Photo: Ida Wood
Formula Scout has gone through the Formula Ford Festival entry list to find out who’s likely to shine this weekend, and some of the stories behind the drivers and teams taking part at Brands Hatch
The 54th edition of the most prestigious Formula Ford 1600 event in the world has attracted a field of over 80 cars for this weekend, and there’s already been plenty of drama before the event has officially got underway.
Pre-event testing featured plentiful red flags, there were some withdrawls and some drivers who were on the sidelines before testing even began.
This list included Chris Middlehurst, who was runner-up last year after twice finishing third before that. He came eight in United FFord this year, and late in the season had an incident which snapped the steering wheel around to sharply that it fractured his wrist in two places.
Middlehurst actually finished that race, driving several laps with the injury, so will likely be watching on with his arm in a cast this weekend.
Souley Motorsport’s William Liston has also had to withdraw due to a medical problem. Brian Soule had got a Spectrum 05B ready to race for Liston, who was 2024 New South Wales FF1600 runner-up, but he suffered a neurological injury that caused pain and loss of feeling last week from the wait down and has since left him virtually paralysed at times while in hospital.
Team Dolan
#5 Niall Murray IRELAND Van Diemen BD26
FFord Festival form: 2016 winner, 2013 Kent class winner
“New engine, new everything, new driver,” says Murray about his 2025 Festival attack. He struggled during testing on Thursday, but according to pitwall stopwatches was in the top five on pace by Friday. While he is a master of the Festival, the 2023 edition was his last race in Brtain. He has also made a last-minute decision to contest next week’s Walter Hayes Trophy.
#8 Andrew Noble IRELAND Van Diemen JL012K
2025: NI FF1600, 42nd in United FFord
Noble was a podium-finisher in Northern Irish FF1600 this year, which helped build his experience with the Dolan team.
#19 Mark McKenna IRELAND Crossle 35F
FFF form: 8th in 1998
McKenna joined Dolan at last year’s WHT, and has FFord Festival experience from the late 1990s.
#26 Jason Smyth IRELAND Van Diemen JL12
2025: United FFord champion, Northern Irish FF1600 FFF: 2023 & ’24 finalist
The son of 2010 FFord Kent Festival winner Neville Smyth won this year’s United FFord title and has some fun winning at the end of the NI FF1600 season too. Acccording to paddock observations, and stopwatches, he appears to be the driver to beat this weekend after several days of testing.
#27 Stephen O’Connor IRELAND Van Diemen RF90
2025: NI FF1600, 18th in United FFord FFF: Last Chance Race in 2024
O’Connor is another of the Dolan contingent to combine United FFord and NI FF1600 outings as preparation for the big end-of-year events, and made the podium several times in Northern Ireland.
#33 Liroy Stuart THE NETHERLANDS Van Diemen LA10
2025: 3rd in United FFord, nth in NI FF1600 FFF: 2nd in 2009 – Duratec class
Stuart raced in the Festival through the 2000s, and has a huge amount of experience in the Dutch and Benelux FFord 1800 and Duratec championships. He also raced in British FFord, and starred in winged single-seaters while racing in the Formula Renault Northern European Cup. He loved racing so much that he’s got Matt Round-Garrido as his engineer this weekend.
#88 Morgan Quinn IRELAND Van Diemen RF99
2025: 3rd in United FFord, NI FF1600 FFF: 9th in 2020
Quinn is now arguably the veteran driver in Dolan’s line-up due to his full-time campaigns with the team since joining them seven years ago. He has won United FFord titles and won in NI FF1600, but still needs a landmark result at the Festival.
TM Racing
#8 Felix Fisher ENGLAND Ray GR14
2025: 19th in United FFord FFF: 16th in 2018
Fisher romped to the Castle Combe FFord title two years running, then raced in United FFord this year. He is another driver who has proven to be one of the top talents on the British scene but yet to fight for Festival victory.
