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CHAMPION FREKE & RUNNER-UP TANDY CLAIM FINAL WINS - 08/10/2006

Nathan Freke crowned his UK Formula Ford Championship-winning season with another race victory – his 10th – at Castle Combe, with Nick Tandy pipping Freke to the line to win race two and secure championship runner-up position.

Both races held the sizeable Formula Ford Carnival crowd captivated throughout and provided a fitting end to what has proved a remarkably successful and exciting year for the rejuvenated Ford-backed series. Combe also saw 18-year-old David Brown confirmed as Scholarship Cup Champion and Neil Tofts securing the Clubmans Cup title.

Freke was on superb form in qualifying once again, his Jamun Racing Services-prepared Mygale claiming pole position for both races to take his seasonal tally of poles to 13.

And Kidderminster-based Nathan led all the way in race one, despite intense pressure from a succession of drivers. His team-mate Jay Bridger held second on the opening lap before slipping back, and then Ireland’s Peter Dempsey led Freke’s pursuers, until a heart-stopping spin down the main straight at the start of the eighth lap. Peter had hooked a wheel on the dirt as his Ray exited Camp Corner and spun through 360 degrees in the middle of the track, miraculously avoiding contact.

Steve Roberts thus took over in second in his Kevin Mills Racing Van Diemen, closing the gap on Freke to 0.8s, before Tandy popped past to take runner-up spot on the penultimate lap. Freke crossed the line 2.8s ahead of Tandy, with Roberts a tenth further behind to take third; he was pleased to be back on the podium after a three-month absence.

Said Freke: “It’s brilliant to have ended my championship-winning year with a win, particularly one that was far from easy. Peter gave me a hard time at the start and then so did Steve and Nick. This one is for all the many people who have supported me this season.”

Less than 10 seconds covered the top seven at the line, South African Sean Petterson claiming fourth ahead of Australian John Martin and Ulster’s Richard Tannahill. Dempsey recovered from his spin and fought back from 10th to seventh at the flag.

Christian Ebbesvik took eighth, Linton Stuteley ninth and David Mayes 10th, just ahead of the Mygale of Tofts, who beat Callum McLeod to 11th and the Clubman’s Cup class win, securing the club championship title in the process.

Freke and Tandy gave a fantastic show from lights to chequered flag in race two, Freke leading his rival for the first 11 laps – but only by whisker – before Tandy and his family-run Ray swept through to take top spot. Freke then smashed the lap record, set earlier in the day by Tandy, in response and swept back into the lead with four laps to go.

With a third race win and second in the championship in his sights, Nick was not to be denied, however. Tandy regained the lead next time around and held on in front to pip Freke to the line by a tenth. “That was thrilling,” said Nick. “Nathan and I were side by side and on the limit of adhesion for most of the race. It’s a great end to the year for me.”

Dempsey started from 12th on the grid after dramas in qualifying and his charge through the field was another highlight of the race. Peter lifted third from Martin with three laps to go, the final podium placing just enough to secure for him third place in the championship.

Martin placed a comfortable fourth ahead of Tannahill and Roberts, with James Nash – who was eliminated from race one in a first-lap clash with Jonny Baker – seventh in his repaired Van Diemen. Bridger, Petterson, Ebbesvik, Stuteley and Australia’s Nathan Caratti rounded out the top 12.

Freed from the constraint of having to finish at all costs, Glasgow’s David Brown turned in champion performances to win the Scholarship class in both races, overhauling rapid Japanese pilot Takashi Nagase along the way. Brown’s prize includes the loan of a Van Diemen chassis and Scholar-tuned Duratec engine for an assault on the 2007 UK Formula Ford Championship.

Spain’s Marcello Conchado was 20th and a surprised Clubman’s Cup victor after Tofts failed to make the grid and McLeod fell by the wayside.

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FREKE TAKES FORMULA FORD TITLE AT SILVERSTONE – 25/09/2006

Nathan Freke is the 2006 UK Formula Ford Champion. The 23-year-old clinched the championship this weekend in the best possible style, winning both Silverstone races at the wheel of his NewNet-backed, Jamun Racing-prepared Mygale.

