MATT WILLIAMS TAKES FORMULA FORD ROUND 5 HONOURS AT MANFEILD.Christchurch racing driver Matt Williams has won Round 5 of the ZOAGN New Zealand Formula Ford Championship at Manfeild Park in Fielding today after a weekend of close and tight racing. Williams took out two wins and a 4th placing to top the podium ahead of Auckland’s Nick Cassidy who notched up 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings with championship points leader Martin Short (Hamilton) 3rd overall with a 2nd and two 3rd places. 
Desperation was evident for the Championship contenders in Saturday morning qualifying as shown by Short claiming the pole position by just 0.068 secs ahead of Williams with Cassidy 0.003 further back – that is just three thousandths of a second! Leitch qualified 4th only 0.286 behind Cassidy and was closely followed by Andre Heimgartner and veteran Formula Ford racer Kim Crocker who was making a one off reappearance. Brett Sullivan, Henry Thomas-Kircher, Richard and Tim Vickers followed with a devastated Matthew Penrose suffering from recurring oil feed system problems. The opening 10 lap race of the weekend was a Formula Ford cracker as Short, Williams, Cassidy and Heimgartner diced throughout with three different race leaders swapping the lead five times. As Williams set the initial pace, he soon found himself swamped by Cassidy while Short was content to remain behind the dicing duo until he was overtaken by Heimgartner. Williams eventually ran wide on the final turn allowing Cassidy to dominate the final lap while Heimgartner drove his best race to claim a superb 2nd place ahead of Short. Williams then followed ahead of Leitch, Crocker, Richard Vickers, Sullivan, Tim Vickers and Penrose who had his oil feed problems return necessitating an overnight engine change. Race 2, also over 10 laps, was a more sedate affair although some place changes between Cassidy and Heimgartner livened up proceedings over the closing laps while Williams dominated from start to finish. The only incident came when Crocker was spun by Thomas-Kircher on Lap 2 which resulted in the latter receiving a drive through penalty. So the final order was Williams, Cassidy, Heimgartner, Leitch, Sullivan, Richard Vickers, Penrose, Crocker, Thomas-Kircher and Tim Vickers. With the Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy on offer to the winner of the 12 lap Race 3, desperation was again the order of the day as Williams, Cassidy, Short and Heimgartner locked horns in another mad dash. As the leading four changed positions and each challenged for the lead, something had to give but to the amazement of the large crowd, all four completed the race without incident although Heimgartner dropped back a few seconds over the closing laps. Williams then resisted all pressure to complete his second win of the day ahead of Cassidy, Short, Heimgartner, Leitch, Crocker, Sullivan, Penrose and Tim Vickers who earlier clashed with his brother and eliminated Tim from the race. The exciting final round of the Championship is scheduled to take place on the weekend of 20-21 March at the Taupo Motorsport Park. Championship Points after Round 5: 1. Martin Short (Hamilton) = 993 2. Nick Cassidy (Auckland) = 865 3. Matt Williams (Christchurch) = 855 4. Andre Heimgartner (Auckland) = 752 5. Damon Leitch (Invercargill) = 730 6. Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) = 675 7. Tim Vickers (Auckland) = 565 8. Richard Vickers Auckland) = 486 9. Scott Manson (Christchurch) = 435 10. Brett Sullivan (Nelson) = 411 11. Henry Thomas-Kircher (Christchurch) = 330 12. Jamie McNee (Wellington) = 130 13. Kim Crocker (Tauranga) = 126 TIGHT RACING EXPECTED AMOUNG FORMULA FORDS AT MANFEILD FOR ROUND 5.It seems like just yesterday the 2009/10 Formula Ford Championship was just beginning but here we are this weekend heading for the penultimate round at the fabulous Manfeild Park in Feilding. The reason we say fabulous is because that is how both drivers and spectators describe it each season because of a couple of important facts. Firstly, the drivers love it owing to the variety of twists and turns with plenty of places to allow outbraking and overtaking while the spectators love it because they can see all the circuit from one location to appreciate all the on-track action. The ZOAGN New Zealand Formula Ford Championship provides just the sort of action spectators yearn for with plenty of slipstreaming, overtaking, nose to tail and side by side racing. Going into Round Five it would be fair to say Hamilton’s Martin Short has the upper hand having amassed seven race wins from twelve races to lead the championship by 143 points. Nick Cassidy (Auckland) has collected four wins to hold 2nd while Matt Williams has one win to his credit to follow just 12 points behind Cassidy. Where the uncertainty arises is when one considers there a still 450 points on offer to be battled out over six races from this weekend and at Taupo Motorsport Park in March. As veteran motor racing TV commentator Murray Walker used to say “anything can happen and usually does” which means none of these drivers can start eyeing up the winner’s trophy just yet. Last season’s racing at Manfeild saw the championship points leaders falter after some dramatic racing saw Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) take the round honours. If any of the front three slip up this year we could again see the championship go down to the wire and Penrose will be back hoping to sniff out any similar opportunity. Invercargill’s Damon Leitch has had a frustrating season to date but has shown some excellent speed which could see him regain the points lead although he is chased by a group of ever improving youngsters in their debut season. Included in these are Andre Heimgartner (Auckland), brothers Tim and Richard Vickers (Auckland) and 12 year old Christchurch driver Scott Manson. Throw Nelson’s Brett Sullivan into the mix and it will be game on as the lights go out for the opening race and any mistakes could prove very costly. This weekend’s Round 5 Qualifying will take place at 9:45am on Saturday with Race 1 (10 laps) set to start at 3:15pm. Race 2 (10 laps) will start at 9:25am on Sunday with Race 3 (12 laps) running at the unusually late time of 5:05pm. Kevin Lancaster Martin Short extends Formula Ford Championship Lead at Timaru.
