As was the case at the opening round it was Ian Schofield (Investchem Mygale) and Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals / Budd Power Royale RP31) on top of the podium in round 2 of the 2016 Investchem Formula Ford Kent championship held at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 9 April.

Defending champion Horne fired the opening salvo when he grabbed pole position with his penultimate lap in qualifying. Schofield’s best effort, set on his final lap, was just 0.036” slower. Two drivers making their first appearance of the season filled the second row of the grid, Andy Schofield (Investchem Reynard) just ahead of Graham Hepburn (Suburban Body Shop Ray).

David Jermy (Matt Nash Motorsport Van Diemen) and Dean Venter (Turnfab Engineering / Manitou Mygale) were fifth and sixth respectively. Paul Schultz (Knottsberry Foods) should have line up in seventh but a rule infringement, he forgot to go directly to parc ferme after the qualifying session, saw him relegated to the back of the grid. His misfortune promoted Jeff Gable (Taylon Motorsport Van Diemen) to the head of row 4 with Dalan Holton (Debella Finance & Compliance Van Diemen) alongside him.

Ian Schofield had the quickest reactions when the lights went out to signal the start of the first heat, taking the lead from Horne with Andy Schofield and Hepburn in close attendance. The race at the head of the field split into two after a couple of laps. Ian Schofield and Horne, despite regularly swapping positions, managed to open a gap over the chasing duo where Hepburn had managed to get in front of Andy Schofield.

With a lap to go Horne was in front but Schofield found a way through and took the chequered flag, winning by less than two tenths of a second. Hepburn managed to keep Andy Schofield behind him and take the final podium position.

Behind the leading quartet Gable had a slightly lonely race to fifth ahead of Schultz who fought his way through the field to take sixth. Allen Meyer (Van Diemen) led Jermy and Jonathan Nash (Swift) over the line, the trio separated by just over half a second. Holton came home in tenth.

In race 2 Horne took the early lead and held it until the half-way mark when Ian Schofield got through. It didn’t last though as Horne reclaimed the lead going into the table top on the next lap. While the leading duo were fighting it out, Andy Schofield was keeping a watching brief in third, this time without his first race sparring partner whose transmission broke before making it onto the grid.

Paul Schultz got a great start and was running fourth until a spin dropped him down to almost last place. He was working his way back up to the leaders when a collision with Ben van der Westhuizen (Delta Rubber / Pioneer Plastics Royale RP21) brought his race to a premature end.

With a couple of laps to go Ian Schofield’s car cried enough allowing Horne to take what became an easy win. Andy Schofield inherited second while Gable, who had been having another lonely race, took the final podium spot.

Holton and Meyer had a race-long battle with the gap between them almost never more than a couple of car lengths. Holton managed to stay in front taking fourth by just over three tenths of a second.

Stuart Thompson (WCT Engineering) led the next battle over the line. He took sixth ahead of Jermy and Nash. Donny Lamola (Investchem Mygale) claimed ninth just ahead of Steve Crook in his Van Diemen.

Horne’s win second place and a win gave him overall victory for the day ahead of Andy Schofield and Gable but, perhaps more importantly, allowed him to extend his lead in the 2016 championship.

The 2016 Investchem Formula Ford Kent Championship moves to the coast for the next round which takes place at Dezzi Raceway on Saturday, 4 June.