His Silverstone victories bring the Kidderminster racer's win tally for the season to nine, with four rounds of the Ford-backed championship remaining. It is the second successive championship win for the Jamun team and for Mygale, and Freke could not have been more delighted. "It's a fantastic way to win the championship," said Nathan, "I couldn't have hoped for a better finish."

Freke's path to title glory saw him overcome early-season domination by Irish driver Peter Dempsey. Added Nathan: "There was massive pressure on me after Peter won the first four rounds. I knew I could beat him, but perhaps a lack of experience counted against me. Then came Snetterton and my first ever win in a racing car, and the tables were turned.

"They say the first win is the most elusive, and it was certainly a huge boost to my confidence." Wins at Brands Hatch, Rockingham, Knockhill and Silverstone followed in quick succession, and Freke is quick to pay tribute to his team and to his sponsors: "The Jamun crew are here to win. That's what drives them and they never rest on their laurels. They are without a doubt the best team out there. I'm so glad they took a chance on me, and I'm completely indebted to my sponsors, NewNet, and to my parents, who have dug deep to get me to this point."

Nathan's mobile is already receiving calls from leading Formula 3 teams keen to sign him, but he believes his racing future may lie in the US. "I'm looking seriously at Formula Atlantic, but keeping my options open for 2007..."

Freke's twin wins were anything but easy. Saturday's race saw him put under intense pressure by Australian hot shot John Martin, and on Sunday he had to overcome a first-lap error and charge back to victory from fourth spot.

Saturday's 15th round of the championship was spoilt by first-lap incidents which ended the races of six drivers - and which resulted in a lengthy safety car period which reduced the event to just seven racing laps.

Freke started from P1 on the 30-car grid - the biggest field of the season so far - and led the opening lap just ahead of Martin, with South Africa's Sean Petterson third.

Four slow laps behind the safety car later, Freke had it all to do once more at the restart. He kept ahead for a lap, but Martin was in determined form and slipped past for the lead next time around. "It think maybe John's tyres warmed up a bit quicker than mine," said Nathan. "He was all over me..."

Freke regained his composure - and the lead - with three laps to go, and his Mygale seized the fastest lap of the race on the final tour to beat Martin's Spectrum to the chequered flag by nine-tenths of a second. "Thankfully my tyres came good when it mattered and I was able to find a way back past John... Not a bad result," said Nathan of his eighth win of the year.

Freke made an unusually poor getaway from the pole on Sunday but his tenure of the lead lasted only as far as Maggotts, where he ran wide and slipped to fifth behind Nash, Ebbesvik, Dempsey and Martin.

As Nash sped away to build a five-second lead, Freke set about clawing his way past Ebbesvik and Martin, and then into second spot after disposing of Dempsey on the fourth lap. Second place would have done him in championship terms, but Nathan wasn't going to settle for that: "I really messed up on the first lap and, because of that, I was determined to catch James and win this one."

Freke whittled away at the gap and, on the penultimate tour, overcame his rival. "I thought I had that in the bag," said Nash, "but I guess Nathan was a bit quicker than I had reckoned on." James was 1.2s behind at the line to claim his second runner-up spot of the season.

The first driver to achieve the maximum point score of 64 this season, 2 x pole, 2 x fastest lap, and 2 x wins, Nathan commented afterwards, ‘ I had almost settled for second place, knowing that it would guarantee me the title, when I could see the blue Van Diemen in the distance, I just kept pushing and with 2 laps to go was on his tail, next lap I was past and the winning gap was 1.2 seconds, the best possible way to win the championship and a good race for the crowd.

Provisional championship placings

Overall

1 Freke 439 points
2 Nash 297
3 Dempsey 294
4 Christian Ebbesvik (NOR/Van Diemen) 274
5 Tandy 248
6 Richard Tannahill (UK/Van Diemen) 245 etc.

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FREKE CLOSES ON TITLE AT KNOCKHILL – 04/09/2006

Nathan Freke edged closer to the UK Formula Ford Championship crown when he claimed two wins at Knockhill in Scotland to bring his victory tally for the season to seven.

