MOTOR RACING: Ben Mitchell lapping up title push (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Cirencester driver's late bid for Historic Formula Ford Championship

7:00am Thursday 11th August 2011 in Sport

A DREAM weekend at Croft in North Yorkshire for Cirencester racing driver Ben Mitchell has boosted the 18-year-old’s chances of winning the HSCC Formula Ford Championship which his father Westie won in 2009.

Driving his 1971 Merlyn Mk20 single-seater, Mitchell showed devastating pace in Saturday’s qualifying session, beating title rival Benn Simms to pole position by 2.3 seconds in tricky wet conditions.

“That was psychologically important,” said Mitchell.

But when three hours of torrential rain forced organisers to postpone the first of two races until Sunday, Mitchell had a sleepless night.

“I was mentally prepared to nail that race, but had to refocus in the morning and reset the car for a dry track.”

Ben need not have worried, for while Simms grabbed the lead at the start of both races, he masterfully outmanoeuvred the multiple Classic Formula 3 champion to score a pair of fine victories, demoralising his pursuer with a string of fastest laps.

“I went into the weekend 12 points behind Benn, but am now only two points adrift,” said Mitchell. “Both of us must drop a score, though, which means I need to win the final three rounds to seal the crown.

“I’m very confident of success at Brands Hatch (on September 11) and Silverstone’s finale in October, but am less experienced at Oulton Park, which we visit first, over the August Bank Holiday weekend. We need to get some test mileage in.”

Next outing for the Rest Express-supported rising star, though, is at Brands Hatch on August 20 in a more modern Formula Ford, the Van Diemen in which current McLaren chief test driver Chris Goodwin won the circuit’s 1989 championship.

“The Van Diemen is much stiffer than the Merlyn I’m used to, and has a very different sightline from the cockpit, but it’s all fantastic experience. I’m grateful to car owner Simon Hadfield for the opportunity, especially as it’s on the Grand Prix circuit.”