And so it continues. The winter ends. The motor sports season starts tomorrow with the 750 Motor Club opener at Mallory Park. I will be out in this, the first UK Formula Vee round of year and my first race since Pembrey last July. As always, the formula has progressed and be it for better or for worse, the front running cars all have significant upgrades.
In a lot of ways, Formula Vee pretends to be Formula One. It has unprecedented levels of engineering freedom and in recent years this has allowed more development progression than in any other category. That is not to say Formula Vee is anywhere near as advanced as Formula Ford or Formula Three (the only other multi-chassis formulae) but only that if you were to make technological comparisons five years ago and now, you would see a much more rapid rate of development.
It started in 2002 when the Jenveys arrived on the scene. They had bought an old Sheane Mk1 from Brian Mcleary and within two years (2004), Mike Jenvey was champion and their car, by which time held little resemblance to its original state, has won the championship ever since. Now in the hands of another driver, Sam Oliveira, in 2006, under the engineering of Dave Jordan it was more dominant than ever before. What the Jenveys had achieved was actually quite remarkable. By applying precision engineering to a non-precise series they gained a car few can argue is anything but perfect. Yet it took until a second driver had triumphed in the car for the series as a whole to wake up to its threat.
One could argue it was the clubs organising body which should have legislated to prevent a 2007 repeat, perhaps in the longer-term interests of the series. However, in the absence of that, the championships varied manufacturers have all now introduced significant updates (mostly to suspension) which should equalise the advantage - in theory.
In keeping with Formula Vee's F1 aspirations I thought it appropriate to give a quick summary of the 2007 driver and constructor market.
GAC have now fully introduced the evolution of its race-winning prototype-suspension used at the final round of the championship at Oulton Park last year. Martin Farmer returns in the works car and after testing last week, I can tell you, that car is
quick. Expect Martin to be a serious title contender.
Making his debut for GAC this year is Daniel Hands, whom after a taut year with AHS in 2006 hopes he can mount a more reliable title assault. Again, he is another strong title contender.
Ian Buxton returns, in his newly rebuilt car after a heavy impact at the end of last year. He will be hoping to win further races in 2007. Jamie Conyers also returns to partner Farmer in a works prepared GAC. I would expect to see Jamie in or around the top ten of the championship consistently throughout year.
Finally, I complete what I honestly think is the strongest driver line-up of any in the category. I wont be participating at every round but I have solid aspirations for victory in the rounds that I do.
Perhaps the most ambitious marque in Formula Vee, much of the categories current success can be attributed to the Luttersworth-based team. Their 2007-spec AHS Challenger continues with their theme of radical side-draught induction and other such developments. They too have updates to suspension as well as a new gear linkage I hear of but am yet to see.
Ryan Lindsay flies the flag as their sole title challenger. Reliability woes and a lack of pace were eminent at Mallory Park last week but from testing, can you ever really tell?
Certainly a contender but I see little evidence of a consorted title assault.
New for 2006 constructor Storm will be ever present with Jake Oliveira continuing in his car for a second year. Much of the development experienced last year is the result of Jake working with GP2 race engineer Paul Crosby. Stunningly quick at times, the car overall lacked consistency from circuit to circuit. Significant development I am certain of, the nature of which I am less so.
Again, Jake is another serious title contender.
Martyn Donn Racing
After a less than ideal 2006, former European champion Martyn Donn appears to have reinvented himself as a team owner. Driving a chassis of his design and of Scarab build, Donn himself is not entered for Sunday's race. Instead, he appears to have attracted two younger drivers in hope of title glory. Former Storm driver (and Motorsport News' accredited UK Formula Vee Champion - sorry Sam), James Birch returns to the series for a second year.
More crucially perhaps is John Hughes, who will begin his fifth season in the championship. He is perhaps the championships most unfortunate driver who, after leading the championship on many occasions, is actually yet to win a race. With a new car and new team, his luck ought to change and to me he represents yet another title challenger.
Other noticeable drivers include reigning champion Sam Oliveria still driving the Jenvey-Sheane and returnee Paul Smith who is hoping again to make an impact in his independently developed GAC. It definitely should be a bumper year for the UK Formula Vee Championship.
The point is this.
In UK Formula Vee you can no longer win in an old car. There I said it. That is a controversial statement within Formula Vee circles, believe me. What I mean is, if you have an older Sheane Mk1 or Mk2, a Leastone or Scarab, under normal circumstances, you are not going to win. Let's not forget, I do actually speak from experience. I could be proved wrong, in fact, I wish it so. Perhaps Formula Renault driver Sho Hanawa will be the one who does as he makes his UK Formula Vee debut this weekend driving
Mark Dunham's Sheane, an exercise purely to gain a further signature on his race license. As Sheane's go (excluding the ex-Jenvey), the car is well sorted. It has seen development and is, as you would expect, going to be well setup. That I shall watch with interest.