Hamilton racing driver Martin Short has extended his points lead in the latest round of the ZOAGN New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. Short won two of the three races and came 3rd in the other for Round 4 held at the Timaru International Motor Raceway over the weekend. Second overall for the weekend was Aucklander Nick Cassidy with a win and two 3rd placings while Christchurch’s Matt Williams completed the podium after gaining two 2nd places and a 6th. Saturday morning dawned with miserable wet and drizzling conditions requiring drivers to be on their toes in what could only be slippery conditions with poor visibility. It only took one lap of qualifying to show how difficult the track was as Andre Heimgartner contacted the wall coming onto the front straight damaging the front left suspension and giving his crew some serious work to make the start of the opening race. Damon Leitch, however, reveled in the wet conditions to set the pole position time, a considerable 0.772 secs ahead of Matt Williams who was only 0.066 secs ahead of championship points leader Martin Short. Tim Vickers was a superb fourth fastest ahead of Nick Cassidy, Matthew Penrose, Henry Thomas-Kircher, Brett Sullivan, Richard Vickers and Scott Manson while Heimgartner did not set a time. Unfortunately for Penrose, he was also recovering from a severe bout of food poisoning. The first race of 10 laps saw Williams beat Leitch off the line to open a lead while Short pursued Leitch to overtake on the second lap. As Short set off after Williams he left Leitch to engage in a battle with Cassidy and Tim Vickers only to drop back with bad understeering problems. Short hit the front with three laps remaining then maintained his lead to finish 0.226 secs ahead Williams, Cassidy, Tim Vickers, a recovering Heimgartner, Leitch, Thomas-Kircher, Manson and Richard Vickers. Penrose and Sullivan were excluded on a technical matter to do with the ride height of their cars. Race 2, also 10 laps, was held in wet but slowly drying conditions which saw pole sitter Martin Short slow off the line allowing Cassidy the chance to hit the front and open up a good lead he was to hold to the finish. Leitch appeared to have fixed his handling problems and moved up the order to come home in a well deserved 2nd with Short recovering for 3rd ahead of Heimgartner, Sullivan, Williams, Penrose, Tim Vickers, Henry Thomas-Kircher and Scott Manson. The 12 lap third race was back to the familiar old nose to tail, side by side dicing for which Formula Fords are renowned. Cassidy and Short fought off the line with Short gaining the lead on Lap 3 only to be overtaken by Cassidy on the next lap. Short undertook an excellent move around the outside under braking at the end of the back straight and was never headed to the chequered flag. Williams then passed Cassidy to take 2nd while Cassidy was followed home by Leitch, Penrose, Manson, Tim and Richard Vickers and Heimgartner who had pitted to replace a gear linkage pin. Henry Thomas-Kircher and Brett Sullivan did not finish after spinning off together on the final lap. The next round of the Championship is scheduled to take place on the weekend of 13-14 February at the Manfeild Park in Feilding. Formula Fords at Teretonga.Hamilton racing driver Martin Short has extended his lead in the ZOAGN New Zealand Formula Ford Championship after Round 3 at Teretonga Park near Invercargill this weekend. Short was involved in three furious battles with Christchurch’s Matt Williams who finished 2nd for the round ahead of Rangiora driver Matthew Penrose. The winner collected two wins and a runner up spot while Williams won a race and finished 2nd twice. Penrose’s result came from 3rd, 4th and 7th placings. From the outset of qualifying it was clear Short was going to attempt a repeat of his Ruapuna domination by battling Williams for the fastest lap time. The two swapped lap times throughout the 20 minute session until Short prevailed to capture pole position ahead of the determined Williams by a mere 0.112 secs. Penrose was 0.563 secs further back just 0.128 secs ahead of Cassidy. They were closely followed by Heimgartner, a concerned Leitch, Richard Vickers, Tim Vickers, Sullivan and Manson a bit further back. Race 1 over 10 laps proved to be a superb exercise in slipstreaming as Short and Williams traded places with some spectacular outside overtaking going into the Turn 1 sweeper. As the cars crossed the line together, it was Short who won by a nose from Williams with a gap back to Cassidy, Heimgartner, Tim Vickers, Richard Vickers, Penrose and Manson. Unfortunately for the local boy Leitch the race was a disaster on the first corner of the opening lap when contact with Cassidy saw him launch off the circuit and heavily into a tyre wall necessitating a red flag race stoppage. On the restart, Richard Vickers also suffered a spin but recovered to finish after being narrowly missed by following cars.
Matt Williams got the better of Martin Short on the opening lap of Race 2 (10 laps) and fended off several attacking maneuvers to keep Short at bay although the finishing margin was a mere 0.019 secs. Behind the leading duo a furious fight developed between Penrose, Heimgartner, Cassidy and Leitch. As the quartet headed into the elbow on the penultimate lap, Heimgartner spun under braking for the Elbow to avoid touching Cassidy but collected the unfortunate Leitch in the process. Cassidy fought off a strong finishing challenge from Penrose to hold onto 3rd with Heimgartner, Richard Vickers, Scott Manson and Tin Vickers following in that order. The final race of the round was held over 15 laps and was a joy to behold as two tremendous tussles were fought out. The previous two race winners swapped the lead several times in some high speed dicing which was finally decided in Short’s favour after passing Williams on the final lap. Behind the front two, Penrose drove a lonesome race for 3rd while a good battle raged between Heimgartner, Sullivan, Leitch and Cassidy. Heimgartner drove a good race for 4th ahead of the improving Sullivan, Tim Vickers, Richard Vickers and Manson. Cassidy was forced to change engines ahead of the final race and the gremlins seemed to return dropping him to 10th while Leitch’s wretched weekend came to a premature end with a drive through penalty dropping him to 9th. The next round of the Championship will take place this coming weekend at the Timaru International Motor Raceway. FORMULA FORD “CLIFFHANGER” HEADS SOUTH FOR ROUNDS 3 & 4.It would be stating the obvious if one were to suggest the 2009/2010 ZOAGN New Zealand Formula Ford Championship was going to be a close run thing. The fact of the matter is that it has been a close run thing for over 35 years despite early races often indicating who could be standout performers. As the championship heads into the Southland region for Round 3 then north to Timaru for Round 4, the title chase is most definitely wide open. Of course the good news for Southland fans is that a true blue Southlander is leading the points