Australian Formula Ford 2009 - Page 2

**gomick** · 22 Aug 2009, 09:11 (Ref:2525982)

Mitchell Evans won the pole for the Qld Raceway round - new qualifying record too...

Round 6 Qualifying...

1. Mitchell Evans 1:13.8709
2. Chaz Mostert 1:14.1311
3. Nicholas Percat 1:14.2003
4. Ben Walter 1:14.4210
5. Geoff Uhrhane 1:14.4617
6. Scott Pye 1:14.5968
7. Jesse Dixon 1:14.6834
8. Ryan Simpson 1:14.6889
9. Martin Swindells 1:14.7532
10. Nicholas Simmons 1:14.8622

**gomick** · 23 Aug 2009, 08:40 (Ref:2526465)

Mitchell Evans (15 years old

) dominated the Qld Raceway round taking 3 race wins... Nick Percat was very consistent & finished 2nd overall for the round - will be 2009 Champion!

Bullett · 23 Aug 2009, 09:51 (Ref:2526511)

Percat has been around for so long and still can't beat the new kids on the block! Good on Evans, looks like a true young talent coming through

Mak · 23 Aug 2009, 12:36 (Ref:2526591)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullett

Percat has been around for so long and still can't beat the new kids on the block! Good on Evans, looks like a true young talent coming through

Championships are not won on single race wins. Percat won in his first season but did not have the maturity to go all the way. That comes with experience. I'm sure he would have been making sure of the championship at Qld.. It is a great effort from rookie Evans and lets hope he can continue his consistent and impressive form as well, and take championships. Congradulations to Nick.

Bullett · 24 Aug 2009, 09:46 (Ref:2527166)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mak

Championships are not won on single race wins. Percat won in his first season but did not have the maturity to go all the way. That comes with experience. I'm sure he would have been making sure of the championship at Qld.. It is a great effort from rookie Evans and lets hope he can continue his consistent and impressive form as well, and take championships. Congradulations to Nick.

I agree but arguably domination or going for wins is going to make him more attractive...although the maturity will help him. Still I think his ship has sailed and money will take him where he wants to go, we need to focus on guys like Evans if he can be this quick over a season!

Mak · 24 Aug 2009, 15:23 (Ref:2527341)

Money is what will take any of these guys where they want! Often those with the money forget that they also need to gain experience (ups and downs) for a sucessful long career.

williamsf1 · 9 Sep 2009, 17:00 (Ref:2537164)

very very true MAK!

so who will win this weekend????

**gomick** · 11 Sep 2009, 02:31 (Ref:2538134)

I see Ash Walsh is back in a Formula Ford this weekend after racing in WEC Formula Renault in 2008...

**gomick** · 12 Sep 2009, 10:05 (Ref:2538947)

Phillip Island Qualifying...

1. Mitchell Evans 1:37.4751
2. Scott Pye 1:37.7974
3. Nick Percat 1:37.9156
4. Ash Walsh 1:38.2189
5. Luke Ellery 1:38.3185
6. Chaz Mostert 1:38.5335

**gomick** · 13 Sep 2009, 09:35 (Ref:2539465)

Chaz Mostert won the overall round at Phillip Island, whilst Nick Percat sealed the Championship with 1 round remaining

Points after 7 of 8 rounds...

Nick Percat - 335
Mitchell Evans - 256
Scott Pye - 244
Chaz Mostert - 224
Ryan Simpson - 156
Richie Stanaway - 122
Geoff Uhrhane - 113

Mak · 13 Sep 2009, 11:01 (Ref:2539512)

Congradulations to Nick on taking the Ozzie FF Championship with 2 wins at the Island and to Chaz on his first win of the sesson.

sunseeker · 15 Sep 2009, 00:02 (Ref:2540864)

It is a bit of a shame that the best driver to ever race an open wheel race car in Australia won't get a chance to race overseas....

22 wins, next best is 17!

http://formulaford.com.au/pdfs/round-0274.pdf

and on target to break the most wins in a season of 13 ....

If only he had a rich dad like some of these other kids!

His only hope is a "redbull" type company takes him further, or he will be stuck forever in super taxis...

**gomick** · 15 Sep 2009, 06:49 (Ref:2540901)

Is is usually the way that rich parents dont have the naturally gifted drivers...

Mak · 15 Sep 2009, 07:06 (Ref:2540912)

The way that you have to look at it is that he has had the opportunity/privaledge to do several seasons of National level motorsport. Richness is all relative and to have done what he has done most would say he comes from a rich family as more than 95% of the population would never get that opportunity. You find that most come to a stage where they can no longer progress forward at some point in there career and racing on the world stage is not about talent but money. To have won the Oz FF championship puts him in good light to find a V8 drive, and maybe with a lot more luck eventually start to make a living out of it. The fact that he has been able to race for several years in the national championship has also increased his chance to find a benifactor.(even if chances of this are very small) good luck Nick

**gomick** · 20 Sep 2009, 00:50 (Ref:2544123)

NZ Formula Ford Champ & 2009 Aus Formula Ford runner Richie Stanaway is racing in Germany this weekend in Formula Master ADAC - has pole for the 2nd race at Sachsenring, great effort by the youngster

**gomick** · 24 Oct 2009, 10:06 (Ref:2568551)

Gold Coast Qualifying...

