Scott Pye and Scott Malvern, respectively champion and runner-up in the 2010 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain, will each go behind the wheel of a Formula 3 car next month as part of their reward for championship success.
The two Scotts will drive F3 cars prepared by Motul Team West-Tec at Rockingham on 18 November, the venue for Formula Ford’s annual Sampler Day. In addition to the F3 tests, prospective Formula Ford competitors from across Europe will gather at the Northamptonshire speedway to try the different chassis and teams on offer for the coming season.
Fifty prospective drivers attended the sampler day in 2009 and Sam Roach, of championship promoter RacingLine, hopes a similar number will attend this year: “We are laying on an open circuit for all Formula Ford teams from this season, as well as prospective teams, and it’s their opportunity to showcase themselves. We are also inviting competitors to register to attend so that they can meet the teams and sample a modern Formula Ford chassis. In addition to the test drives, we will be able to provide all the championship information which competitors, teams and sponsors require to enable them to make their plans.
“The Rockingham day also affords the opportunity for Motul Team West-Tec to give F3 test drives to Scott Pye and to Scott Malvern. Both of them are, I know, keen to follow in the wheeltracks of our 2007, 2008 and ’09 champions - Callum MacLeod, Wayne Boyd and James Cole - into F3, and so this opportunity will be invaluable to them.”
Motul Team West-Tec will have two F3 Dallaras on hand, one in British championship Rookie-class spec and the other to European Open F3 regulations. Each driver will get two test sessions and one set of new slick tyres.
The team has a long history of nurturing Formula Ford drivers through to success in F3. Thor-Christian Ebbesvik, a Formula Ford race winner in 2006, progressed to the Spanish F3 Copa class championship title with West-Tec and was a race winner with the team in Spanish F3 in 2008 and European F3 Open last year before establishing himself as a professional Le Mans Series driver. Callum MacLeod was the Copa class champion in 2009 and, along with another ex-Formula Fordster, Victor Correa, is in front-running form in the series this season.
“Formula Ford produces great racers who go on to excel in F3,” said John Miller, of Motul Team West-Tec. “Having seen Scott Pye and Scott Malvern in action this season I am quite sure that they both have a bright racing future ahead of them, and we are delighted to be able to offer them this test at Rockingham.”
Both the Scotts will also get valuable time on Motul Team West-Tec’s ground-breaking F3 simulator, as can all registered 2010 Formula Ford competitors who visit the sampler day.
The 18 November Rockingham sampler day is open to all drivers aged 16 and above and holding an ARDS or a kart licence. Prospective participants must register in advance with the championship co-ordinator, Penny Mattocks [p.mattocks@racingline.com]