chase and is favoured to be the dominant force at Teretonga Park. In fact, the young charger is also hoping Southland’s Ranfurly Shield magic rubs off on him as he has a replica of the shield painted on the side of his car! Invercargill’s 16 year old Damon Leitch has a narrow lead of just two points over Hamilton’s Martin Short despite not having won a race outright. Leitch comes from a motor racing family and is fully aware that consistency wins championships and with that consistency will come the race wins. Further encouragement will also come from the knowledge that he won the Teretonga round overall last season which included an exceptional race win. However, there is certain to be a few other hard charging drivers determined to steal the show and enhance their title prospects and two of them dominated the opening two rounds at Pukekohe and Ruapuna. Nick Cassidy (Auckland) won all three races in Round 1 but suffered a shocking time in Round 2 while Short endured a problematic Round 1 then dominated all three races in Round 2. Who says Formula Ford motor racing can be predictable? Also in the mix and making life difficult for the more fancied drivers is Rangiora up and coming star Matthew Penrose who sits in the top three despite sorting out his newly updated car. Penrose has led races this year and is bound to collect race wins as he has proven that spectacular overtaking is his trade mark and both Teretonga and Levels International Raceway will provide plenty of opportunities for that. Snapping at the heels of the leading bunch are more stars of the future including returning drivers Matt Williams (Christchurch) and Brett Sullivan (Nelson) together with Formula Ford debutants Andre Heimgartner (Auckland), Henry Thomas-Kircher, Scott Manson (both Christchurch) and Auckland brothers Tim and Richard Vickers. To date, all these youngsters have shown glimpses of real ability and are bound to become a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses. This weekend’s Round 3 Qualifying will take place at 9:30am on Saturday with Race 1 (10 laps) set to start at 1:30pm. Race 2 (10 laps) will start at 9:20am on Sunday with Race 3 (12 laps) running at 1:45pm. Next weekend’s round 4 will see Qualifying at 10:55am followed by Race 1 (10 laps) at 2:45pm with Sunday’s Race 2 (10 laps) scheduled for 10:50am and Race 3 (12 laps) at 2:55pm. CANTERBURY DRIVERS TO CHALLENGE FOR FORMULA FORD HONOURS AT RUAPUNA.With the first round of the 2009/10 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship now behind us we look towards the South Island segment with some anticipation. As has been the norm for previous seasons, the internationally contested junior formula of world motor racing is providing some of the closest racing as seen at Pukekohe Park Raceway three weeks ago. Every year we see a host of drivers returning for their second or even third season having to mix it with a host of newcomers who are determined to make their mark against their more experienced competitors. Last season saw two such newcomers in Richie Stanaway and Mitchell Evans storm away with the first two Championship placings in their debut season and we might be about to see a similar scenario this season. Some of the racing we will see at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway this weekend will be more cut and thrust then at Pukekohe owing to the twisty, technical Ruapuna circuit where brains will usually win over brawn. Although Cassidy will go into Round 2 as the favourite, expect to see Penrose and Williams strive to prevail in front of their home crowd. Martin Short is the most experienced campaigner in the field and with the problems that hindered him in Round 1 solved could be the pace setter. Also of interest to the local Cantabrian crowd will be the appearance of the youngest ever Formula Ford driver in New Zealand and possibly the world – 12 year old Scott Manson of Christchurch. Although contesting the Championship for familiarisation purposes, his progress will be worth following judging by his mature driving style. NZ Formula Ford Championship Points
are allocated on each Championship / Series Race at each Round to all Drivers
based on overall finishing order:
updated 8/11/09 - after Round 1 of 6
NICK CASSIDY DOMINATES FORMULA FORDS ON DEBUT AT PUKEKOHE.Championship debutant Nick Cassidy (Auckland) enjoyed the perfect start to his 2009/10 campaign when he dominated proceedings by qualifying on pole position then winning all three races and the Ron Frost Memorial Trophy at Pukekohe Park Raceway over the weekend. Returning driver Damon Leitch (Invercargill) took 2nd place overall honours with two 2nd placings and a 3rd while Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) filled the third spot on the podium with 2nd, 3rd and 8th places. 
Qualifying on Saturday morning was the first indication an upset was possible as Cassidy topped the time sheets just 0.106 seconds ahead of Leitch. Henry Thomas-Kircher was a surprise third fastest 0.303 seconds back with Matt Williams fourth a further 0.163 seconds behind. Penrose and Martin Short completed the top six starting grid positions followed by Andre Heimgartner, Richard Vickers, Jamie McNee, Scott Manson and Tim Vickers. Jamie McNee was a surprise addition to the field when he was called up to replace Brett Sullivan who was ruled out of the weekend after suffering a minor injury in Friday testing. The opening 10 lap race of the Championship was a typically close encounter with the debutant Cassidy dicing furiously with Lietch and as Leitch led into the final lap, a desperate move by Cassidy saw him gain the lead he was to hold to the finish. Behind the leaders, another dice developed between Richard Vickers and Martin Short which also saw the lead change on the final lap in Short’s favour. Front qualifiers Henry Thomas-Kircher and Matthew Penrose were relegated down the field through an early incident which eliminated Matt Williams from the race. Race 2 was a classic as seven cars battled furiously for the full 10 laps with Nick Cassidy again taking a well calculated win from Matthew Penrose and Damon Leitch. Matt Williams came home 3rd ahead of Martin Short and an improving Andre Heimgartner. Henry Thomas-Kircher, Jamie NcNee, Richard and Tim Vickers completed the top ten. The frantic dice included some desperate overtaking by Penrose and Williams while Cassidy made the ultimate maneuver to regain the lead on the final lap. The Ron Frost Memorial Trophy was up for grabs for the third race of 12 laps duration and again some fierce battling commenced with Leitch and Penrose off the front row of the grid. Immediately, Penrose took the lead from Leitch, Cassidy and Short until a brave move saw Short move up into the lead which was to be short-lived after he missed a gear. Cassidy regained the lead to complete a hat trick of wins on debut while Short’s car slowed dramatically thus losing several places. Leitch came home second ahead of Thomas-Kircher, Heimgartner, Short, McNee, Williams, Tim and Richard Vickers. The next round of the Championship will be held at Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna near Christchurch over the weekend of 27-29 November. 