The 2014 NSW Formula Vee Championship will be decided at Wakefield Park this weekend during Round 6 of the CAMS NSW State Championships.
Northern Beaches driver Dylan Thomas currently holds a 37 point lead and only needs to finish two of the weekend’s three races inside the top 10 to secure the title.
Thomas, whose CXC Global Racing workshop is based in North Narrabeen, has raced in Formula Vee for a number of seasons but the state title has eluded him so far and this is his best chance yet.
He has set the pace throughout 2014, winning eight of the 15 races held so far. With such a hotly-contested championship on the line, Thomas could be forgiven for feeling the pressure but says he is approaching the event just like any other race meeting.
“I’ve always had the attitude that you approach each race weekend on its own merits, and if you concentrate on winning each race then the championship will take care of itself.
“We’ve worked our way into a really strong position and it’s certainly better to be defending the lead than trying to chase it down.
“It’s not going to be easy though, because there are a lot of other fast drivers like Tim Brook, James Horne, Simon Pace and Darren Williams. They will be doing their best to make my job tougher.”
The Formula Vee category has been one of Australia’s most popular racing series thanks to its affordability. It features open-wheel chassis powered by Volkswagen Beetle engines, and the technical regulations are tightly controlled to contain costs and ensure race results are determined by driving ability.
For this reason, Formula Vee has been a breeding ground for a number of Australian motorsport stars including last year’s Bathurst 1000 winner Mark Winterbottom.
Thomas says while the Vee is easy to work on, thorough preparation is still essential.
“Because a lot of the technology is several decades old, the cars will break down if the maintenance is not 100 per cent spot on,” Thomas said.
“For example, we had three gearbox failures in the first round last season which pretty much ended our chances of winning the title straight away.”
Thomas will also be competing in Sunday’s Shaw Vineyards NSW Production Touring Car Championship one-hour endurance race, where he will drive his Mitsubishi Evo X.
One of Thomas’s main rivals will be Aaron Seton, son of two-time Australian Touring Car Champion Glenn, also in an Evo X. The Evo drivers will take on an army of V8 HSVs driven by the likes of Tony Virag, Steve Hodges and Gerry Murphy/Michael Caine, while Wakefield Park regular Shane Otten has swapped his Mazda MX5 for the HSV he will share with Dean Potts.
This weekend’s Formula Ford field has been boosted by a number of nationals series competitors, accumulating valuable track time in preparation for the Shannons Nationals in October. Current national points leader James Golding is entered, along with his title rivals Jordan Lloyd, Hamish Hardeman and a number of others.
The Improved Production Over 2 Litre category is also providing a rehearsal for November’s IPRA Nationals; Mark Ruta will travel across from South Australia in his Mazda 808, along with Queenslander Justin Keys.
Improved Production Under 2 Litre, HQ Holdens, Superkarts and PRBs round out this weekend’s program.
Admission is $20 each day, $10 for concession and children under 16 are free when accompanied by a paying adult.