The 2016 Ravenol Formula Vee Season is about to start!

Even though the Winter ‘off season’ has lasted forever, it’s also suddenly gone, and on Saturday 20th March we’re back at Donington Park to race again!

In true tradition, we’re far from ready for it, but hope to be able to get the car back together in time.  Glenn should be getting the engine in today, and then we can look forward to a few late nights as we put the rest back together.

So what’s new for 2016?

We’ve remounted the engine, lowering the rear a little.  We haven’t remounted the front shocks, yet, so that will  be the same as last year for a while.  The bare aluminium sides are still there for now, but will also be getting painted yellow when we get chance.

We’re also hoping to have a very kindly helping hand from Chris ‘Vard’ Vardon in the paddock when he can, with another few offers to help out, from others.  That should make our life a lot easier between races!

There’s also an exciting new partnership with a company that you should see in place in time for Donington, and I should fall under the banner of Glenn’s race team.  This will lead to another car out on track before the end of the year, with a view to getting 4 cars out for the 2017 50 years of UK Vee celebrations!

The cars out for 2017 should be the Scarab in which Ian Flux and Glenn Hay both won the UK championships, with the other car being the Beech in which Jenny Nadin won the first ever Formula Vee race in the UK.

I’ll also be pushing more to raise my profile, looking for more sponsors (and trying some new things) and have already spoken to local newspapers to print some race reports, as well as a good few other ideas.

Mentally, I’ll be getting my head back in the game to hit the ground ready to build on last years pace (although we won’t have time to test before qualifying), and getting some iRacing laps in to see how that helps.

It’s hard to make much judgement from the entry list for this race, as I’m sure a lot of others are leaving things a bit late, but it seems most of the usual front-runners will be back to battle it out.  Paul Smith may be concentrating more on racing his Crossle this year, but Martin Farmer will do a few rounds when his HRX business allows.

James Harridge will be going all out, but so will Adam Macauley over from the Irish Championship, with Ben Miloudi back out in a newly built car as well.  Ian Jordon will be hoping to go one better this year, and I’ll be here all day listing the many drivers who are in with a realistic shout of winning the championship this year!

There’s a Harry Webb listed in Class B for AHS who may be one of the new ones to watch, and I’m sure the usual battles will rage all the way down the grid.

I’ll be aiming for the top 10 this year, and if I can get close to the top 3 in Class B whilst keeping things safely on my learning curve, I’ll be happy with that.  Not as happy as if it all comes together and I get some wins myself, though!

We’ll see… either way 2016 should be another great year!

2016 Calendar​

19/20 March – Donington Park​ National

23/24 April – Brands Hatch​ Indy

21/22 May – Croft​

12 June – Mallory Park​

16/17 July – Anglesey (Coastal)​

20 August – Silverstone (International)​

24 September – Snetterton​ 300