The 1600cc Duratec 4 cylinder aluminium engine which develops 112kw @ 6500 rpm, has been introduced in the country in order to give local competitors parity with their overseas counterparts in the British Formula Ford Championship. The chassis which will carry these engines all competed in Britain in 2008 and 2009. At stake for the winner of this year's Midas Formula Ford Championship in the Duratec class is a fully sponsored drive in this year's Formula Ford festival at Brands Hatch in October.
Some of the biggest names in single seater racing South Africa will line the grid at East London. Coming back into the fold include some previous FFord Championship winners, including 3-time Champion Robert Wolk, 2007 Champion Jayde Kruger, 2009 champion Nicholas van Weely and runner up Matt Merton. Other names in the Duratec field willing and able to give a good account of themselves will be Werner Scholtz, Steve Morris, James Temple and Richard Bonnichsen, all of whom raced in FFord Zetecs last year. Although only eight of the new Duratec engined chassis will line up in East London, three more chassis are being built and should be entered in due course. The Duratec class is also aimed at up and coming young karters wishing to progress to circuit racing through an inexpensive and technically challenging formula.
Six older Formula Ford Zetecs will also line up on the grid with their newer competitors, and relative newcomer Jason Campos will be the lone youngster in a field made up of seasoned veterans such as Ian Schofield, Allen Meyer, Rick Morris, Tony Sack and Andreas Petrou.
History could not be made at a more appropriate venue than East London's GP circuit, and enthusiasts should be in for a treat with the day's two heats of Midas Formula Fords.