NewNet sponsored Freke refused to let a wet weekend at Knockhill dampen his spirits at what was the Ford-backed championship's first appearance on the BTCC bill in three years.

The 22-year-old Jamun Racing driver claimed both pole positions after an intense battle with James Nash in Saturday's qualifying session. Nash had held the top spot for the majority of the session until Freke pinched it with just five minutes remaining. Nash quickly responded and retook pole but Freke bounced back again to seal it with his last lap of the session. Nathan’s 2nd fastest time was enough to take pole position in the 2nd race by the smallest of margins gaining both of the extra points available for qualifying.

Freke made it away in the lead of the first race and was able to open a decisive gap as Nash came under threat from Peter Dempsey, who found a way around on the third lap and set off in pursuit of Freke, but it was too late to mount a serious challenge, Freke had broken away and Dempsey was never able to make inroads into the gap. Freke controlled the race brilliantly from the front and scored a well-deserved win with a faultless drive.

In race two Freke put in another mistake-free performance to claim his second win but had to work a little harder for this one thanks to pressure from Nash.

Nash chased hard in the opening laps and even looked like he might pass Freke after a brief safety car period. He looked to challenge at the first corner but wasn't quite close enough to make a move stick. He was able to follow Freke for much of the race but, ultimately, the championship leader's pace, including setting a new lap record, proved too much and Nash had to settle for his second podium of the day.

"It was the perfect weekend for me," said Freke. "It was so important to get off the line well and make it really tough for everyone behind who had to deal with driving through the spray. I managed to get away in the lead and open a gap in both races, and the damp patches actually worked in my favour a little because they made overtaking very difficult."

Freke's championship lead is now a whacking 119 points - a good result at Silverstone in three weeks time ought to be enough for him to clinch the crown.

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MIXED FORTUNES FOR NATHAN FREKE AT BRANDS - 29/08/2006

Racing on the Brands Hatch Grand prix Circuit for the first time it was important for Nathan to score heavily to extend his championship lead in the UK Formula Ford title race.

Free practice on the Friday saw the Newnet sponsored driver quickest on the famous track, and hopes were high for Saturday qualifying.

Qualifying on Saturday started dry, but with dark clouds looming overhead, seeing the impending rain it was important to make the first laps count, and Nathan duly obliged by putting in 2 identical times on laps 4 and 5 to gain the pole in both races. However as he passed the line on the end of lap 5 he was the first driver to realise that it had rained on Paddock Hill Bend and going at lap record pace he could not stop and careered into the gravel trap and tyre wall, taking no further part in the practice. A second car soon joined Nathan in the tyre wall just missing his stranded Jamun / Mygale, with 15 minutes of qualifying left there was an agonising wait to see if his times could be bettered on the now dry track – however the chasing pack could not overhaul the times and Nathan was confirmed on pole for both races – but with a damaged car.

Having repaired the damaged car Nathan took his place on the grid for race one and when the lights go out he makes his usual fast getaway chased by a gaggle of cars all trying to depose him. Driving with his usual smooth consistent style he resists all advances to ease away and win by over 3 seconds from the pursuing group.

Hopes were high for the 2nd race for the same result, but things turned out very differently. Nathan lost the lead after one lap and became embroiled in a 3 way battle for the lead when the safety car is deployed for 3 laps to clear cars from an accident lower down the field. After the restart Nathan retakes the lead at Clearways corner only to be relegated at the next turn. Fighting with all of his skill he regains the lead going into the last lap and looks to score maximum points again until the 2nd placed car makes a lunge going into Surtees resulting in both Nathan and the 2nd car crashing and non finishes for both. ‘There was no way he would have made the corner, if I had not been there to hit he would have gone off anyway, it was a stupid move and ruined the race for both of us, luckily it has not made any difference to the championship standing for me, but his is now in tatters.’ said Nathan afterwards.

Nathan now goes to Knockhill near Edinburgh with a 90 point lead in the title race, a track he knows well, knowing that his championship hopes are still intact.

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FREKE EXTENDS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD - 14/08/2006

Nathan Freke extended his championship lead in the UK Formula Ford series at Rockingham this weekend.