#28 Tom Hawkins ENGLAND Swift SC95
2025: 4th in Castle Combe Racing Club FFord, SC FF1600 champion – Pre-’99 class FFF: 20th in 2024
Like the Fishers, the Hawkins is one of the many family units that compete at Combe. He has now won Super Classic FF1600 titles two years in a row, so should be among the best for his age of machinery. He finished 23rd in the Festival in 2019, ’20 & ’23.
#29 Ricky Simpson USA Ray GR20
2025: 14th in United FFord, NI FF1600
The American has starred in his home country’s FFord series, but has now relocated his career to Britain and picked up important mileage and experience of the racecraft over here.
#91 Bob Hawkins ENGLAND Van Diemen RF89
2025: 11th in CCRC FFord FFF: LCR in 2023 & ’24
Tom and brother Bob were often battling each other on track around Castle Combe this year, and their shared knowledge helps push TM Racing forward.
#122 Vincent Jay ENGLAND Van Diemen RF90
2025: 38th in United FFord, 5th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’99 class FFF: 24th in 2017
His car is adorned in a Gulf livery this weekend which is reminiscent of some great Le Mans cars, but in reality Jay is being sponsored by Rapid Hire Services.
Shaws Motorsport
#66 Peter Daly ENGLAND Van Diemen RF88
2025: 16th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’90 clas FFF: 22nd in 2015, 9th in 1994 – Kent
The BRSCC chairman has found time in his busy schedule to race in Super Classic FF1600 this year as preparation for one of the biggest events on the BRSCC calendar.
#75 Harrison Morrow ENGLAND Royale RP21
2025: 35th in United FFord FFF: LCR in 2019
#341 Colin Williams ENGLAND PRS RH01
2025: 12th in Classic FFord, Super Classic FF1600 champion – Pre-’82 class
#410 Christopher Edwards ENGLAND PRS RH02
2025: =34th in Classic FFord
Edwards was a newcomer to Classic FFord this year and he personally fully rebuilt the PRS car he is driving.
#691 Oliver Chapman ENGLAND Lola T200
2025: 4th in Classic FFord, 6th in Historic FFord, SC FF1600 champion – Pre-’72 class, 6th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’82 class
Chapman should be contending for honours in the classifications for older vehicles, having had an excellent 2025 in which he starred across the UK’s Classic, Historic and Super Classic FF1600 championships.
Ammonite Motorsport
#42 Hugh Esterson USA Ray GR18
2025: 25th in United FFord FFF: 4th in 2024
The older brother of 2022 Festival winner and Formula 2 racer Max came fifth in the F1600 Championship Series in 2021 as a rookie and third the year after, was a finalist at the 2023 WHT, and fought for overall victory in the 2024 FFord Festival. He got more Brands Hatch mileage in via a United FFord appearance this year, and Max is in attendance supporting Hugh.
#69 Brindley Kinch ENGLAND Ray GR18
FFF: LCR in 2022 & ’24
Kinch switched his focus from FF1600 to karting last year, and came 11th in the British championship for KZ2 shifter karts. He was two positions lower this season, and returns to FFord well used to controlling a slidey vehicle around tracks with hairpins.
#74 Rowland Kinch ENGLAND Ray GR09
FFF: LCR in 2024
Rowland raced in British F3’s National class back in 2001, coming 15th in the standings, and made it up to Formula 1. That was admittedly in historic cars, but he more than made his name there in an Arrows A4 at circuits across Europe.
He spent a decade out of the cockpit, returned to action at last year’s Festival and and has not raced again since.
#90 Anthony Amato ENGLAND Ray GR22
2025: 5th United FFord FFF: 2025 finalist
The 21-year-old is on a constant upward trajectory as he builds experience in single-seaters. His 2025 United FFord campaign included some of his his most impressive on-track performances to date.
B-M Racing
#3 Jordan Dempsey IRELAND Medina Sport BH22
2025: 17th in United FFord FFF: 3rd in 2022
Dempsey is in the car Jonny McMullan usually races, and they wanted to see the BH22’s potential so reached out. Two United FFord rounds acted as preparation, and Dempsey felt particularly confident in the wet when it came to pace.
