13 August, 2006: The UK Formula Ford Championship proved once again this weekend that its blend of ultra-close racing and unpredictability provides not only a great learning experience for its young competitors but also some breathtakingly exciting action for spectators.

Saturday's thrilling sprint at Rockingham brought a maiden win in the Ford-backed championship for 18-year-old Brazilian star of the future Adriano Buzaid, who became the season's fourth different race victor and who wrote a new name in the list of Formula Ford team winners - Eau Rouge Motorsport.

On Sunday it was the turn of championship leader Nathan Freke to claim victory, the Jamun driver extending his points lead in the process.

Saturday's race got away to a disastrous start with a multi-car pile-up in Turn One which left four cars sidelined with damage, including those of the fast-starting Jay Bridger, who had qualified third, James Nash, whose Van Diemen was shoved into the unforgiving Rockingham Raceway wall, and reigning Scholarship Champion Steve Roberts. Nobody was hurt but the race was stopped while the debris was cleared.

At the restart Freke got the drop on pole man Nick Tandy to take an early lead, with Buzaid surviving a nasty moment with Richard Tannahill through the first turn, the Ulsterman's car riding up on the back of the Brazilian's, to slot into third.

Tandy, a full tenth quicker than Freke in qualifying, was on strong form for the race also, executing a superb passing manoeuvre on Freke into the hairpin on lap four to claim the lead. Next time around Nathan had lost second to Buzaid, with Tandy easing into a useful two-second lead over his pursuers.

It all went wrong for Nick at the start of the eighth lap when he spun away his advantage just after the chicane. "I have been through there a hundred times in testing with no problem," said Tandy. "This time I must just have clipped the kerb slightly, the car landed badly and the back came round before I knew what was happening."

Tandy recovered brilliantly from the gyration and lost only two places, and then drove like a man possessed to close the 3.3-second gap between himself and second-placed Freke within four laps. Nathan was powerless to prevent Tandy from stealing back into second, but put up sufficient of a fight to slow both of them down, which allowed leader Buzaid to build an unassailable advantage.

Adriano crossed the line 3.4 seconds ahead, delighted to claim his maiden championship win and follow in the wheeltracks of his father, Alvaro, the 1984 Esso Formula Ford Champion. "I am so pleased," said the 18-year-old. "It was a big fight with Nathan and Nick, and they are both good drivers. I was lucky that the collision with Richard didn't damage my suspension or things could have been different."

Tandy's dramas were not over yet - Freke lined him up precisely into the final bend and shot out of his slipstream at the perfect moment to snatch second from Nick's grasp right on the line. Said Nathan: "I noticed that one of Nick's mirrors was facing the ground, so I stayed on his blind side until the last moment. I was quite pleased to have avoided all the damage and to have third in the bag - to get second was a bonus."

Freke's Jamun team-mate Sean Petterson joined the battle for second in the closing laps, having earlier passed Christian Ebbesvik, but the South African had to settle for fourth at the chequered flag, with Ebbesvik fifth for Team JLR and Linton Stuteley scoring a season-best sixth in the works Spirit.

Seventh and the Clubmans Class victor for the first time this season was 17-year-old David Mayes; he finished well ahead of his only class rival, six-time victor Neil Tofts.

In the Scholarship Class Jamie Jardine battled through to win despite a terrible opening lap which left languishing all but last. Suspension problems for Simon Kinsey and a last-lap spin for Takashi Nagase aided David Brown's cause, the Scots lad able to close to within a second of Jardine by the end to take class second. Tannahill joined Kinsey in retirement after his early-race brush with Buzaid, with Jonny Baker forced into the pits to retire on the penultimate lap.

The cars of Bridger, Roberts and, amazingly, Nash, were all repaired overnight and fit for battle again in Sunday's race, held under tricky damp-but-drying conditions. Tandy was once again the pole-sitter, his second pole of the season, but Nick was swamped at the start and spun into the gravel and retirement half-way around the opening lap.

That left Freke out in front, pursued by his team-mate Bridger, Tannahill and Roberts, Steve determined to salvage something worthwhile from his weekend. The Kevin Mills Racing driver launched his attack on lap four - just after a two-lap safety car interlude during which Tandy's car was retrieved from its resting place - Roberts lifting second from Bridger at the chicane and then harassing his way past Freke for the lead with a slick manoeuvre at the hairpin four laps later.

But Freke managed to repass Roberts before the lap's end and then Steve slipped back to fourth after a Turn One wobble. He then skidded out of the race completely on the penultimate tour.

Mayes was the man meanwhile making all the progress. The Kent lad propelled his three-year-old Zetec-powered Ray, prepared by Marque Cars, into the top seven on the opening lap and by mid-distance was up to fourth, David clearly revelling in the slippery conditions. Roberts' problems handed Mayes third and he snatched second from Bridger four laps from the end.

Freke crossed the line for his fourth win of the season just 2.3s ahead of a delighted Mayes, who said: "That was awesome. To get a Zetec car up to second is a fantastic result. I just seemed to be able to get the power down better than the other guys."

Bridger held on in front of Tannahill for third, his maiden UKFF podium finish. "It was a really difficult race," said Jay, "much wetter than I had expected. I couldn't stay with my team-mate and then I had my hands full with Steve Roberts, who drove really well until he went off."

Ebbesvik took fifth to move into the championship runner-up slot, with Buzaid, who lost several places on the opening lap, sixth ahead of Stuteley, Petterson and Alex Waters.

Takashi Nagase was 10th and the Scholarship Class victor for the third time this season, with Brown finishing ahead of Kinsey to move into the Scholarship points lead. Erstwhile class leader Jardine came a cropper on the opening lap.

Provisional results UKFF round 9, Rockingham, 12/08/2006. 14 laps / 22.68 miles
1, Adriano Buzaid, BRA/Bicester, Eau Rouge, Ray, 15m 47.344s
2, Nathan Freke, UK/Kidderminster, Jamun, Mygale, +3.445s
3, Nick Tandy, UK/Bedford, Ray, Ray, +3.477s
4, Sean Petterson, ZA/Walton, Jamun, Mygale, +4.824s
5, Christian Ebbesvik, NOR/Bergen, JLR, Van Diemen, +5.041s
6, Linton Stuteley, UK/Hexham, Spirit, Spirit, +16.417s
Clubmans Cup: David Mayes / 7th overall +16.505s
Scholarship Cup: Jamie Jardine / 9th overall +33.241s
Fastest lap: Tandy 1m 06.442s /87.77mph (est rec)

Round 10, Rockingham, 13/08/2006. 14 laps / 22.68 miles
1, Freke, 19m 44.112s
2, David Mayes, UK/Staplehurst, Marque, Ray, +2.293s
3, Jay Bridger, UK/Horsmonden, Jamun, Mygale, +6.894s
4, Richard Tannahill, UK/Coleraine, Mills, Van Diemen, +7.712s
5, Ebbesvik, +8.182s
6, Buzaid, +18.802s
Clubmans Cup: Mayes
Scholarship Cup: Takashi Nagase / 10th overall +31.819s
Fastest lap: Buzaid 1m 11.893s / 81.12mph

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