Race 1 started badly for Nathan as his car hesitates on the line and he is away in 3rd place, but carnage on the first corner occurs as some drivers try to use the chicane instead of bypassing it as instructed – this results in 1 car hitting the wall with 2 others spinning out as well. This brings out the red flags and an eventual restart over a reduced distance. This time Nathan makes a stunning start and he gets to the hairpin in first place, but over the next couple of laps it becomes apparent that there is a problem with his car’s handling in the slow corners and the 2nd place driver soon catches Nathan.

Over the next few laps Nathan is unable to maintain his advantage and slips to 3rd place when the leader spins and drops to 3rd himself. Nathan avoids the spinning car and is into 2nd place probing for the lead over the next few laps, but having to ease off when the leader is constantly turning in on his opponent when alongside – ‘I could have tried to make the move stick but we would both have gone off I was clearly quicker and alongside, but as my nose cone shows he was driving as though I wasn’t there’ said Nathan afterwards. This sparring allowed the previous leader to get back on terms and grab back 2nd from Nathan, on the second to last lap Nathan tried to retake 2nd position but once again had to back out or go off, but on the last lap last corner he lined up the move, this time to the outside, and powered back into 2nd at the flag.

Race 2 on the Sunday looked as though tyre choice would be critical and the teams all made their selection – slicks – at the last minute.

Nathan made a blinding start again and had a 5 car length lead by the end of the first lap only for the safety car to come out to allow clearance of the track from cars that span out on the damp hairpin – this removed his advantage immediately. The race then developed into a fascinating battle between Nathan who was quickest on the banked areas of the track and the 2nd placed car which was quicker in the infield – however after trading places over 3 or 4 laps the 2nd car span out leaving Nathan to a controlled drive coming home to take the win, proving that under pressure there is no better driver in the field.

Nathan now holds an 85 point lead in the championship at the halfway point of the season and is looking forward to the next round on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in 2 weeks time.

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FREKE GOES CLEAR AT BRANDS - 16/07/2006

Nathan Freke and Nick Tandy took a UK Formula Ford Championship win apiece at Brands Hatch over the weekend, Freke extending his championship lead over Peter Dempsey, who claimed a second place on Saturday but failed to finish Sunday’s race two.

This was down to a first corner coming together with fellow Ray driver Tandy, and led to an ugly incident at post race prize-giving, at which Dempsey assaulted Tandy in front of shocked spectators. The stewards of the meeting suspended Dempsey’s licence for 30 days at a subsequent enquiry.

Tandy became the Ford-backed championship’s third different race winner this year when he took Saturday’s round, held in tricky damp-but-drying conditions. With one exception, the 21-car field elected to run treaded tyres. That decision to take slicks, by Simon Kinsey, would net him a very fine sixth overall in his Scholarship Class Van Diemen RF01.

Pole sitter and points leader Freke set the early pace but the charging Tandy was up from row three to second spot inside a lap. He soon had Freke in his sights and finally settled the issue at Clearways on lap four.

The man really on the move, however, was Dempsey, who had qualified a lowly ninth (albeit only 0.23s off pole) after a too-low third gear left his Cliff Dempsey run Ray on the rev limiter for much of the lap. With a change of ratio he was simply flying and up to third spot within three laps. He ousted Freke from second at Graham Hill Bend on lap five, but trying to pass Tandy around the outside at Paddock on lap seven was almost his undoing.

He went in deep but had to get off the throttle as he ran perilously wide, allowing Freke to retake second. Peter redressed that situation a lap later at Druids.

Christian Ebbesvik meanwhile made stealthy progress and wrested third from Nash. Focus then switched to the run by Kinsey, who’d started 20th on the grid, but with his slicks coming good as the rest struggled for grip, was making rapid progress.

For two thirds of the race, Takashi Nagase led the Scholarship class, but Kinsey was unstoppable and indeed by lap 22, he was all over Freke for fifth. He got it soon after, although Freke reclaimed the place on the last lap.

Steve Roberts, Jonny Baker, Linton Stuteley (who qualified second fastest) and David Brown completed the top ten.

After taking his first UK Formula Ford race win, Tandy said: “It was difficult to judge if it was slipperier at the start or the finish. My tyres were absolutely shot.”