#12 Drew Cameron ENGLAND Medina Mk2
2025: 20th in United FFord FFF: 16th in 2024
Cameron was a karter in the early 1990s, then in the 2000s embarked on a sportscar career before spending five years in FF2000. He made his FF1600 debut in a Champion of Brands race in September 2022 but only lasted three corners before rolling his car. Undeterred, he then did the Festival, making it as far as the Last Chance Race.
His father’s best friend designed the Vector TF94 that swept the FFord scene in 1994, and Cameron spent most of his FFord career being run by FF1600 stalwart Colin Gigner, who started off with none other than Gerrit van Kouwen in 1984.
#45 Rory Smith ENGLAND/AUSTRALIA Medina Sport JL18
2025: 10th in United FFord FFF: 2020 & ’23 winner
The 2023 winner missed some of testing due to being busy with work in accounting, and racing taking a back seat has been a common element of his last two years. As he was not in the paddock while Formula Scout was doing its research, we don’t know confident Smith feels for this weekend.
#96 Michael Fitzgerald IRELAND Medina Sport BH23
2025: 27th in United FFord FFF: Semi-finalist in 2024
Not to be confused with racing drivers of the same name, Fitzgerald is in fact the creator of the Star Wars fan film ‘Stormtroopers’ and will be recognised by Game of Thrones fans as a Glover general in season six.
His latest acting role is in American sitcom Going Dutch. He has new tyres for this weekend, which were financed via a successful bet on Garth Tander winning the 2025 Bathurst 1000 which he made 20 laps from the end. He’s also being sponsored by a retro football shirt company this weekend, and is looking forward to the “character” Cameron will be bringing to the team awning.
Oldfield Motorsport
#34 Maris Schulte GERMANY Van Diemen JL13
2025: 11th in United FFord
Schulte committed to an extensive United FFord campaign this year, which he hopes to bear the fruits of at Brands Hatch. The single-seater rookie stepped up from his home country’s X30 Senior kart championships at the start of 2025.
#93 Ben Cochran SCOTLAND Van Diemen LA09
2025: 29th in United FFord FFF: 12th in 2024
As a single-seater rookie, Cochran was 13th in the WHT in 2021. He was ninth in National FF1600 in 2022, then returned to FFord in 2024 and took home a strong result in the Festival. United FFord outings have acted as a warm-up for this weekend.
#99 Connor Willis USA Van Diemen JL13
2025: 7th in United FFord FFF: 12th in 2024
Willis had similar preparations to his team-mates, with United FFord and Heroes of FF1600 outings. He previously raced for Ammonite.
#555 Spencer Shinner ENGLAND Van Diemen JL13
2025: 4th in United FFord FFF: 2024 finalist
Shinner made the unconventional graduation from karts to historic racing in 2023, then his FFord Festival outing the next year took him all the way to the final and and he won the Historic FFord title aged 21. This year he has driven a modern car, racing in United FFord and at Thruxton.
Graham Brunton Racing
#4 Callum Baxter CANADA Ray GR15
2025: 18th in FRegional Americas, 15th in GB4
Baxter won the Team Canada Scholarship last year after racing for Scottish team GBR in GB4. Two podiums put him seventh in the standings against opposition primarily consiting of drivers who knew the British circuits far better.
This year he did GB4 again, making the podium, and got experience higher up the single-seater ladder with a Formula Regional Americas outing.
#9 Calum Dunbar CANADA Ray GR15
2025: 20th in F1600 Championship Series
Dunbar has FFord experience across North America, is currently studying at university and is also carrying the colours of the Team Canada Scholarship this weekend. He knows how to fiddle with machinery through being a mechanic in karting.
#63 Brian Graham CANADA Ray GR14
2025: Brian Graham Racing team boss
Few names in entry-level single-seaters are as big as Graham. His eponymous team has been active in FFord and other categories for decades, and to drive in the Festival himself has always been a bucket list item. He raced in the Canadian FFord championship in the 1990s and 2000s, appeared in USF000 that decade too, and more recently founded the Team Canada Scholarship.
