24 September, 2006: Nathan Freke is the 2006 UK Formula Ford Champion. The 23-year-old clinched the championship this weekend in the best possible style, winning both Silverstone races at the wheel of his Newnet-backed, Jamun Racing-prepared Mygale.

His Silverstone victories bring the Kidderminster racer's win tally for the season to nine, with four rounds of the Ford-backed championship remaining. It is the second successive championship win for the Jamun team and for Mygale, and Freke could not have been more delighted. "It's a fantastic way to win the championship," said Nathan, "I couldn't have hoped for a better finish."

Freke's path to title glory saw him overcome early-season domination by Irish driver Peter Dempsey. Added Nathan: "There was massive pressure on me after Peter won the first four rounds. I knew I could beat him, but perhaps a lack of experience counted against me. Then came Snetterton and my first ever win in a racing car, and the tables were turned.

"They say the first win is the most elusive, and it was certainly a huge boost to my confidence." Wins at Brands Hatch, Rockingham, Knockhill and Silverstone followed in quick succession, and Freke is quick to pay tribute to his team and to his sponsors: "The Jamun crew are here to win. That's what drives them and they never rest on their laurels. They are without a doubt the best team out there. I'm so glad they took a chance on me, and I'm completely indebted to my sponsors, and to my parents, who have dug deep to get me to this point."

Nathan's mobile is already receiving calls from leading Formula 3 teams keen to sign him, but he believes his racing future may lie in the US. "I'm looking seriously at Formula Atlantic, but keeping my options open for 2007…"

Freke's twin wins were anything but easy. Saturday's race saw him put under intense pressure by Australian hot shot John Martin, and on Sunday he had to overcome a first-lap error and charge back to victory from fourth spot.

Saturday's 15th round of the championship was spoilt by first-lap incidents which ended the races of six drivers - Takashi Nagase, Linton Stuteley, Matt Dobson, Simon Kinsey, Richard Tannahill and Steve Roberts - and which resulted in a lengthy safety car period which reduced the event to just seven racing laps.

Freke started from P1 on the 30-car grid - the biggest field of the season so far - and led the opening lap just ahead of Martin, with South Africa's Sean Petterson third and Nick Tandy close behind for fourth.

Four slow laps behind the safety car later, Freke had it all to do once more at the restart. He kept ahead for a lap, but Martin was in determined form and slipped past for the lead next time around. "It think maybe John's tyres warmed up a bit quicker than mine," said Nathan. "He was all over me…"

Freke regained his composure - and the lead - with three laps to go, and his Mygale seized the fastest lap of the race on the final tour to beat Martin's Spectrum to the chequered flag by nine-tenths of a second. "Thankfully my tyres came good when it mattered and I was able to find a way back past John… Not a bad result," said Nathan of his eighth win of the year.

Tandy got the jump on Petterson at the restart and held on to third for the duration, unable to get on terms with the leaders but finishing five seconds clear of Jay Bridger's Jamun Mygale.

James Nash claimed fifth ahead of a subdued Peter Dempsey after Petterson, who had looked destined to secure sixth, slipped down the order on the final lap. Christian Ebbesvik was seventh, Adriano Buzaid eighth and Jonny Baker ninth, with 18-year-old David Mayes, enjoying his first taste of Duratec power, a creditable 10th.

Callum McLeod made his seasonal debut at the wheel of a Zetec-powered Ray and romped to Clubmans Cup victory and 11th overall.

With Nagase and Kinsey eliminated on the first lap, the Scholarship Class battle was between Jamie Jardine and David Brown. Jamie finished two seconds ahead after a race-long fight.

Freke made another good getaway from the pole on Sunday but his tenure of the lead lasted only as far as Maggotts, where he ran wide and slipped to fourth behind Nash, Ebbesvik and Martin.

As Nash sped away to build a five-second lead in the Fluid Motorsport Van Diemen, Freke set about clawing his way past Ebbesvik and Martin, and then into second spot after disposing of Dempsey on the fourth lap. Second place would have done him in championship terms, but Nathan wasn't going to settle for that: "I really messed up on the first lap and, because of that, I was determined to catch James and win this one."

Freke whittled away at the gap and, on the penultimate tour, overcame his rival. "I thought I had that in the bag," said Nash, "but I guess Nathan was a bit quicker than I had reckoned on." James was 1.2s behind at the line to claim his second runner-up spot of the season.

Dempsey was delighted to be back on the podium again, in third, with Tandy inheriting fourth after Martin and Ebbesvik tangled and spun out on lap five. Birthday boy Bridger was fifth and Roberts sixth ahead of Buzaid, Mayes and Baker. McLeod was 10th and once again the Clubmans Cup victor, with Neil Tofts taking class second to all but seal the Clubmans championship.

There's still all to play for in the Scholarship Cup over the remaining races. David Brown took the Silverstone race two honours, well ahead of Simon Kinsey, after Jardine and Nagase both failed to complete the opening lap. Brown now enjoys a whacking 87-point Scholarship championship advantage.

Provisional results UKFF round 15, Silverstone, 23/09/2006. 11 laps / 24.74 miles
1, Nathan Freke, UK/Kidderminster, Jamun, Mygale, 21m 00.547s
2, John Martin, AUS/Blackwater, Borland, Spectrum, +0.858s
3, Nick Tandy, UK/Bedford, Ray, Ray, +2.668s
4, Jay Bridger, UK/Horsmonden, Jamun, Mygale, +7.738s
5, James Nash, UK/Newport Pagnell, Fluid, Van Diemen, +7.923s
6, Peter Dempsey, IRL/Ashbourne, Dempsey, Ray, +11.043s
Clubmans Cup: Callum McLeod (UK/Ray) / 11th overall +12.830s
Scholarship Cup: Jamie Jardine (UK/Van Diemen) / 18th overall +35.360s
Fastest lap: Freke 1m 26.142s / 93.98mph (est rec)

Round 16, Silverstone, 24/09/2006. 14 laps / 31.49 miles
1, Freke, 20m 32.378s
2, Nash, +1.242s
3, Dempsey, +4.128s
4, Tandy, +6.167s
5, Bridger, +14.065s
6, Steve Roberts, UK/Whitchurch, Mills, Van Diemen, +16.149s
Clubmans Cup: McLeod / 10th overall +27.548s
Scholarship Cup: David Brown (UK/Van Diemen) / 15th overall +1m 04.831s
Fastest lap: Freke 1m 25.978s / 94.16mph (rec)

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