2008/2009 season.KIWI FORMULA FORD STARS SHINE IN MELBOURNE RACES.Some of New Zealand’s most promising motor racing talents have performed with distinction in the Formula Ford support races at the ING Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix meeting in Melbourne. The two races for the junior category provided an excellent opportunity for the young chargers to show their worth in front of some of the most influential “movers and shakers” at the highest level of world motor racing. Without doubt, Auckland’s 14 year old sensation Mitch Evans stole the show by qualifying 5th then recording two 2nd placings to finish runner up overall for the weekend which doubled up as the opening round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship. Australian racing pundits could not believe the pace of the 14 year old which bodes well for the remainder of his Australian campaign over the coming months. Current New Zealand Formula Ford Champion Richie Stanaway (Tauranga) also proved himself a strong competitor by qualifying 11th then recording 4th and 6th placings after some extremely close racing. Likewise, Martin Short (Hamilton) proved his competitiveness by qualifying 15th then battling his way through the field to achieve rewarding 9th and 5th places for the weekend. Unfortunately Andrew Waite (Auckland) did not enjoy positive returns for his efforts after an off in qualifying relegated him to 23rd on the grid while throttle problems in the races restricted him to a DNF and a 15th place. The overall winner for the weekend was Aussie star Mike Percat who qualified on pole and won both events by relatively small margins. KIWI FORMULA FORD STARS SET TO LINE UP IN MELBOURNE.Four hot prospects from the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship have headed to Melbourne this weekend where they will line up in the opening round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship. The young hard chargers of Kiwi motor racing could not have picked a better venue for their Aussie debut than at the first round of the FIA World Formula 1 Championship – the ING Australian Grand Prix. As most of the current Formula 1 stars competed in Formula Ford in the early stages of their careers, there will be considerable interest in the 29 car line up entered for the two 8 lap races on the programme. Although none of the Kiwi contingent has competed at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit, they are still expected to challenge for race wins considering their superb performances over the past two seasons. Heading the Kiwi charge will be the 17 year old newly crowned NZ Formula Ford Champ Richie Stanaway (Tauranga) who took out the title on his debut Championship season. Stanaway will be driving for the highly rated BRM Motorsport outfit in a Mygale S109A. His 18 year old NZ team mate, Martin Short (Hamilton) who finished 8th in the local Series will team up with TSR Racing in a Mygale S107A and is expected to show some of the class he displayed over the summer racing campaign. Returning to Formula Ford racing after a year’s absence will be Auckland’s Andrew Waite who was runner up in the 2007 Championship and 3rd overall in 2008. Recognised as a mature and calculating driver, Waite will be driving a Spectrum 011 under the umbrella of Minda Motorsport. Andrew also hopes to secure a full time drive for the full Australian Championship. Without question, 14 year old sensation Mitch Evans (Auckland) will capture major attention as he will be the youngest driver ever to start a Championship motor race in Australia following the lowering of the age limit from 16 years earlier this year. Having already hit the record books as the youngest Formula Ford race winner worldwide, Evans was 2nd overall in the NZ Championship and will be joining top outfit Sonic Motor Racing Services. Piloting a Mygale S107A, he has already confirmed his intention to contest the full Australian Formula Ford Championship. The weekend activities will see the Formula Fords practice and qualifying on Thursday (March 26th) with an 8 lap race being held on both Saturday (28th) and Sunday (29th). RICHIE STANAWAY WINS NZ FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP.Tauranga racing driver Richie Stanaway has won the 2009 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship after a dramatic final round held at Pukekohe Park Raceway, near Auckland, over the weekend. However, Stanaway did not have an easy weekend and may have been fortunate to have held a comfortable points lead going into the final round as his car was found to have a technical non-compliance which saw his pole position qualifying time and Race 1 victory eliminated from the results. Although his nearest Championship rival, 14 year old Aucklander Mitch Evans, could have closed in dramatically, a clutch failure during Race 1 effectively ended his hopes with retirement from the event which saw him finish runner up on the final points standings. Stefan Webling (Oakura) enjoyed another solid weekend to take the third Championship position. Once again the surprise overall Round 7 winner was Invercargill’s latest hot shot, Damon Leitch which gives the 16 year old his second overall round victory. Webling was second overall for the round with Evans elder brother, Simon, taking the third podium position. The opening 10 lap race of the weekend saw Webling score an excellent win ahead of 15 year old Wellington sensation Jamie McNee who was followed by Leitch, Simon Evans, Russell Hartley (Kati Kati) and Barry Sullivan (Nelson). Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) saw his chances of a Championship podium fade when he was eliminated in a three car excursion. Perhaps the biggest accolade should have gone to Webling’s team who worked through Friday night rebuilding his car after serious damaged was caused by striking a earth bank from avoiding a spinning car in Friday’s practice session. Race 2 (10 laps) was a thriller as Stanaway battled his way up the running order from the rear of the starting grid but it was Mitch Evans who dictated terms to the chequered flag with Stanaway 2nd while Leitch scored another 3rd ahead of McNee, Simon Evans and Penrose. Hearts were pumping as Stanaway experienced a big moment coming over the hill onto the front straight but he gathered it nicely loosing little time in the process despite the large gap to Mitch Evans. Race 3 (15 laps) was another closely fought affair with the top seven cars trading places as drivers attempted to out maneuver each other. This time it was Simon Evans turn to perform the “big moment” but he too controlled the situation with skill but lost a few places in the process. Stanaway confirmed his Champion class by sealing victory but only a mere 0.039 secs ahead of Leitch who was closely followed across the line by Mitch Evans, Penrose, Simon Evans and veteran campaigner Kim Crocker (Tauranga). 