After he decided to head over to the UK to race at Brands Hatch, Callum and Calum decided to join in for an all-Canadian line-up.
Don Hardman Racing
#2 Rick Morris ENGLAND Royale RP29
2025: 2nd in Classic FFord FFF: 2nd in 1981 & ’82
Morris is unstoppable. He sticks to his very old car but remains competitive and while he probably won’t repeat his heroics of the 1980s he could still make the final by having clean races beforehand. Like his team boss Don, he refuses to retire from competition, and was Classic FFord runner-up this year.
#13 Stuart Kestenbaum ENGLAND Van Diemen RF81
2025: 4th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’82 class, 8th in Classic FFord FFF: 17th in 2020
#24 Abdul Ahmed USA Firman RFR20
FFF: 17th in 2021
Ahmed rang up asking if a seat was free, and makes his FFord return. The close alliance with the Pirate M-Sports squad means he’ll be looking at what Joey Foster does in the long wheelbase Firman to make it quick.
Wayne Poole Racing
#41 Alex Walker ENGLAND Van Diemen RF01
2025: 15th in United FFord
Now 22, Walker has raced in British F4, GB4 and sportscars, but keeps on returning to FFord and was fifth in last year’s WHT. He familiarised himself with the WPR setup through United FFord in 2025.
#80 James Colborn ENGLAND Van Diemen RF07
2025: United FFord FFF: Progression Race in 2021
Colborn only did one round United FFord round this year, so testing was key.
#81 Sam Street ENGLAND Van Diemen RF88
2025: no racing FFF: 21st in 2023
Following the 2022 Festival, Street switched from Aston Martin to F1 rival Williams… as an aerodynamics design engineer.
He’s been a senior aerodynamics engineer since 2024, not the best job for racing in FFord since the cars have no wings but a very cool one. Street has not raced this year.
Auto Haeckel Motorsport
#14 Gerhard Hauschulte GERMANY Van Diemen RF91
2025: 13th in United FFord FFF: LCR in 2023
Hauschulte has been busy in United FFord, and has previously driven the older RF91 car in the Castle Combe championship.
#17 Klaus-Dieter Haeckel GERMANY Van Diemen RF88
2025: 12th in United FFord FFF: 2017 finalist, 14th in 2012 – Kent
His team-mate and team boss has had the same programme preceding the Festival, and was the higher placed of the two in United FFord. Haeckel gets a kick out of competing against newer machinery in older cars.
Dousse Int. Sanglier
#15 Maxime Lebreton FRANCE Van Diemen RF90
2025: FF1600 in Europe
So tall he will only fit in the RF90, Lebreton is best known for racing FR2.0 cars in the VdeV Challenge and Ultimate Cup Series in Europe. But he also has FF1600 mileage, and frontrunning form, in France.
#46 Arnaud Dousse FRANCE Van Diemen RF91
2025: FF1600 in Europe
The team boss has raced in classic FFord cars at F1 tracks across Europe, and raced at Le Mans Classic, but this is his first time ever racing in the UK. There is a song about Dousse, and he has decided to split his team’s tyre strategy with his car using the rubber with the more detailed tread.
He also previously raced in FR2.0 France, and has plenty of success on the French FF1600 scene.
Sebastien Loeb’s former World Rally Championship mechanic is preparing the Dousse cars.
Pirate M-Sports
#78 Joey Foster ENGLAND Firman RFR22
2025: 21st in United FFord FFF: 2003 & ’17 winner
The pirate moniker is to do with Cornwall’s naval history, with Foster proudly having the Cornish flag on his helmet (although he confirms he is not calling for independence) and using Cornish-built engines. His team shares an awning with Don Hardman’s operation due to Foster’s long-running association with his old team boss and his desire to learn all the tricks he can about Firmans ready for the day Hardman eventually retires.
