The £20,000 prize GB4 shoot-out for the three leading teenage
drivers in this year's Avon Tyres National Formula Ford
Championship will take place at Snetterton on Tuesday 18
October.
The three contenders are confirmed as being Colin Queen, Lucas
Romanek and Brandon McCaughan following the conclusion of the
National Formula Ford season at Donington Park last weekend (24-25
September). The trio will drive Fortec Motorsport GB4 cars during
the shoot-out, which will take place on the Norfolk venue's full
300 circuit.
Each driver will have use of his own Tatuus F4-T014 car for the
assessment, so all will be driving with the same track conditions,
regardless of weather. The partnership with Fortec ensures that all
three participants will receive technical support and advice from
one of Europe's most respected single-seater teams.
The winner of the shoot-out will be revealed three days later at
Brands Hatch on the Friday of the BRSCC Formula Ford Festival (21
October), and receive the £20,000 prize provided by series
organiser MSV towards a 2023 campaign in GB4. Fortec currently
leads the GB4 Drivers' Championship with Nikolas Taylor, who has
won nine races in his first season of racing.
MSV Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer said: "The
BRSCC's Avon Tyres National FF1600 championship continues to be one
of the most legendary championships in national single seater
racing and can provide an affordable first step for many drivers.
For nearly 25 years I have enjoyed helping potential future F1
stars develop and progress their careers and MSV's GB3 and GB4
championships are focussed on providing the most cost effective
route to FIA F3. I still think fondly of my three years of Formula
Ford and am pleased to give the most deserving driver from this
2022 championship a major boost to progress to GB4, where I am sure
they will shine in their first season with wings and slicks.
"Fortec has been responsible for nurturing so many leading
motorsport talents, and have huge experience assessing drivers and
identifying their potential. The team will provide us with accurate
feedback on each driver so we can collectively determine the
winner, who should have the ability to challenge at the front of
the GB4 grid next year."
Fortec Motorsport Team Principal Richard Dutton
said: "We're looking forward to running Colin, Lucas and
Brandon at Snetterton, and seeing how they develop during the day.
They'll find that an aero car such as the GB4 car will require a
rather different driving style compared to the Formula Fords they
are accustomed to, and will need to be able to adapt to their new
environment as they demonstrate developing pace with consistency
and good feedback throughout the test.
"Snetterton is a venue we know very well, so we will be able to
compare the drivers with those that have raced with us over the
years, and the combination of low, medium and high speed corners
will allow us to see who has the best all-round ability. It's also
a nice opportunity for us to have a look at the current driver
level in Formula Ford, as we ponder our line-ups for 2023."
BRSCC Chairman Peter Daly said: "Following the
running of the 50th Formula Ford Festival Final which produced an
incredibly close and competitive race, Jonathan Palmer and I
discussed what we could do to encourage more drivers into single
seater race cars.
"2022 has been a good year for domestic single seater racing with
National Formula Ford, GB4 and GB3 all providing a ladder of
opportunities for high quality and competitive single seater
racing.
"The National Formula Ford championship, probably one of the
oldest in the world, delivers very close racing, an excellent
training ground supported by professional teams with modern
chassis. We are keen to continue to offer that early training
ground for potential professional drivers. Looking at the GB4 and
GB3 race results from this season we see many Formula Ford stars
who have been able to deliver good results that will help them
towards their FIA F3 goals and beyond.
"We are very grateful for Jonathan's continued keen interest in
single seater championships and the contribution made by MSV and
Fortec in putting this potential career changing opportunity
together."