Formula Ford contenders ready for season's second half

Championship leader Dan Cammish is looking to extend his winning streak and claim pole position prizeNew team Meridian Motorsport to join the grid with Connor Mills at the wheel as Kuwaiti star Zaid Ashkanani tries single-seaters for the first time

After a six-week summer break, the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain resumes next weekend (3/4 Aug) at Snetterton with runaway championship leader Dan Cammish ready to add further successes to those already achieved.

Leeds-based Cammish, 24, has racked up 15 consecutive race victories for the JTR team and with them a 150-point championship lead as the series enters its second half. With 15 races still to run, the EcoBoost Mygale driver still has a little way to go before he can secure the title, but there are plenty of targets to hit along the way, such as the Sky Ford Pole Position Cup - Cammish has 14 poles under his belt and two more will secure the 1000 prize. In addition, Dans 15 consecutive race victories is a modern-era Formula Ford record; his next target is to beat Scott Malverns 2011 tally of 18 wins in a single season.

However, its more than likely that Cammish is going to find the pace hotting up from now on. He started the year head and shoulders above the rest of the grid in terms of single-seater experience, but the rapid youngsters giving chase now have half a season under their belts and a growing confidence to match their natural speed.

Last time out, in June at Croft, Cammish was denied his customary pole for the first of the weekends three races by Harrison Scott, seven years Cammishs junior and one of the likeliest candidates to halt Dans winning streak. Falcon Motorsport racer Harrison has finished on the podium seven times already and is locked in battle with Jamun Racings Nico Maranzana for overall championship second, and also for the lead of the Scholarship class.

Maranzana and his Argentine countryman and team-mate Juan Rosso were both podium finishers last time out - Nico claiming a second and two thirds - and both will be aiming for further silverware at Snetterton, as will Jamuns third man, multiple South African single-seater champion Jayde Kruger. Cammishs JTR team-mates - rapid American Camren Kaminsky and promising young talent Sam Brabham - have made podium appearances also this season and will be bidding to make the top three in Norfolk.

Andy Richardson endured a tough couple of meetings at Oulton Park and Croft but believes his family run Richardson Racing team has made major gains thanks to valuable testing time at Snetterton over the course of the last fortnight. We have had two days at Snetterton and the car now feels mega, said the Lincolnshire 21-year-old. We still have some changes to make to the set-up which will hopefully make it better still. My EcoBoost engine is currently with Scholar, and they are looking into the overheating problems we have been suffering. We qualify quite well every time - our one-lap pace is good - but during the races I have been struggling with overheating problems and a loss of power, which means I drop back. Hopefully we can get those issues sorted and I will have stronger race pace.

The championship will welcome two new drivers and a new team next weekend. Sixteen-year-old karting prodigy Connor Mills is one of them; the Essex racer will be making his Formula Ford debut alongside the Meridian Motorsport team. Connor plans to use the second half of the season to learn about Formula Ford ahead of a full title challenge in 2014, while Meridian, seen previously in the Clio and Ginetta series, gains valuable single-seater experience. The team plans to enter another Mygale chassis soon.

SWB Motorsport will field a Sinter chassis in the Guest class at Snetterton for Kuwaiti 19-year-old Zaid Ashkanani, who will make his single-seater debut after success this season and last in the Middle East Porsche GT3 Cup.

There will be plenty more depth and talent on show on the Formula Ford grid. Lassi Halminen is Scotts 17-year-old running mate at Falcon, and the Finn is keen to add to the podium finish he scored at Donington Park in April. Meanwhile Radical Motorsports James Abbott has gained useful knowledge of his teams new Mygale chassis since he gave it its debut at Oulton Park, and is edging closer to the front with every outing.

Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship GBProvisional placings after Round 151  Dan CAMMISH  GBR/Leeds  JTR/Mygale  461 points2  Nico MARANZANA  ARG  Jamun/Mygale  3113  Harrison SCOTT  GBR/Althorne  Falcon/Mygale  3034  Juan ROSSO ARG  Jamun/Mygale  2305  Camren KAMINSKY  USA  JTR/Mygale  2176  Sam BRABHAM  GBR  JTR/Mygale 213 etc

Scholarship Cup1  Harrison SCOTT  GBR/Althorne  Falcon/Mygale  2442  Nico MARANZANA  ARG  Jamun/Mygale  2403  Sam BRABHAM  GBR/Henley  JTR/Mygale  1644  Andy RICHARDSON  GBR/Grantham  Richardson/Mygale  101 etc

Snetterton provisional timetableFriday 2 August 1130 & 1610 testingSaturday 3 August 1020 qualifying, 1340 Round 16Sunday 4 August 0945 Round 17, 1605 Round 18

Live timingwww.tsl-timing.com


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