Freke’s margin of victory on Sunday (some 4.37s) wasn’t a true reflection of his superiority, as late on he was experiencing gear selection problems. Indeed, he virtually coasted over the line, but still clear of guest class driver Marc Murray.

Murray led for a lap until Freke dived past at Druids and then progressively edged away. The first corner incident between Dempsey and Tandy took away a potential source of interest in the race as they resumed well out of contention.
Such was the front two’s pace that the tussle for third was soon being dropped, and not long after wresting the place from Nash, Stuteley ended his race in the gravel at the top of Paddock.

This left Nash a distant third, but well clear of a wonderful four-way scrap for fourth involving Adriano Buzaid, Sean Petterson, Ebbesvik, Jay Bridger and Richard Tannahill. They circulated as one giant 16 wheeler for lap after lap, yet without making contact. The crowd loved it and a mere 0.8s covered them at the flag.

Jonny Baker had been on the back of the group, but a spin at Paddock left him to trail home 12th. Baker’s bad luck was Steve Roberts’ good fortune and he came home ninth, a couple of seconds clear of Nagase, who never saw a rival en route to a very easy win in the Scholarship class.

The Clubmans class cars ran separately this weekend, merged with a healthy field of Zetecs from the Dutch Benelux series. Neil Tofts led home David Mayes by half a second on Saturday with third place finisher Henk Vuik Jnr best of the Benelux runners.

Mayes spun while leading Sunday’s race in which Michel Florie restored Dutch pride as he came home clear of Tofts. Mayes resumed in eighth only to further blot his copybook with a trip through the Paddock Bend gravel trap. That left Craig Bell (seventh) as next-best Brit, with Mayes coming home a chastened 12th.

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FREKE ON TOP AFTER SNETTERTON WINS - 16/07/2006

Nathan Freke claimed a convincing pair of race wins at Snetterton to accelerate into the lead of the UK Formula Championship for the Jamun Racing team.

The 22-year-old Kidderminster-based racer's glory came at the expense of erstwhile points leader Peter Dempsey, who managed to salvage only one podium finish from the weekend.

Dempsey, the victor of the first four rounds of the Ford-backed championship, saw his winning streak brought to an end in the first of the day's races. Though his Cliff Dempsey Racing-run Ray started from its customary pole position, the 20-year-old Irishman found himself out-gunned by Freke's Mygale, Nathan pulling ahead into Riches corner and into a lead that he never looked in danger of losing.

Dempsey clung on to Freke's tail for several laps but soon found himself under mounting pressure from the cars of Nick Tandy and Stephen Roberts, the Shropshire driver regaining the sort of form which brought him Scholarship Class title honours in 2005.

Bedford-based Tandy was on a mission to secure second, so much so that his enthusiasm carried him over the grass at Russell, by-passing the chicane entirely, at one point. He managed to nose past both Roberts and Dempsey on the ninth lap - but only for a matter of yards before spinning away his advantage at Sear and losing several slots.

As Freke romped home to a seven-second win - the biggest victory margin of the season so far - Roberts took advantage of Tandy's mishap to edge ahead of Dempsey and hold second for the remaining four laps.

Freke was delighted with his maiden UKFF win: "It's a big confidence boost finally to win. I concentrated on getting a good start, pulling a gap and being consistent, and it all paid off." Roberts was equally pleased: "We've done a lot of work since the last race and we are getting towards where we want to be. There's plenty more to come."

Dempsey was far from downbeat: "We seem to have an understeer problem in the heat which we have yet to find an answer for. But I can't be disappointed with third, it's good for the championship."

The race was brought to a halt by red flags a couple of laps before its scheduled finish after Jay Bridger's Mygale came to a halt in a dangerous position at Riches; he'd overshot the corner after losing his brakes.

James Nash battled through to fourth ahead of Richard Tannahill and Jonny Baker, with Sean Petterson seventh after a time-consuming spin. Christian Ebbesvik was eighth, ahead of Alex Waters, who claimed his best-yet finish.

Championship returnee Sarah Playfair was 10th in her new Mygale, Tandy 11th after his spin, Linton Stuteley 12th and Adriano Buzaid 13th on his debut in the championship class at the wheel of an Eau Rouge Motorsport-prepared Ray.