Foster did a United FFord round this year in the car Ahmed is driving for Hardman, and his team remains heavily involved in karting. He also previously managed F2 racer Kush Maini’s career as he went up the single-seater ladder.
#79 Leanne McShane ENGLAND Firman RFR22
2025: karting FFF: 2024 finalist
McShane attended a kart race in 2023 and Foster recommended jumping in one of his senior class karts. After competing in the local series, she then joined Pirates for the 2024 FFord Festival and with past category experience was able to make it to the final. As always, the Firmans have been upgraded slightly compared to their spec last year.
Enigma Motorsport
#7 Jonathan Nash ENGLAND Van Diemen RF80
2025: 37th in Classic FFord FFF: LCR in 2023 & ’24
#11 James Harridge ENGLAND Mygale SJ01
2025: 41st in United FFord FFF: LCR in 2024
Harridge is a veteran of Formula Vee, which are even smaller single-seaters than FF1600 cars, and is sporting a Ferrari baseball cap in the paddock that he got for free while working but has a retail value of £140. He did the Festival last year, one United FFord round this year and had a rebuilt engine.
PA Motorsport
#37 Ben Powney ENGLAND Jamun M92
2025: 3rd in SC FF1600 – Pre-’99 class, 4th in Historic FFord FFF: LCR in 2024
#50 Will Arif ENGLAND Jamun M97
FFF: Finalist in 1974
One of the most experienced FFord drivers of all time, Arif contested the Festival when it started off as a race at Snetterton rather than Brands Hatch, and he knows the driving differences between the product lines of all of the category’s manufacturers.
He raced against a lot of future F1 drivers during the 1970s and ’80s, and in cars from many different manufacturers in FF1600 and FF200. That led to him being utilised as a test driver, andJohnny Herbert lays the blame on Arif for going off at Clearways when he contested (and won) the 1985 FFord Festival. Arif tells Formula Scout that Herbert has blamed him for an incident he was not at fault for.
Souley Motorsport
#16 Oliver Roberts ENGLAND Van Diemen RF89
2025: 2nd in SC FF1600 – Pre-’90 class
Roberts did the WHT in 2007, and this is his Festival debut. He is running a car which has the driver name as ‘Gené Roberts’, since Jordi Gene drove it in period. The original Marlboro livery is also in use, with the car having been found by Souley in Italy after a period of not being used. Roberts bought it and rebuilt it so it could be raced again.
Swift Cooper
#21 Luke Cooper ENGLAND Swift SC20
2025: CCRC FFord champion FFF: 3rd in 2024, 3rd in 2012 – Kent
After losing out on the CCRC FFord title several years in a row, Cooper claimed the championship as his own in 2025 as he took ultimate honours around his local circuit.
Since he is very much a Combe specialist, both as a driver and what his car is tuned to, his best performances tend to be there rather than at other tracks but he made the Festival podium last year.
#169 Alan Slater ENGLAND Nike Mk4
FFF: Semi-finalist in 2023 & ’24
This is Slater’s first racing of 2025, and his car is now 55 years old.
Team DDR
#128 David McCullough NORTHERN IRELAND Van Diemen RF00
2025: 2nd in NI FF1600 FFF: 10th in 2018 & ’21
McCullough has won many Northern Irish FF1600 titles, and has honed his Van Diemen to his likings around Kirkistown. To then make it suit Brands Hatch requires quite a different set-up, but he has experience to always be competitive in FFord’s biggest event.
#129 Ronan Doherty IRELAND Van Diemen RF00
2025: NI FF1600 champion FFF: 10th in 2018 & ’21
Doherty was the star of Northern Ireland this year, and heavy rain denied him the opportunity to add the Martin Donnelly Trophy to his 2025 trophy haul. While many with the stopwatches were focusing on the usual Festival frontrunners, Doherty was clocking up laps that also appeared to be at a very competitive pace.