So ended another fantastic and memorable season of hard fought Formula Ford racing which is now dominated by the teenage phenomenon sweeping International motor racing worldwide. With 14, 15 and 16 year olds now challenging the top end of the field we can be assured that next season could be the most competitive yet as more young drivers are expected to join the fray and take the fight to the “old hands” who return. FORMULA FORD TITLE TO BE FOUGHT OUT AT PUKEKOHE THIS WEEKEND.After yet another action packed and closely fought season of Formula Ford racing, the final round will be contested this coming weekend at Pukekohe Park Raceway and as usual, the Championship is still far from settled. In looking at the points standings the advantage must be to Tauranga’s Richie Stanaway who has a 97 point lead over Auckland’s Mitch Evans but with a maximum of 225 points still available. As usual, at the end of any racing season, the final round becomes more of a mathematical equation as to whom the championship will fall. In fairness to Evans, his task will be quite daunting as the Series leader could claim the crown through consistent placings in the three races yet to be run. In fact, he could win the Championship with three 6th placings but motor racing simply doesn’t work like that. Racing drivers are bred to win and Stanaway has been no exception as shown by his six straight wins over Rounds 3 and 4 earlier in the Series. The leading duo will also have to fend off challenges from drivers in the next battle group who also have a mathematical chance of taking out the title and certainly have a chance of finishing runner up. Watch out for the likes of Stefan Webling (Oakura), Jamie McNee (Wellington), Matthew Penrose (Rangiora), Damon Leitch (Invercargill), Martin Short (Hamilton) and Simon Evans (Auckland) who have all featured at the top end of the field during the season. Some will return to the Series next season while others will move up to more advanced formulae so the pressure to impress will be considerable. Matthew Penrose is actually worthy of a special mention as he has been absolutely impressive in his 1992 Reynard including the outright round victory in Round 6 at Manfeild two weeks ago. Having hounded the regular Championship pace setters, expect to see another huge effort from the South Islander who is within striking distance of an overall top three Championship position. The most striking element in the 2009 MTA sponsored Championship has been the advent of drivers in their mid-teens which sees New Zealand motor racing progressing in line with international trends with huge emphasis placed on future racing stars. Mitch Evans at 14 years old, Jamie McNee at 15 years and Damon Leitch at 16 years are names which are bound to become established in future years and we have seen them first in the world’s most enduring class of junior racing – the fantastic Formula Fords. Qualifying for the final round will take place on Saturday morning with Race 1 of 10 laps being held in the afternoon. Sunday morning will see another 10 lap Race 2 with the 15 lap feature Race 3 scheduled to start early in the afternoon. MATTHEW PENROSE THE FORMULA FORD SURPRISE AT MANFEILD.Predictions that the established points leaders could be threatened by the persuing group of hard chargers came to fruition at Manfeild Park over the weekend during the Round 6 of the 2009 MTA Formula Ford Championship. Rangiora driver Matthew Penrose shocked racing pundits when he took the overall round honours with two seconds and a fifth placing. Championship points leader Richie Stanaway (Tauranga) took 2nd place overall with a mixed weekend while Invercargill’s Damon Leitch completed the podium through sheer perseverance despite encountering setbacks. Saturday qualifying was held in wet conditions after a deluge fell earlier in the morning but it was Mitch Evans (Auckland) who dominated proceedings to take pole position by 0.220 secs from Stanaway. Stefan Webling (Oakura) was a further 0.547 back with another 0.905 secs to the ever impressive Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) in the first of the pre-1993 cars. Simon Evans (Auckland) and Leitch completed the top six while Martin Short (Hamilton)and Wellington’s 15 year old sensation Jamie McNee (Wellington) suffered on-track misfortunes to finish 7th and 9th either side of Barry Sullivan (Nelson) who was in 8th.
At the start of Race 1 (10 laps), Mitch Evans and Stanaway perfectly judged their wheelspin in the waterlogged conditions and opened an immediate gap on the rest of the field. Behind them a furious battle developed between Webling, Simon Evans, Penrose and McNee with Sullivan close behind. The race leaders settled into a pattern with Evans holding a small lead over Stanaway but cruel luck saw the leader retire in the closing stages as a result of a broken oil pump bolt thus leaving Stanaway to savor another race victory. Major interest in the race, however, was centered on the battle for second which eventually to Penrose ahead of Simon Evans and McNee who recovered well from contact with Webling. Sullivan came home 5th ahead of Leitch and Webling who both suffered excursions during the race. Unfortunately Short was unable to take the start owing to technical problems resulting from his qualifying dramas. Sunday morning’s Race 2 (10 laps) was in direct contrast to Race 1 being held in dry sunny conditions under a clearing sky. Mitch Evans and Stanaway again led away from the start but a tight squeeze into Turn 1 saw Stanaway spin to rejoin at the rear of the field. The resulting chaos saw Webling seize the opportunity to cut through for the lead he was to hold for several laps until being overwhelmed by Evans under braking for the final corner. The battle for third resulted in Leitch breaking away for a comfortable 3rd ahead of the dicing Short, Penrose and Simon Evans. Stanaway recovered to take valuable points for 7th ahead of the hard charging Sullivan. The major disappointment of the race was the non-start of McNee who suffered a front wheel malfunction beforehand. Race 3 (15 laps) was an action packed affair as Mitch Evans, Stefan Webling and Martin Short battled for the lead after Webling led away from pole position owing to his fastest lap time in Race 2. Around mid-distance, Evans held an unassailable lead as Webling and Short tangled dropping them down he order allowing Matthew Penrose up into 2nd. What effectively became a fight for 3rd between Damon Leitch, Simon Evans, Richie Stanaway and Jamie McNee saw both Leitch and NcNee take excursions but recover to continue. Eventually, Leitch fought back to take 3rd ahead of Evans, Stanaway, McNee, and Sullivan with Short and Webling following some distance behind. Evans race victory was made all the better as he was awarded the Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy named in memory of the father of racing legend Ken Smith The final round of the Championship will take place at Pukekohe Park Raceway, near Auckland, on March 15th and 16th. HOT YOUNG PROSPECTS TO CHASE FORMULA FORD VICTORY AT MANFEILD.With only two rounds remaining, the 2009 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship is still wide open as 300 points are still up for grabs from the six races remaining. While the early South Island rounds indicated Richie Stanaway was shaping up to be a runaway winner, the most recent outing at Teretonga Park saw the points gap close considerably. Round 6 of the Championship is scheduled to take place at Manfeild Park this coming weekend and is once again promising to be a thriller. While Stanaway and second points position holder Stefan Webling endured a weekend of difficulties at Teretonga, 14 year old Aucklander Mitchell Evans and Wellingtonian Jamie McNee closed well within striking range of the top duo. It would be fair to say that the battle for the Championship will be fought out by these four drivers although five other drivers still have a mathematical chance but only if major misfortunes strike the top three on the points ladder. Last year saw two Championship rounds fought out at Manfeild Park which featured some of the best racing of the season and much of the same can be expected at this year’s round. The fast sweeping nature of the circuit lends itself to the brave and willing of which there is no shortage in this year’s field judging by the racing witnessed to date. Drivers the calibre of Martin Short, Damon Leitch, Simon Evans and Matthew Penrose have all featured at the sharp end of the field and are more than capable of pulling off an upset. Such an upset was clearly demonstrated at the most recent round at Teretonga Park where Leitch took the overall round honours including his maiden Championship race victory. Mind you, it has been noted that Leitch enjoyed his best success to date at his “home” track which raises another factor in the equation regarding Manfeild. Jamie McNee hails from Wellington so will be determined to emulate the Southlander by making his mark in front of his home crowd at Manfeild Park. The 15 year old has been more than impressive to date and has graced the podium of two occasions so far this season so just might be the outsider to spoil the party for the leading trio. What ever the circumstances, no driver can afford any errors from this point on as mistakes will almost certainly determine the outcome of the Championship. However, drivers cannot remain too much on the side of caution as competition will be fierce with a hungry pack seeing themselves with nothing to loose by pouncing on those they see as the slightest bit vulnerable. This weekend will see the usual programme format with Qualifying on Saturday morning and Race 1 later in the afternoon while races 2 and 3 will take place on Sunday morning and afternoon respectively. DAMON LEITCH HOME TOWN FORMULA FORD HERO AT TERETONGA.Invercargill racing driver Damon Leitch performed sensationally on his home track at Teretonga Park to take overall honours in Round 5 of the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship last weekend. The 16 year old was under pressure to provide the enthusiastic home crowd with results and he certainly did not disappoint by taking a race win and two second placings in what is described as the closest fought racing this season. To emphasise the closeness of racing, three different drivers took race wins by the closest of margins although qualifying was a true indicator of what was in store for the weekend. Championship leader Richie Stanaway (Tauranga) set the pole position time but only 0.007 secs ahead of 15 year old Jamie McNee (Wellington) who was a mere 0.034 secs ahead of Mitchell Evans (Auckland). Leitch, Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) and Stefan Webling (Oakura) completed the top six starting grid positions. The opening 10 lap race of the weekend was an absolute thriller with Stanaway holding off the hard charging Leitch by 0.007 secs which basically saw both cars side by side across the finish line. The ever impressive McNee was another 0.116 secs behind followed by Evans, Martin Short (Hamilton) and Penrose. Championship contender Webling endured a torrid race to finish 11th but vowing to improve in the remaining two races. However, Race 2 changed the course of the weekend as contact between Stanaway and Leitch saw the former fail to finish while the home town hero continued to notch up his first championship race victory. Evans again displayed why he is the hottest 14 year old in the business by challenging to the chequered flag to trail by 0.048 secs. McNee also maintained his excellent form for another third place while Webling came home 4th ahead of Short and Penrose. The 15 lap feature Race 3 was set to be another classic with the top six cars trading places throughout but it was Evans who reigned this time to win by nearly a second ahead of Leitch and an improving Short. NcNee settled for 4th with Webling a close 5th and Penrose a few seconds further back. Stanaway experienced further dramas to eventually finish 7th. Evans efforts were rewarded with overall second place on the Round 5 podium with McNee again taking out the third spot overall. The next round of the Championship will take place at the Manfeild Park, near Feilding, on February 27th and March 1st. ANOTHER STANAWAY FORMULA FORD HAT TRICK AT TIMARU.Tauranga racing driver Richie Stanaway has turned the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship on its head following another hat trick of race wins at Round 4 held at Levels International Raceway during the weekend. Not only did the series debutant win all three races but also qualified on pole position and set a new lap record of 1m 05.245 secs. The stunning result obviously gave him the overall round win and enabled him to establish a healthy 93 point lead on the Championship. While Stanaway left his competitors in his wake, the battle for other placings was hard fought with 14 year old Aucklander Mitchell Evans qualifying on the front row of the starting grid and recording three 2nd places to take the round runner up position. Stefan Webling (Oakura) did not challenge for top three race places after initial technical problems then contact from another car but consistency saw him 3rd overall for the round to maintain his 2nd overall place on the Championship points ladder. Other drivers featuring prominently including 15 year old Jamie McNee (Wellington) who qualified a creditable 3rd then recorded 3rd, 4th and 10th race placings together with breaking the lap record in Race One before losing it to Stanaway in Race 2. Hamilton’s Martin Short experienced a mixed weekend to qualify 6th only to fail to finish Race 1 but recovered well to collect two 3rd places and confirm himself as a threat to the front runners. The sensation of the Round was probably Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) who was classified 5th overall despite contesting a pre-1993 Reynard car. Having qualified 5th, Penrose backed up his effort with an impressive 5th and two 6th placings against some formidable rivals. Aucklander Simon Evans did not have the best of weekends after suffering an electrical problem in qualifying then unable to complete the first race but still salvaged valuable points to remain a Championship contender. The Championship now moves onto Round 5 this coming weekend