Neil Tofts claimed Clubmans Cup honours after a long battle with David Mayes, while in the Scholarship Class Japanese driver Takashi Nagase triumphed in a battle which involved 18-year-old Scottish talent David Brown and Jamie Jardine for the duration of the race.

Norfolk drivers Ruth Senior (Wymondham) and Craig Bell (Diss) placed 15th and 20th respectively.

Race two provided the healthily large Snetterton crowd with another helping of excitement, Freke making the most of his first pole of the year to establish an early lead, this time pursued by Roberts and Nash, with Dempsey joining the battle from the fourth lap onwards.

Freke and Roberts traded top spot lap after lap, but Dempsey's hopes of getting a nose in front took a knock at the Esses on the 12th lap when he spun after contact with one of his rivals. The Irishman lost 10 places, and was forced into retirement a lap later with crash damage.

In the closing stages Freke eased out just enough of a gap over Roberts to ensure his second win of the day, with Steve comfortably ahead of Nash, who made it to the podium for the first time after repulsing a late attack from Christian Ebbesvik.

Tannahill came home behind Ebbesvik for fifth, with Bridger making up for his race one crash with sixth, his best-yet result. Alex Waters collected seventh ahead of Linton Stuteley, with Tofts an excellent ninth - once again an easy Clubmans Cup victor. Senior found some extra straight-line pace to claim 10th, another personal best.

With Nagase crashing out of the lead of the Scholarship Cup on the sixth lap, the honours went to Cheshire youngster Jamie Jardine, with his Myerscough College team-mate Simon Kinsey second in class and Brown third. Jardine assumes the Scholarship Cup points lead too.

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FREKE TAKES 2 PODIUM PLACES IN THE WET AT DONINGTON – 22/05/06

Kidderminster motor racer Nathan Freke took a further 2 podium positions in the 2006 National Formula Ford Championship rounds 3 and 4 in the wet at Donington Park.

After dominating free practice on Thursday at Donington in the dry, Nathan's lack of experience in the wet weather for qualifying left him in the unusual position of having to start on grid 5 for round 3 and grid 3 for round 4. Nathan commented: “The car was really slippery, and although I could have claimed a front row with my last lap of qualifying I was baulked by a slower car and had to settle for 5th, I am a little disappointed to say the least.”

RACE 1

Both NewNet and Nathan’s hopes were raised as the skies cleared for the first race and the track dried out. With a good start Nathan immediately gains a place and closes in on the 3rd place car, unfortunately a 3 car incident brings out the safety car for 12 out of the 20 minute race. When the race eventually restarts, Nathan immediately takes 3rd place only to lose it again as an engine glitch causes the car to lose straight line speed. Over the remaining few minutes Nathan finally makes a move on the 3rd place man to grab the last podium place. “I had the speed in the dry, but the safety car spoilt the race as it left virtually no time to do anything after the restart” said Nathan.

RACE 2

For race 2 on Sunday morning the wet weather returns with a vengeance. Starting on grid 3 with a number of changes made to the car hopes are high that Nathan will get away in the lead to avoid having to drive in the spray.
He nearly achieves his aim as he arrives at the first corner alongside the pole man, who manages to hold his line leaving Nathan to chase round the whole 20 minutes in 2nd place. “Despite being faster once I was close to the leader it was impossible to see the track so I had to back off to avoid hitting either him or the barriers, overall I would have like to win, but I am happier with the car in the wet now and have consolidated 2nd overall in the championship”, said Nathan.

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NEWNET AND NATHAN DEBUT AT OULTON PARK – 18/04/06

Nathan Freke and NewNet made their debut at the new National Formula Ford Duratec Championship held at Oulton Park over the Easter weekend.

Following Nathan's horrific accident in Thursday testing and a drive shaft failure in Friday testing, qualifying was to be an unknown quantity.

Holding 4th for most of the session Nathan put in 2 flying laps on the trot to grab P2 for each of the weekends 2 races.

