Scott Malvern’s record-breaking Formula Ford season is set to be capped next weekend (24/25 September) at Donington Park, where the 22-year-old from Essex should - unforeseen problems aside - be able to secure the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain title.
No race-winning heroics are required from Jamun Racing Mygale pilot Malvern to clinch the crown: Scott needs to complete the three-race Donington weekend with at least 93 points in hand over his remaining title rivals, and his current advantage is 96. He is in line to become Jamun’s seventh consecutive Formula Ford champion.
Indeed Malvern’s rivals would be quite pleased if he didn’t add to his record tally of wins, which stands at 15 from 18 British championship races, with 13 of those victories consecutive. Six races remain - three next weekend at Donington and three next month at Silverstone - for the season’s other race-winners, Jeroen Slaghekke and Geoff Uhrhane, and those queuing up to break their ducks, including Antti Buri, Nick McBride and Dan de Zille, to bring Malvern’s dominance to a close.
Dutch driver Slaghekke won at Silverstone at the start of the year and then again earlier this month at Brands Hatch, and the Jamun driver is locked in combat with fast Finn Buri and Aussie McBride to decide the outcome of second and third places in the championship. Slaghekke and Buri are currently tied on points, with McBride only 12 points behind them and hoping to help Jamun secure a championship 1-2-3.
Buri will be joined in the Geva Racing team for Donington by Dutch Formula Ford Championship top-five finishers Steijn Schothorst and Jelle Beelen.
There will be an extra runner also in the JTR team at Donington Park, with 17-year-old kart star Max Marshall stepping into one of the squad’s Mygales for his first race outing. JTR regulars Tristan Mingay, de Zille and Silverstone round three victor Uhrhane will be in action also.
The other championship title to be resolved at Donington Park is that for the junior drivers, the Scholarship Cup, which is certain to go to Cavan Corcoran at the Matlock man’s home track. Corcoran has notched up 14 Scholarship class wins already this season, 12 with Getem Racing’s Mygale and two with a Ray from his new team, Cliff Dempsey Racing. He will however face a challenge from France-domiciled youngster Matt Rao at the wheel of one of Fluid Motorsport’s Van Diemens, and from newcomer Marshall.
The other Van Diemen will be in the capable hands of Matthew Parry, the 17-year-old from Cardiff who is on the brink of claiming his maiden Formula Ford podium. Rays for Finland’s Jesse Anttila and Team USA Scholarship winner Neil Alberico will join the Mygales of Spike Goddard, Philippe Layac and Luke Williams on the Donington grid.
Provisional championship placings after round 18 (of 24)1 Scott Malvern GBR/Ilford, Jamun Mygale 472 points2= Jeroen Slaghekke NED, Jamun Mygale & Antti Buri FIN, LMS-Geva Mygale 3764 Nick McBride AUS, Jamun Mygale 3645 Dan de Zille JEY, JTR Mygale 2856 Geoff Uhrhane AUS, JTR Mygale 261 etc
Scholarship class1 Cavan Corcoran GBR/Matlock, Getem Mygale & Dempsey Ray 4342 David Moore GBR/Tockwith, Tockwith Ray 1353 Matt Rao GBR/Levignac, Fluid Van Diemen 108 etc
