Back to the Future for Formula Ford

The future of Australian Motor Racing caught up with the guys who paved the way and helped establish Formula Ford as one of the great Junior categories here in Australia.

Past National Formula Ford Champions Garth Tander, Craig Lowndes, Tim Blanchard, Dave Reynolds, Nick Percat, Cameron Waters, Chaz Mostert and Thomas Randle were joined by current Supercars champion and 2005/06 NZ Formula Ford Champion Shane Van Gisbergin to meet the current crop of National Formula Ford drivers to have a chat.

The current crop of drivers took the opportunity to pick the brains of the past champions about their time in the category and also tried to get some helpful hints about Symmons Plains just an hour or so before Qualifying.

When asked about his time in Formula Ford back when he was champion in 1997, Garth Tander who went on to win a Supercars Championship in 2007 as well as 5 Bathurst 1000's spoke of the great learning experience that was Formula Ford. " When I was racing we had the Kent engines in our cars, so they had a little less horsepower than the current cars. But the basic rules of Formula Ford are still the same 16 years later. The same chassis, the same gearbox, still the same basic suspension design and still great racing."

2009 Champion Nick Percat spoke about the importance of the category to the future of Australian Motor Racing. " Formula Ford taught me how to use a H pattern gearbox and not crunching dogrings, I remember learning how to build these cars and learning the fundamentals of a race car and racing a car. I think Formula Ford is crazy important for just learning the fundamentals of motorsport and the future of the sport."

The Australian Formula Ford Series continues this weekend at Symonns Plains, Tasmania with the 3 round of the year. All the race action will be live on Foxsports and Kayo.