Martin Galpin | Racing Driver | number66.net

This weekend I will make my 2008 debut at Cadwell Park for rounds seven and eight of the National Formula Ford 1600 championship. It has been a long road to this point after the disaster that was the Festival but with the car almost entirely rebuilt, I expect better fortune than I received last October.

I continue in the AK Plant Hire Swift SC94 which remains a generous donation from Alan Robinson. The car has received an almost complete chassis-up rebuild here at home and thanks must go to Neil Paxton who has given up countless weekends to the project. Finally, the car is being prepared by Mark Dunham who will also oversee the start of the weekend, which begins on Friday.

Friday; effectively 72-hours away and pretty scary considering the car doesn’t have any bodywork fitted yet. Yes, this weekend is going to be somewhat ad-hoc.

If I’m honest, I don’t know what to expect from this weekend. The objective is to gain a benchmark of where we are with the car. If we get a good result in the process, then that is great.

There is still obvious room for improvement within the car. The gearbox desperately needs a rebuild but we couldn’t afford it. The rear end needs dismantling but we ran out of time.

All I can hope for is a trouble free weekend. Considering I wont sit in the car until the test day, if it is not reliable, it is going to be tough. However, this weekend is about the bigger picture – getting the car sorted for later in the year and when I hope to get serious.

Related posts:

1. National Formula Ford 1600 at Cadwell Park: Review
2. Formula Ford: Anglesey Preview
3. Preview: Mallory Park (UK Formula Vee)
4. Race Report: Cadwell Park (UK Formula Vee)
5. Race Report: Cadwell Park (UK Formula Vee)