at Teretonga Park, near Invercargill, where drivers will be desperate to close the gap on the flying Richie Stanaway. Local interest will also be centred on Invercargill drivers Damon Leitch and Stephen Heffernen who will be looking to perform well in front of their home crowd. FORMULA FORD TITLE WIDE OPEN AS HALF WAY POINT APPROACHES.With the summer holiday season over for most of us, it is back to business for the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. What better way for drivers and teams to commence the New Year’s racing than to continue the South Island leg of the Series and sample more of the renowned hospitality from the dedicated race fans of Timaru and Invercargill. As usual, Southerners will be treated to some of the best racing on offer as Levels International Raceway and Teretonga Park are two of the best Kiwi circuits suited to the wheel to wheel racing Formula Fords are designed for. In fact, some of the best racing seen last season was at those two venues and with the dates brought forward to January it is most likely the weather will play a positive part in ensuring good clean racing. Levels International Raceway will see the half way point in the Championship but as expected, there is no clear favourite yet to emerge. The surprise of the season is debutant contender Richie Stanaway leading the points standings after totally dominating Round 3 at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna. Not only is the driver debuting but so is his newly imported Mygale manufactured car from Australia which came into the season as a virtual unknown. To emphasise the competitiveness of Formula Ford racing, the Ruapuna track record was broken three times in three races during Round 3 and more lap records are expected to go over the next two rounds. Without question, the main opposition for Stanaway will be Taranaki driver Stefan Webling who was in devastating form on these tracks last season and will be determined to regain the Championship points lead. Although most may pick the top two points earners to set the pace, there is another group of hot teenagers pushing their chances and with just one slip from the leaders are within striking distance of the top spot. These include fellow podium placegetters Simon and Mitchell Evans and Jamie McNee although Martin Short and Matthew Penrose have also been making regular inroads into the top five. Naturally there is interest in local drivers with several Canterbury based competitors joining the Southern rounds including the impressive Nick Donaldson, Chris Cox, Brett Sullivan, Matt Williams and the new lady of Formula Ford racing, Clara Bond. For Southland fans their will be plenty to cheer about judging from the performances of Damon Leitch who sprung a major surprise in making the Round 2 podium at Pukekohe in early November. Stephen Heffernan is another Invercargill based driver who is only contesting selected Championship rounds but is always on the charge in front of his home crowd. Racing for Rounds 4 and 5 will comprise the usual three race format to take place at Levels International Raceway (Timaru) on January 10th and 11th with Teretonga Park (Invercargill) the following weekend. RICHIE STANAWAY DOMINATES FORMULA FORD RACING AT RUAPUNA.Tauranga’s Richie Stanaway has dominated Round Three of the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship with a clean sweep of race wins to take the points lead into the New Year segment of the season. A sensation of the weekend was the outstanding performance of Wellington’s 15 year old Jamie McNee who took 2nd place honours with a 2nd and two 4th placings with Aucklander Simon Evans taking 3rd overall from 3rd, 4th and 5th places in the three races. The weekend started well for the Mygale manufactured cars as Stanaway comfortably qualified on pole position with typically fierce competition despite lap times not being as close as usual. Stefan Webling joined him on the front row of the grid 0.337 secs behind with McNee a superb 3rd just 0.261 secs further back. Next on the grid came Martin Short (+0.039 secs), Mitchell Evans (+0.060 secs) and Simon Evans (+0.124 secs). Canterbury based drivers Nick Donaldson, Chris Cox, Matthew Penrose and Matt Williams completed the top ten qualifiers. Saturday morning’s Race 1 (8 laps) was an orderly affair compared to previous rounds as Stanaway led from the start and fended off all challenges from Webling to win by 0.075 secs. Simon Evans drove a consistent race for 3rd ahead of the impressive McNee. Local star Donaldson took 5th with Cox 6th followed by Brett Sullivan, Henry Thomas-Kircher, Short and Penrose. Young Mitchell Evans finished 11th after he came into contact with Short on the opening lap resulting in a drive through penalty for Evans and a disappointing placing for Short. Webling was also awarded a new lap record for the Ruapuna circuit of 1m 29.091 secs. Race 2 (8 laps), held on Sunday morning, saw the return of cut and thrust racing when shortly after the start, Webling and Stanaway came into contact resulting in Webling’s retirement while Stanaway again went on to dominate to the chequered flag. Simon Evans took full advantage of the drama to leap into 2nd but was soon displaced by Short. A furious battle then developed between McNee, Short and Evans which saw the 15 year old McNee overtake both cars to take 2nd with Short and Evans close behind. Penrose claimed a well earned 5th ahead of Cox, Williams, Damon Leitch, Brett Sullivan and Donaldson who recovered from an earlier spin. Stanaway’s 1.4 sec margin of victory was confirmed by his breaking Webling’s newly set lap record to set a new mark of 1m 28.578 secs. The 12 lap Feature Race 3 was an absolute classic as three separate battles kept spectators on their feet. Pole sitter Richie Stanaway was again dominant leading from start to finish despite a late challenge from Stefan Webling who drove brilliantly from his 5th starting grid position. Behind the leading duo, a scrap involving Simon Evans, Martin Short and Jamie McNee was soon joined by Mitchell Evans who also charged through the field from a lowly starting grid slot. Eventually it was Mitchell Evans who took 3rd place ahead of McNee with the ever consistent Simon Evans on his tail. Behind the leading five, Short battled hard to hold off Nick Donaldson and Chris Cox while Matthew Penrose headed home another battle group involving Damon Leitch and Brett Sullivan who all finished in that order. Mitchell Evans also became the third driver over the weekend to break the lap record with a new time of 1m 28.290 secs. The next round of the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship will take place at Levels International Raceway, near Timaru over the weekend of January 10th and 11th 2009. SOUTH ISLAND FORMULA FORD DRIVERS EXPECTED TO CHALLENGE AT RUAPUNA.Powerbuilt Tools raceway at Ruapuna Park is a motor racing circuit with a deep history of Formula Ford racing as proven by some of the titanic battles conducted over the four decades of racing. Not only have some of New Zealand’s great past and present International drivers locked horns there but the nature of the track is renowned for springing major