Andrew Horne leads Ian Schofield and Matthys Strydom
Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals / Budd Power Royale) didn’t get pole position at the second round of the Investchem Formula Ford Kent Championship at Kyalami on Saturday, 9 May 2015 but he did take every other point on offer, winning both races and setting the day’s fastest lap, to move to the top of the championship log.
Horne could only manage third place behind Matthys Strydom (Sage ERP Africa Talon) and Ian Schofield (Investchem Mygale) in the morning qualifying session that was run in two halves after the session was red-flagged when Matt Nash got his car stuck in the kitty litter. Horne said afterwards although he was a bit disappointed by not being on the front row, he felt that he had a little more in him which would stand him in good stead for the race. Dean Venter (Manitou Group Swift) set the fourth fastest time with Andy Schofield (Investchem Reynard) and Paul Schultz (Knottsberry Foods Mygale) rounding out the top six.
When the lights went out to signal the start of the first race it was Ian Schofield who got the best start but Strydom got back in front before the end of the first lap and tried to build a lead. Horne, however, was in no mood to let that happen getting past Schofield and setting of after Strydom. On the third lap he took the lead and slowly extended it, going on to win by 4.74 seconds. Schofield got past Strydom just after half distance but couldn’t break away. He crossed the line just sixteen hundredths of a second in front of Strydom.
Jeff Gable (Taylon Motorsport Van Diemen) was the best of the rest, moving up from tenth on the grid to fourth place at the flag. Andy Schofield and Jonathan Nash (Swift) completed the top six.
In the second race Horne had a lights-to-flag win, leading Strydom home by almost three seconds. While the eventual margin of victory was comfortable, Horne had to work hard in the early stages of the race to keep Strydom behind him. Ian Schofield, despite thinking that the race was over a lap before it actually was, hung on to take third just ahead of son Andy. Gable had to settle for fifth, just over a tenth of a second behind the younger Schofield. Jonathan Nash was in a lonely sixth place.
With two heat wins Horne took the overall victory from Strydom and Ian Schofield.
The next round of the Investchem Formula Ford Kent championship takes place at Zwartkops on 6 June 2015.