| SPA
DATE FOR BRITISH FORMULA FORD
12 June, 2008:
The young heroes of the British Formula Ford Championship will
make a further leap forward in their young careers next week when
they tackle the legendary Belgian Grand Prix circuit of
Spa-Francorchamps.
The contenders in
the Ford-backed British series are joining forces with the Benelux
Championship at Spa, swelling the grid to in excess of 30 cars to
ensure a superb spectacle as the field sweeps through the
circuit's celebrated Eau Rouge, Stavelot, Blanchimont and La
Source corners.
Ulster 17-year-old
Wayne Boyd leads the pack to Belgium. He's enjoyed a superbly
successful season as he bids to land the Jamun Racing team's
fourth successive championship title, winning 11 times from 16
starts to amass a 49-point lead over his nearest rival and
team-mate Tim Blanchard.
Between exam
revision stints Boyd is counting the days before he races for the
first time at Spa: "It's the best circuit I have ever been
to. There are so many different types of corner, and so many fast
corners. Eau Rouge is fantastic but I think my favourite is
Blanchimont. On new tyres that should be flat out, which is going
to be interesting.
"Obviously my
aim is to try to take two wins at Spa. That would be a great
result at a circuit where we have so little experience."
Reigning Australian
Formula Ford Champion Blanchard is certain to be one of the
drivers giving Boyd a run for his money, as will the man who beat
Wayne to victory at Snetterton last week, Dutch driver Chris
Maliepaard. Chris cut his racing teeth at Spa - indeed the
17-year-old placed second there last year on what was his racing
debut. Maliepaard's Mygale-driving Getem Racing team-mate Linton
Stuteley will be in action at Spa also.
The JTR Mygale team
enjoyed a resurgence of form at Snetterton, Matt Hamilton earning
two pole positions - his first - and a second-place race finish,
and he will be joined at Spa by his French team-mate Philippe
Layac and Dutch colleague Rogier de Wit.
Rapid Brazilian
Victor Correa and Liverpudlian James Cole will be the other
leading Mygale runners at the wheel of their Jamun-prepared
machines. The biggest chance of a non-Mygale victory in Belgium
will come courtesy the Spectrums of Glen Wood and Adrian Campfield
and the Van Diemens of David Brown and Marco Sorensen.
The Scholarship
Class for year-old chassis and less experienced drivers will be a
four-cornered fight involving current points leader Garry Findlay,
whose family-run Mygale has won its class eight times already, the
Spectrum of Welsh wonder Alex Jones, Felix Scott's Spirit and the
Ray of Chrissy Palmer, who can be relied upon to excel if Spa
lives up to its rainy reputation.
Among the expected
Benelux frontrunners will be Simon Knap, whose KTG Racing Mygale
has won four of the last six Zandvoort races, as well as Henk
Vuik, Rogier Jongejans and Liroy Stuart, all of whom visited the
UK championship last month at Rockingham.
The first of the
Spa races takes place on Friday 20 June, the second is on the
Saturday morning. |
