INDY TEST BECKONS FOR FORMULA FORD CHAMPION


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Antti Buri could be heading 'Stateside' next month. Photo: www.jakobebrey.com

One of two Formula Ford drivers – Antti Buri or Eric Lichtenstein – is on the Road To Indy. Depending on the outcome of events next weekend (29/30 Sep) at Donington Park in the final rounds of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain, Antti or Eric will be packing his bags shortly afterwards and heading for the USA to take up the champion’s prize.

Formula Ford’s new title victor gets an expenses-paid trip to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a free full-day test in a USF2000 single-seater, followed by a further full-day test in a Star Mazda car, as part of Formula Ford’s valuable association with the renowned Road To Indy programme. The tests take place 10/11 October.

It is JTR Mygale driver Buri who is in the driving seat as the drivers head for the championship’s concluding rounds. The 23-year-old Finn needs only to finish one of the three Donington races to complete the job he began at Easter at Oulton Park, when he won the first race of the modern EcoBoost Formula Ford era.

Since Buri’s last race win, in June, Jamun Racing’s Eric Lichtenstein has been chipping away successfully at Antti’s advantage and arrives at Donington on a seven-race winning streak. The 17-year-old from Argentina may not be able to do much about Buri’s progress towards the crown but he can at least aim to end the season with a greater number of race wins than the Finn. Eric has 10 under his belt so far to Antti’s eight.

Buri had hoped to secure the crown earlier this month: “Of course it was disappointing not to get the title at Silverstone but we still have three more races at Donington to try to get the job done. It hasn’t always gone well for me at Donington, so hopefully this year will be different,” said Antti.

The season’s other EcoBoost race winners – Jake Cook, Luke Williams and Julio Moreno – will be looking to end their seasons on a high, as will Ryan Cullen, who scored his maiden podium last time out. Cavan Corcoran hopes to return to the grid after being forced to miss Silverstone.

Battle still rages in the Duratec division to see who will emerge on top. Fabian Welter has been the class of the field for Rendez-Vous Racing, winning the division 12 times so far. But the Mygale driver is up against it in terms of the scores he must drop, and Fluid Motorsport Van Diemen man Matt Rao has the chance to pinch the title from under the Mexican’s nose. Third and fourth in the Duratec class is in dispute also, between Fluid’s Alex Drabble and Enigma Motorsport man George Blundell.

Two Duratec-powered guest drivers will be on the Donington grid. It will be a home race for Shepshed driver James Hammond in the Race Car Consultants-prepared Mygale, and a return to the cockpit for Formula Ford veteran Jason Down in his Getem Mygale, who is competing for the first time since May’s Brands Hatch rounds.

For more information see www.britishformulaford.com


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