surprises such as last season when a 16 year old rookie, Simon Evans, took out his maiden race win in only his second Formula Ford championship appearance. Following the opening round of the 2008-09 season, the favoured title contenders were Simon’s younger brother Mitchell Evans and Stefan Webling but Round Two at Pukekohe changed all that when three more drivers put their hands up as challengers. Simon Evans has been a sensation as, at only 14 years of age, he won his first two Championship races but suffered some rough on-track treatment at Pukekohe which drastically hampered his progress. Webling, though not involved, capitalised on the youngster’s problems to win the Round overall and leapfrog him to the top of the points table. While most of the attention was focused on the two favourites, Richie Stanaway literally ambushed the Pukekohe field to record his first Formula Ford win in a hard charging display which saw him runner-up for the Round despite an unfortunate off-track dispute with officialdom. To further add to the mix, 15 year old Damon Leitch excelled in qualifying then backed up his effort by completing the Round 2 podium thus signaling his intention to mix it at the sharp end of the field. While marveling at the spectacular driving of the aforementioned drivers, we must not forget that consistency can also be a Championship winner which might explain Simon Evans sitting at fourth in the points and ready to pounce if the leaders look like faltering. Another 15 year old making impressive progress is Jamie McNee who lies in the top six on the points ladder and improves with each outing. An interesting aspect of this weekend’s “Hampsta Win $1 Million 200” meeting will be the performance of South Island drivers more familiar with the technical Ruapuna circuit including Matthew Penrose, Brett Sullivan and Chris Cox, all of whom will be determined to challenge for prominence in front of their “home” crowd. They will be joined by Stephen Heffernan, Nick Donaldson and Matt Williams who will all be looking to make their mark against the regular front runners. Whatever the outcome of this weekend’s racing, we can be rest assured their will be a “bolter” in the mix and judging by the wheel to wheel encounters we have seen to date, few will be willing to pick a winner just yet. WEBLING WINS EXCITING FORMULA FORDS AT PUKEKOHE.Stefan Webling (Oakura) has won an exciting Round 2 of the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway over the weekend. His two race victories and a 2nd placing gave him overall Round 2 honours together with the sought after Ron Frost Memorial Trophy for winning Sunday afternoon’s feature race. Richie Stanaway (Tauranga) took out the runner up position following a win, 2nd and 10th placings while sensational teenager, 15 year old Damon Leitch (Invercargill), completed the podium with two 3rd placings and a 4th. Saturday morning’s qualifying run was as close as predicted with the 14 year old Mitchell Evans setting the pole position time just 0.107 secs ahead of Stefan Webling. The invasion of youngsters was further advanced by Damon Leitch signaling his arrival at the sharp end of the field with the third fastest time 0.065 secs further back ahead of Richie Stanaway (+0.094 secs) and 16 year old Jamie McNee (+0.164 secs). Martin Short, Daniel Jilesen, Chris Cox, Simon Evans and Matthew Penrose rounded out the top ten although Simon Evans was drastically hampered after losing fourth gear on his first flying lap. Jilesen was actually only making a one-off return to the Series in preparation for his debut in the upcoming 2009 Toyota Racing Series. The opening ten lap race of the weekend was a Formula Ford classic as Mitchell Evans, Webling and Stanaway opened an early gap to engage in a race long duel. Webling made the better start but was soon overhauled by Evans who led until a desperate outside overtaking maneuvre saw Stanaway hit the front. The enthralling battle continued until the final lap when contact saw Evans spun off at the Hairpin while Webling, although not involved, took advantage to win just 0.070 secs from Stanaway. Leitch took 3rd place after another battle involving Daniel Jilesen, Martin Short and Simon Evans who all finished in that order. Mitchell Evans recovered to take 7th ahead of Jamie McNee, Matthew Penrose, Chris Cox, Kerry Ross and Brett Sullivan. Sunday morning’s 10 lap Race 2 saw Webling execute another blinding start but again the younger Evans regathered the lead on the opening lap. Stanaway’s early attempts to overtake around the outside came to nothing so he settled into 4th place behind the consistent Leitch until his fortunes changed drastically. With Webling having forced his way to the front, Evans attempted an outside maneuver but contact resulting in his spinning off and out of the race with damaged suspension. The restart, after the safety car period, saw two final frantic laps which allowed Stanaway to ambush both Webling and Leitch to gather the lead he was to hold to the chequered flag. Webling wisely settled for 2nd only 0.035 secs behind with Short overhauling Leitch for an excellent 3rd ahead of Simon Evans and McNee. They were then followed across the line by Penrose, Cox, Ross and Sullivan. The revised starting grid for the 15 lap feature race saw Simon Evans and Jamie McNee off the front row but it was just a matter of time before Mitchell Evans and Richie Stanaway hit the front to open a small gap. They were eventually joined by fast charging Stefan Webling and Martin Short to form a five way tussle. After Mitchell Evans was run wide at the Hairpin, the uninvolved Webling dispatched Simon Evans to attack Stanaway for the lead but despite his best attempts, the debutant held on to record his second win of the day. Simon Evans held off Short for 4th with Mitchell Evans, McNee, Matthew Penrose, Daniel Jilesen, Brett Sullivan, Chris Cox and Kerry Ross following in that order. In a cruel twist of fate, Martin Short was later disqualified over a technicality which elevated the following drivers up one position. The next round of the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship will take place at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway, near Christchurch over the weekend of November 29th and 30th. FORMULA FORDS PROVIDE BIG SURPRISES AT TAUPO.The opening round of the 2008/09 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship has sprung some major surprises with the usual action packed close racing resulting in a points table nobody predicted. While most of the returning drivers from last season featured prominently, it was the performance of 14 year old rookie Mitchell Evans that captured the attention with two race wins from three races to lead the Series on points.
For Further Media Information Contact:
Kevin Lancaster
Please Note: All points are Provisional MTA Formula Ford Championship Points
are allocated on each Championship / Series Race at each Round to all Drivers
based on overall finishing order:
updated 16/03/09 after Round 7 of 7 - FINAL MTA Formula Ford Pre 93 Challenge Trophy
updated 18/01/09 after Round 3 of 3 - final 
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