2004

[harderfaster]

Good to see Ford increasing their backing of Formula Ford... and their support in the search for tomorrow's stars...

Shame the same can't be said for Holden;



MEDIA RELEASE 26 November, 2003


FORD RACING BACKS FORMULA FORD IN 2004

Ford Racing Australia today reaffirmed their support for the Formula Ford
category by announcing an increase in both financial and technical assistance
in 2004.

Long regarded as the country's premier young driver development category,
the Formula Ford Association welcomed the announcement which will now allow
the category to increase its marketing program and pursue television coverage
for the class in 2004.

"To have Ford join us again in 2004, with an increased level of commitment
is great news for the future of our category," Formula Ford committee administrator
Margaret Hardy said.

"It will really help us establish Formula Ford as Australia's premier open-wheeler
competition."

Ford Racing Australia has made a long-term commitment to support the exciting
category on an on-going basis.

"Formula Ford has been the breeding ground for many of Australia's and
indeed the world leading drivers," said Ford Australia Motorsport Operations
Manager Stephen Kruk.

"It's the place where our V8 Supercar teams look to find aspiring talent
and there always seems to be more and more great young drivers coming through
the category.

"Our increased support to Formula Ford underlines our commitment to racing
in general. 2003 has brought great results both on and off the track, and
our racing programme continues to go from strength to strength.

Australian Formula Ford alumni include five-time Bathurst winner Larry
Perkins, Formula One driver Mark Webber, V8 Supercar Bathurst champions
Jason Bright, Steven Richards, Garth Tander, Craig Lowndes and Russell
Ingall, and exciting championship contender Marcos Ambrose.

The opening round of the 2004 Ford Racing Formula Ford Championship will
be held at Wakefield Park Raceway on the 22nd of February.

[ends]

[diz]

NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE IN THE UK AS WELL

TWO CHANCES : FAT and SLIM

[GTRMagic]

We put this release up in the support categories for 2004 thread.

It is good news, be nice if Ford actually had somewhere for these kids to go once they won the title, a proper progression plan thru F3 or GTP or something before going lala and giving them a Supercar drive....

[Crash Test]

Then again, isn't the deal that the winning drivers get picked up regardless?

[GTRMagic]

Not as part of the series... its not a Driver To Europe setup any more The drivers or their management seem make their own arrangements despite Ford

[Chucky]

"It will really help us establish Formula Ford as Australia's premier open-wheeler
competition."

LMAO. That'd be right. Another backward retro formula for the colonials to get excited about.

"Formula Ford has been the breeding ground for many of Australia's and indeed the world leading drivers,"

HAS BEEN are the operative words here, Stevie.

"It's the place where our V8 Supercar teams look to find aspiring talent and there always seems to be more and more great young drivers coming through
the category."

That's it, sink the talons in before they get a chance to try anything else.

I'm not sure anyone realises how irrelevant FF1600 is these days. If they had kept up with the Brit's and went to Zetec, it might be taken a little more seriously OS.

[GTRMagic]

But the poms are looking to switch from Zetec to something else now... so maybe we got out of an evolution that didnt need to happen?

[jetsetter]

The thing that's always annoyed me about Formula Ford is the fact that the champion can never defend his title & quite often doesn't have a drive to go to, with it not being the Driver to Europe series anymore i'd like to see the champions get a chance to defend their title if they don't land a drive elsewhere.

[Onlooker]

Are you forgeting that the next step up is formula Holden,seems that both manufatures are having a level each of the progression.

[barra]

The costs associated with going to the Zetec's may well of Killed Australian Formula Fords, so i think they made the right decision there, and as the Zetec is being replaced again, i think it cements the fact that they made the right decision.

[Onlooker]

FF are still changing motors to some other pommy donk used in the Focus.It will save money as sourcing bits for the old engines is getting hard and expensive.

[Chucky]

"The costs associated with going to the Zetec's may well of Killed Australian Formula Fords, so i think they made the right decision there,"

Do you mean it's affordable racing now?

" and as the Zetec is being replaced again, i think it cements the fact that they made the right decision."

That's right. Why be one generation behind when you can be two! There's a good colonial.

[GTRMagic]

Formula Ford is very expensive, if you use one of the professional preparation teams like Sonic. I cant see the justification of a $200k spend (including car cost) in running an FF, when most drivers will need to run 2 seasons to get competitive....

$200k will just about rent you a seat in Carrera Cup for the season... will certainly open doors in F3, a season of GTP with lots left over... the possibilities are endless.

[Onlooker]

Problem is winning the Ff championship opens the doors that count if your asperations extend no further than these fine shores.Pretty well nobody comes into V8's via anyother path that makes an impact in anyway save for buying a ride in Konica.
Sonic should do OK this year as they have more than just all rent a riders this year.

[GTRMagic]

I think you may see Sonic come back to the field a little when the testing restrictions are in place for the FF class.... wont be able to travel to each round a number of times before the event and wear the cars out....

This, more than any demon setups, or gun drivers, is the secret of Sonic's success

[Onlooker]

Combined with experienced staff and what appears to be good preperation,they rarely break down or put a foot wrong.

[GTRMagic]

Not saying the preparation is anything less than 100%, more that the nuts behind the wheel are not necessarily as talented/more talented than the guys running just behind them on the road, and it is the rust scrape and car familiarity that sees them thru.

[Onlooker]

Well all the better for the real world,face it the top 10 drivers in the V8's are not the best 10 in the nation they are simply the ones that have either lucked into a good car or manovuered themselves into one or had a parent buy them a team.Motorsport is very unfair and talent is merely a handy thing to have to add to your package in the event that you get a car decent enough to be in a position to demonstrate it.

[GTRMagic]

I agree entirely, but wouldnt it be nice if the major development category in the country was a more level playing field, where a driver with talent and no money can take the established and well funded teams on?

James Small impresses with no sponsors on his car and a miniscule budget, made light work of the teams that couldnt test at Sandown to get the edge at the 500 meeting.

Or am I being idealistic??

[Onlooker]

But what is a level playing field,Go Karts??????????? Now there is racing in the simplist form and guess what a certain CPR driver spent probally more than your 200k to acheive pretty average results in that little club level race.
Maybe a LeMans start where you race to the cars and then get to choose your maunt is the go.

PS.
James will no doubt kick some ass this year as he did to most of them in Karts.

[BrettFrancis]

I can say from experience that you don't need anything like $200k to do a season in FFord. And I'm pretty sure Neil McFadyen can back me up on that too.

As for the Zetec, as a race engine it makes a great boat anchor... over-weight, skyscraping centre of gravity, ultra-sensitive to oil pressure and heat, a bugger to work on, and not much fun to drive.

Thank Henry that Australia didn't adopt it.

(And even if we did, our drivers STILL wouldn't be taken seriously OS until they get over there and prove themselves)