1. Mitchell Evans 1:57.3529
2. Richie Stanaway 1:57.3665
3. Ash Walsh 1:57.6166
4. Nick Percat 1:57.7981
5. Scott Pye 1:57.8022
6. Chaz Mostert 1:57.8805
7. Nicholas Simmons 1:57.9942
8. Ryan Simpson 1:58.1201
9. Nicholas Foster 1:59.0200
10. Geoff Uhrhane 1:59.0472

**gomick** · 26 Oct 2009, 08:16 (Ref:2569855)

Mitchell Evans 2 & Ash Walsh 1 where the race winners at the Gold Coast... Ash Walsh will be having a full on crack at the title in 2010...

Final Points...

Nick Percat - 371
Mitchell Evans - 297
Scott Pye - 270
Chaz Mostert - 225
Ryan Simpson - 168
Richie Stanaway - 164
Geoff Uhrhane - 143
Ben Walter - 90
Luke Ellery - 77
Trent Harrison - 58

flat change · 26 Oct 2009, 10:55 (Ref:2569962)

Why would Mitch bother to do Formula Ford again,he has already proven he is a winner.
Winning FFord will not progress his career .
He should look at a year of Aust F3 in 2010 as a lead in to going to Europe in 2011 with a year of wings and slicks expeience under his belt.
.

ls2_297 · 26 Oct 2009, 11:37 (Ref:2569996)

Quote:

Originally Posted by flat change

Why would Mitch bother to do Formula Ford again,he has already proven he is a winner.
Winning FFord will not progress his career .
He should look at a year of Aust F3 in 2010 as a lead in to going to Europe in 2011 with a year of wings and slicks expeience under his belt.
.

A year in Australian F3 would all but ruin his career, he'd win every race by 30secs, clinch the championship with half the rounds to go and the whole world wouldn't even know. Unfortunately atm Aust. F3 is dead. He'd be served better going across to British FF, if he proves himself there its the gateway to an open wheel career in Europe, with the only question being dollars?

**gomick** · 26 Oct 2009, 21:24 (Ref:2570335)

Who said Mitch would do FFord next year?

N.A-D.R · 27 Oct 2009, 02:19 (Ref:2570471)

Ash Walsh doing Aus FF again? That's a shame... Hes done WEC and A1GP, so FF is a major step backwards...

**gomick** · 27 Oct 2009, 04:51 (Ref:2570518)

Didnt have a drive this year after WEC in 2008, went back to Uni this year & he found some $$$ to have a crack at FFord in 2010 with the hope of a Fujitsu V8 drive in 2011...

Richard Craill · 27 Oct 2009, 10:23 (Ref:2570633)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls2_297

A year in Australian F3 would all but ruin his career, he'd win every race by 30secs, clinch the championship with half the rounds to go and the whole world wouldn't even know. Unfortunately atm Aust. F3 is dead. He'd be served better going across to British FF, if he proves himself there its the gateway to an open wheel career in Europe, with the only question being dollars?

With all due respect, Australian F3 is far from dead. Anyone who has witnessed the battle between Tim Macrow and Joey Foster this season would realise that. Though this year the fields have been smaller than usual (no one denies that), the competition and lap times at the front of the field are as good, if not better, than they have ever been.

Nick Percat (Who dominated the first four rounds of Aus FF this year, remember) did two rounds of Formula 3 last year and did not win each race by 30 seconds. He was quick and scored podiums - but thats what good drivers do, regardless of the category.

Also remember Tim Macrow came straight out of Formula Ford into F3. As did Michael Trimble. Tim Slade. Nath Caratti. And many others. But this is not about Formula Ford versus Formula 3. It's about a driver making a choice in his or her career progression.

Of course, I am biased and freely admit it given I work with the category, but my thoughts are Mitch would be well served by doing Australian F3 next year.

Not only would he get good racing but he would get a season of learning how to drive Formula cars of an international standard (Aus F3 = German F3 spec, Brit F3 National Class spec, etc) before going O/S in 2011 and trying his hand over there. He would still only be 17. Time is very much on Mitch's side.

It would also give him a chance to get the funding sorted. He could do Aus F3 next year for similar money to Formula Ford whilst sourcing the funds for an international sojurn.

And you would be surprised about what the world knows about Australian Formula 3. The presence of Ben Clucas, Charlie Hollings, James Winslow, Joey Foster and one certain B. Senna here in the past, ensure that the international motorsport arena probably knows more about it than the local scene.

The bottom line is that F3 is F3, no matter where you do it. The grids here may be smaller and not as deep as British F3 but the cars are the same and give drives exactly the same tools they need to succeed in top level Formulae around the world.

If I were you I'd head out to Sandown this November and check out the final round of the '09 Aus F3 championship. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised as to how competitive it actually is.

Back on topic (there is Aus F3 discussion elsewhere on this forum) - FF races on the Coast were highly entertaining. Well done to Mitch and Ash Walsh for winning, and congratulations to Nick Percat on winning the '09 title. Lets see you back in an F3 car now, Perdog!

williamsf1 · 27 Oct 2009, 11:10 (Ref:2570663)

Richard are you offering young Nick a free drive in F3 to take up Joey Foster's challenge???

I'm sure after he flogged the British driver in Darwin in Formula Ford, Joey would be keen to get one back on him.... maybe!

It would be good for F3 Australia to have the new Champ take on the best from F3....

Ideas?

**gomick** · 28 Oct 2009, 07:34 (Ref:2571190)

Isnt Nick backed by Tom Walkinshaw? Maybe he could get him in a Tandersport F3 for Sandown...