The final race day for the Investchem Formula Ford racers have arrived. The showdown takes place at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, November 2, with two races left in the championship decider.
Title hopefuls Dewald Brummer (4 – MAD Racing / Ango Trucks / Fuchs Oils) and Julian van der Watt (42 – Race Driver SA) have kept things exciting at the front of the field this season. Between them they have chased both the chequered flag and each other around South Africa’s motorsport circuits at every one of the seven rounds completed so far.
Dean Venter (77 – MAD Racing / Ango Trucks / Fuchs Oils) and Alex Gillespie (50 – ERP Trucking Solutions) have both poked their noses into the fray on occasion – and have been battling things out between each other for third place on the podium consistently. Their battle is a fight for six points, with Venter currently ahead of Gillespie.
Between these four drivers, the top three competitors will emerge for the 2016 Investchem Formula Ford championship. What order – and who will emerge the overall winner – must be decided on race day at Zwartkops.
Adding an extra dimension to the 2016 championship, the Investchem Formula Ford series saw a number of guest competitors slip behind the wheel. This list included Claudio Piazza Musso, Tristan de Nobrega, Nathan Parkins and Saul Hack who have all competed in a variety of formulas before, including single-seaters.
It is hard to turn down an opportunity to race an Investchem Formula Ford car – or to resist the opportunity to race it again.
In addition to the action on track, the Investchem Formula Ford also used this season as an opportunity to introduce the new single-seater model which goes into national championship action for the 2017 season.
“The changes for 2017 do not affect the racing experience of the Investchem Formula Ford,” says Ian Schofield of Investchem. “That raw, unadulterated, racing experience is a signature of this type of racing and we’ve been careful to retain it. The changes ensure close racing remains but updates the face of Investchem Formula Ford championship racing to a more international standard. We have also introduced prize money and looked at reducing costs, like changing tyres to a more durable type, to provide more laps for the drivers.”