After two rounds of the 2018 championship, Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals / Budd Power van Diemen) and David Jermy (Lime Chilli Consulting van Diemen) are tied on points at the top of the Investchem Formula Ford Kent regional championship log. Horne won the opening three races, but an accident in the fourth saw his race come to a premature end, allowing Jermy to take his first win of the season after a string of runner-up spots. While the pair will be fighting for maximum points at the third round of the championship which takes place at Phakisa Freeway, outside Welkom, on Saturday, 19 May there are a host of other drivers that will have the same aim.
Chief among those is defending champion Dean Venter (TEU Southern Africa Swift). He had a slow start to the season, but two podium finishes at the second round have moved him up to third place in the title race. Jonathan Nash (Turnfab Engineering Swift) and Jeff Gable (Jacquet Racing van Diemen) are next up, separated by just a point. Alex Vos (Ecurie Zoo Swift) had a good start to the season, but a disappointing second round, which ended in a collision with Horne after the former champion spun his car, has seen him drop down to sixth on the log.
Paul Gerber (Pablo Clark Racing Ray), who has shown that he has the speed to mix it up with the front-runners, is just behind Vos in seventh with Sean Hepburn (Suburban Body Shop Ray) in eighth. Others who will be looking for points in the Free State include James Reeves (Ray), Allen Meyer (van Diemen), Dalan Holton (Debella Finance van Diemen) and Steve Venter in the second TEU Southern Africa Swift.
As usual, Friday will be dedicated to practice sessions before qualifying gets underway at 07h20 on Saturday morning. The first of the two eight-lap races is scheduled for 10h25 with the second on the card at 13h55.