RACE 1

On Saturday 15th April Nathan takes his place on the grid hoping for a good start. As the lights go out, Nathan gets an excellent start and is into the first corner in the lead, demoting the pole sitter to 2nd. Nathan holds the lead under enormous pressure for 2 laps, when suddenly there is no following car, the 2nd and 3rd place drivers are demoted to 4th and 5th after contact. This leaves Nathan with a 3 second lead.

During the next 10 laps the poleman’s car starts to eat into Nathan's lead until it is down to 1.7 seconds on the last but one lap, when a brake lockup on Nathan's Mygale race car lets the following car onto his tail, and into the lead at the start of the last lap. Despite attacking hard in the final lap and crossing the line next to the other car the timing system shows that Nathan has finished 2nd by 3/100ths of a second. A good result in his first ever National car race and his first front row start in car racing. "I didn't have the grip I needed," said Nathan. "I could see him catching me and then I locked a wheel going into the chicane, and that allowed him to get on to my tail. We will have to work hard to get it right for Monday, but it is a good solid start considering our lack of testing here"

RACE 2

Nathan Freke continued to star in race 2 at the National Formula Ford Meeting at Oulton Park on Easter Monday. Starting on the front row once again he was hoping for the same start as race one but with different results. The Jamun racing team made changes to the NewNet sponsored Mygale to improve the handling for the race. In front of the bumper Easter crowd the start was clean, but the poleman beat Nathan into the first corner, and away out into the faster part of the circuit.

For the first 2 laps it seemed as if the lead car would make the break leaving Nathan to fend off the attentions of the 3rd placed driver. But not to be outdone, Nathan quickly picked up the pace and was soon on the tail of the lead car. Over the next 10 laps Nathan tried every technique he knew to make moves onto the lead car.

Despite being quicker in every sector of the track, and having the highest top speed through the speed traps, Nathan could not quite make any overtaking moves stick, and eventually settled for 2nd place (0.17 seconds adrift) after the most exciting race of the day. Nathan said afterwards, "the car handling was better for this race than race one and the times show that my best possible time was over half a second faster than the leader, but when he is driving so defensively it is difficult to overtake, and 2 second places for the weekend, considering our lack of track time, is an excellent result. We know that we have the pace and this is not going to be a one horse race. I need to put the car on the front row and then get a similar start that I had in the first race. I am really looking forward to Donington in 4 weeks. My thanks go to the Jamun Team, and NewNet my sponsors."

The weekend results leave Nathan in 2nd place after the 2 races in the championship, with high hopes of better things to come as he gains experience at this level.

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NATHAN SECURES DEAL AS JAMUN WORKS DRIVER – 16/01/06

NewNet sponsored racing driver Nathan Freke has secured the top drive in the new National Formula Ford Duratec series for 2006.

Negotiations for Nathan to drive for the Jamun Racing Team, the 2005 British Formula Ford Champions, were successfully concluded last week.

Nathan will replace Charlie Donnelly (2005 Champion), and Duncan Tappy(2005 festival Winner, and Autosport/McLaren/BRDC young driver of the year nominee), as Jamun’s lead driver.

Jamun who will be running 4 drivers are looking to Nathan to carry on their winning ways whilst the other 3 gain experience at this level. Tony Munday, Jamun team principal, commented, ‘we have watched Nathan over the 2005 season competing in various FF1600 races in one of our cars, and we see him as the natural successor to our departing drivers. He is an excellent racer who should adapt well to the new formula.’

Nathan will contest the newly launched Formula Ford National series in a 2006 French Mygale Chassis, fitted with the new Ford Duratec race engine. Ford has introduced the engine as a replacement for the ageing Zetec power plant which has been in use since 1996. The series has over £1 million in publicity and backing from Ford, including full TV coverage, initially on Sky with possible repeats on terrestrial channels.

Nathan comments `I see this as a major opportunity to further my racing career, and am looking forward to putting the new outfit through its paces in late January. If I can repeat the successes of 2005 then I will have the best opportunity to achieve my goal of becoming a professional racing driver at the absolute top level. My 2005 sponsors NewNet have provided the majority of the required funding for next year and we will be conducting negotiations over the coming weeks to secure the rest of the necessary funds to complete the season.’

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