Beastworx
#111 Adam Higgins ENGLAND Van Diemen RF88
2025: 13th in CCRC FFord FFF: 22nd in 2019
Beastworx prepare cars for track days and racing, and CCRC FFord champion Adam is the Higgins brothers with more set-up amplitude to push the team forward.
#133 Richard Higgins ENGLAND Van Diemen RF91
2025: 12th in CCRC FFord FFF: 15th in 2024
Higgins did the 2023 WHT, the 2024 FFord Festival then got far more mileage in this year by competing in CCRC FFord and coming 12th in the standings.
AC Racing & AF Racing
#10 Andy Charsley ENGLAND Ray 92F
FFF: 10th in 1988
Charsley has decades of racing, and FF1600, experience. He came 10th in the 1988 FFord Festival, which was won by Vincenzo Sospiri, was 14th in 1993 and 1999, then 13th in 2015. Last year he finished it in 18th, so it will be curious to see where he takes his old Ray to this weekend.
#151 Adam Fathers ENGLAND Ray GR16
2025: 16th in United FFord FFF: LCR in 2021, ’22, ’23 & ’24
Charsley’s nephew still hasn’t cracked the Festival final in his previous appearances, and this year has been focused on supporting his own son’s karting exploits. He missed two United FFord rounds this year due to an engine issue, so has a new unit he hopes will be trouble-free and more competitive.
Mk8 Motorsport
#134 Oliver Buckton ENGLAND Van Diemen RF86
2025: 7th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’90 class, 17th in Historic FFord FFF: Semi-finalist in 2024
Nigel Grant Motorsport
#143 Callum Grant ENGLAND Van Diemen RF91
2025: 8th in Historic FFord, 2nd in SC FF1600 – Pre-’72 class FFF: LCR in 2023
One of the most competitive drivers in the field, Grant will be aiming to be the highest place driver in a pre-1992 car.
Mann Motorsport
#25 Charlie Mann ENGLAND Ray GR20
2025: 6th in United FFord FFF: 19th in 2023
Mann went into the 2024 Festival aiming for his first top-10 finish, and pulled it off only to be disqualified from ninth place for overtaking under yellow flag conditions. His United FFord pace through 2025 shows that realising the dream is certtainly possible on Sunday.
Smiths Precision
#47 Darwin Smith IRELAND Ray GR22
2025: 24th in United FFord FFF: 7th in 2003
Smith made it all the way to the final in a Van Diemen RF90 last year, so to switch to a modern Ray GR22 car should put him in a position to not only repeat that feat but also maybe go for a personal-best result.
MSA Motorsport
#35 Sigbjorn Maehlum NORWAY Van Diemen RF83
FFF: LCR in 2023 & ’24
Maehlum usually races in the entry-level Formula Basic series in his home country, and is a loyal entrant of the Festival.
Neil Fowler Motorsport
#70 Cameron Jackson ENGLAND Winkelmann
FFF: 25th in 2022
Jackson has great form at the WHT in embarassing drivers in newer machinery by fighting at the front in older cars. He’s gone for an incredibly old vehicle this weekend.
Mirage Engineering
#92 Ben Turner AUSTRALIA Van Diemen RF92
Turner has raced old Formula 3 cars in Australia previously, and is with a Norfolk-based team as he attacks the Festival.
Jesus Saves Racing
#18 James Rigby ENGLAND Van Diemen RF79
Rigby used to race in the Speed EuroSeries, but is more often seen combining his role as an Anglican priest with racing in Classic FFord. This weekend his car is adorned in the iconic and aptly chosen ‘Jesus Saves’ livery.
MDS Motorsport
#72 Marc Sawer ENGLAND Van Diemen RF91
FFF: Semi-finalist in 2020 & ’22
Sawer has the sponsorship of a pub for the Festival called The Spotted Dog, and he hopes to be spotted in the top half of the field.
Privateers
#6 John Blanchard AUSTRALIA Van Diemen RF88
It is an incredible coup that the Festival has attracted Blanchard, since his team in Australia’s Supercars championship is in action this weekend at the Gold Coast 500. He has requested the team members do not stream the Festival due to the time difference and the importance of their own racing, with his son Tim in charge of the crew as per usual.
