A new era for Formula Ford with change of tyre to Yokohama

The Formula Ford Association has announced that a new tyre will be used in Formula Ford and Formula Ford 1600 classes in 2016 with the signing of a three year deal with Yokohama.

Having used the Avon ACB10 tyre for the last 20 years, the decision was not an easy one for the Formula Ford Association.

“The relationship with Avon has been a great one and we thank them for their support over many years. Inline with our 2013 strategic review, we have been seeking to reduce the costs of racing for our competitors with tyres being a critical cost factor.”, said FFA tyre coordinator Phil Marrinon.

A tender process that saw submissions from both Avon and Yokohama followed by a rigorous testing regime followed with the Yokohama A048 tyre coming out on top.

The tyres were thoroughly tested and proved to meet the objectives of the Formula Ford Association.

“We were looking for a more durable tyre that was not only cheaper to purchase but provided stable performance across the tyre life. The A048 tyre exceeded our expectations and showed minimal degradation in performance after 180 laps”, said Marrinon.

The Yokohama A048 tyre will become the mandatory tyre for all state and national level Formula Ford and Formula Ford 1600 racing as of 2016. Historic Formula Ford will remain on their Dunlop tyre for now but the FFA is not ruling out a change to the Yokohama tyre in the future.

“Since 2013 our focus has been in developing the most cost effective open wheel racing in the country. We have successfully developed the cheapest open wheel national series for young developing drivers with the highest grid numbers seen in Australian national level open wheel racing. Changing to the Yokohama tyres fits within our strategic plan as the Yokohama provides us great performance and durability at a lower cost. This change alone can reduce yearly racing budgets by many thousands”, said FFA Chairman John Van Leeuwen.

As the open wheel racing landscape evolves, this new announcement by the Formula Ford Association shows that the momentum to continue the long history of Formula Ford racing in Australia is not waning.

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For further enquiries please email admin@formulaford.org.au or phone (02) 4773 9494.