The older Blanchard was 1991 and ’92 Australian FFord runner-up, has raced around Mount Panorama in a FFord car, driven a factory BMW M3 in the Australian Touring Car Championship and at 65 years old is now realising his FFord Festival dream.
While he owns an RF88 in Australia, which Tim drove, this specific chassis is a Souley-prepared car bought six years ago and first seen by Blanchard this weekend. That gap is due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing a previous entry into the Festival.
#20 Kevin Teager ENGLAND Van Diemen VD77
The former pro Speedway rider, a European veteran long-track champion multiple times and a name anyone on the London scene back in the day would have recognised, is based in Germany but has raced in Monoposto single-seaters in the Netherlands.
#77 Phil Attwood ENGLAND Crossle 32F
2025: 32nd in Classic FFord FFF: Semi-finalist in 2019, ’20 & ’24
Attwood has taken his Crossle all the way to the semi-finals three times now, so the expectation is to do it again.
#48 Tim Fitzgerald ENGLAND Van Diemen RF89
2025: 17th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’90 class FFF: LCR in 2023
#163 Matthew Sturmer ENGLAND Macon MR8
2025: =35th in Historic FFord FFF: Semi-finalist in 2024
Sturmer often races classic F3 cars in Europe, and his car was originally driven by Syd Fox in the 1970s.
#84 Gaius Ghinn ENGLAND Van Diemen RF91
2025: 6th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’99 class FFF: LCR in 2023, 6th in 2012 – Kent
#87 Ian Jeary ENGLAND Elden Falconer
2025: =35th in Historic FFord, 38th in Classic FFord FFF: Semi-finalist in 2020
Jeary’s plan to race this Elden in rare Falconer bodywork did not come to fruition last year, so he had to run a Dulon. But for 2025 it has gone to plan, and he is once again sponsored by Ippokampos, a Greek brand once run by Tony Vlassopulos that has been putting its logos on single-seater since the 1970s. It backed James Hunt and Ron Dennis’s Rondel Racing team, and briefly had an F3 team which in 1974 made headlines when its driver Tom Pryce won the race at the Monaco Grand Prix by a huge 20.8 seconds.
#53 Lorna Vickers ENGLAND Van Diemen RF89
2025: 8th in SC FF1600 – Pre-’90 class FFF: 2020 semi-finalist
The car Vickers is driving was previously raced by Steve Mellish, who went on to revolutionise rain lights in racing and his LED products have been used in categories as high up as F1.
#189 Tom Nippers WALES Van Diemen RF01
2025: 2nd in United FFord FFF: 8th in 2024
Nippers was 10th in 2023, eighth in the Festival last year, and was 2025 United FFord runner-up so is hotly tipped success this weekend. Privateer efforts usually do not contend for overall victory, but according to the paddock Nippers was among the top five fastest drivers in pre-event testing.
While he would like to take his single-seater career to the next steps, the budgets of the higher categories are out of reach and he may enter CCRC FFord next year. And as Gareth Bale kind of said: “Wales. Racing. Beer. In that order [on Sunday night].”
#76 Birk Larsen NORWAY Van Diemen RF95
The 18-year-old son of Dan Rene has begun his single-seater career in Scandinavia, as his father did, and to contest the Festival is putting him up against a higher level of competition. He is in his father’s career, which is running in its usual livery, and if he can make it to the final then he will have achieved what Dan has not done yet.
#55 Noel Robinson NORTHERN IRELAND Van Diemen RF92
2025: 9th in BOSS Ireland FFF: 8th in 2017, 4th in 2011 & ’14 – Kent class
Robinson drives big open single-seaters, in Ireland. He has previously used an ex-Fox Motorsport F3 car, and the 2004-spec World Series by Nissan car that Heikki Kovalainen won the title in. Fox is supporting his entry this weekend.