|
Double Silver at Silverstone - Amidst all the buzz of the Olympics, Formula Ford got on with business as usual for their penultimate
round of the season. For Alex this was his first race at Silverstone and first time on the International
circuit, having had only one previous test day earlier in the year on the Grand Prix circuit. Despite only minimal
testing Alex was disappointed with his qualifying position of 15th overall and 3rd in the Scholarship class "Although
I was at a disadvantage being completely new to this track, I still hoped to get into the top 10 and was determined
to move up in the race" said Alex, which indeed he did. A flying start saw him take two places before
the first corner and some real spectator racing ensued with him fending off his rivals to finish in 13th position
overall, 2nd in the Scholarship class. Race 2 was a virtual mirror of the first race with Alex again starting from
15th on the grid, battling through and finishing in 13th with some good dicing for position inbetween and, despite being hot
on the heels of Scholarship winner, Gary Findlay, he ran out of laps and had to settle for another 2nd - a result some
drivers would be happy with but not the exacting, self-driven Alex! So on to the last round of this year's Championship
at Donington on the 11/12th October.
|
| Scholarship win at Brands |
Alex back on the Podium
completing double joy for Kevin Mills and the Spectrum Team
Kevin Mills Racing
secured a double victory in Round 19 at Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit at the weekend. While team
mate Adrian Campfield qualified in 3rd place before driving to a superb race win on Sunday morning, Alex qualified in
pole position for the Scholarship Class and went on to claim a commanding victory, 10 secs ahead of runner-up Chrissy Palmer,
making it a double podium celebration for Kevin and the Team. Alex was delighted to be back on the podium especially at Brands “I love the Grand Prix circuit
– this is the 1st time I’ve raced here in the Spectrum and it feels really good, we’ve got real pace and
the car handles well. Looking forward to the next race”.
Adrian was ecstatic to break through for his maiden victory in the championship.
‘It's unbelievable,’ said a delighted Campfield. ‘We have had such a bad run of luck all year that finally
to win is just amazing.’ To add to the team's joy for their trio of drivers, Glen Wood finished seventh from 12th
on the grid to end his run of no-score results.
Round 20
- Despite again earning pole in the Scholarship class, and clearly having the pace to win, the honours on this occasion eluded
Alex after contact on Druid’s on the 4th lap left his Spectrum with a bent rear wishbone. Although
robbed of his former pace he still put in a competitive performance finishing 2nd in the Scholarship, 17th
overall, while Adrian again made the podium in 3rd place.
The Spectrum chassis
is manufactured by Borland Racing Developments Pty Ltd in Melbourne, Australia. BRD sales manager Paul Zsidy was equally enthusiastic
about the weekend’s news. ‘That is brilliant,’ he said. ‘This is a well deserved result for Kev and
his team, the drivers and our agent Mark Bailey for the work they have put in. It seems fitting that the win comes at Brands
Hatch, where John Martin won the first UK race for Spectrum on its debut appearance in 2006,’ said Zsidy.
|
| Opening lap of Race 2 taken from Eau Rouge |
Spa Francorchamps 20/21 June - 17th round of the Championship saw the Formula Ford
team racing at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, the same venue as the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. Formula
Ford were joined by the Benelux championship for this meeting, giving a grid of 29 cars for the races on Friday and Saturday
morning.
For Alex the excitement
of racing at this fantastic venue was coupled with real disappointment on Friday afternoon when a drive shaft on his car broke
on the warm up lap, further reducing his hopes in the Scholarship class.
Determined to make the best of Race 2 on Saturday morning Alex took to the grid for the 10 lap race. Starting from the back he made a flying start, working his way up to mid field. Any further progress was hampered by a second deployment of the safety car reducing the number of
racing laps, and he had to settle for 16th overall, 13th in the British class. His
spirited drive was rewarded with an extra point for the fastest lap in the Scholarship class, 9/10ths of a second clear
of the next driver, and 11th fastest overall.
Snetterton - highs and lows. After a promising test at the
Norfolk circuit the previous week, and then qualifying 9th on a wet track, disappointment swiftly followed with
collisions in both races. In Race 1 Alex managed to get back on track, albeit
a long way back, and finished the race in 18th place, but the collision from behind early in Race 2 forced a retirement. Despite having the pace to again qualify in the top ten, the points needed to win
the Scholarship did not materialise for Alex. Still, his motto is “Never
give up”!
Rockingham 25/26 May – Alex collects his share of the silverware.
Three firsts before the racing even started! – first race at the circuit; first race with
Kevin Mills’ Team; and first time out in the wet in the Spectrum! The switch to Kevin Mills, after just
a couple of test days, has seen Alex transform into a front running driver. This was born out on Sunday morning, when
still in his first season of car racing, he put in a fantastic qualifying session placing him
9th and 5th respectively on the grid for the first two races.
Race 1: Torrential rain threatened to wreck the first of the three races with
conditions through the last corner in particular (coincidentally named Brook) more suitable for
jet skis than Formula Fords. Along with several others, Alex fell victim to the atrocious conditions and came out on the first
lap.
Race 2: Monday's weather was not so harsh and the opening race was dry. Alex’s finished in 8th position, having run as high as 5th for several laps, claiming his maiden top ten finish and
a convincing Scholarship Class win.
Race
3: Wet again. Starting from
12th on the grid, Alex surged through to 6th place before the end of the first lap. A few laps in the safety car
had to be deployed, halting any further progress. When the race resumed Alex was
hit from behind just after the safety car pulled in, damaging his gearbox and forcing him to retire in lap 5.
Despite the disappointment of two DNFs,
Alex was pleased overall with the weekend as he can now see clear progress. “The
car handles well, the team are fantastic, and I’m really finding some pace.”
Next meeting ……. .Snetterton 7th& 8th June
Alex
confirms move to top team. Alex joins Kevin Mills Racing, one of Formula Ford’s top teams, a move
which will also see him switch to a Spectrum chassis.
Kevin welcomes Alex aboard what will now be a three
car team developing the new Spectrum. The car has never been raced in the UK
before this season, although enjoying considerable success in its home country of Australia. "I am quite excited about the
move", says Alex "I have been watching the progress of the Spectrums since the start of the season and they look as if they
have a lot of potential”.
“Shaking the car down at Rockingham on Friday went well” says Alex, “I put in some decent lap times
towards the end of the day, on a standard spec car”. A full testing and
development programme will continue with the next test at Snetterton on Tuesday, 13th May. Alex is excited and thrilled about the move, and believes that joining Kevin Mills’ team gives him
the opportunity to reach his full potential in Formula Ford.
|
| Autograph session at Brands Hatch Saturday 3rd May |
Brands Hatch 3/4 May - Alex comes back with solid results putting
him back into contention for the Scholarship Championship. This follows the extremely disappointing round at Croft which
was beset with mechanical problems. Two retirements from mechanical failures and unable to start the third race
saw his 41 point Championship lead in the Scholarship class disappear overnight as he slipped back to third place.
However, a good qualifying at Brands followed by two 3rd place finishes in the Scholarship class has put him
back up to 2nd place and once again in contention for the lead, although this time with a 41 point deficit! Hard work
follows then in the next rounds ...........Rockingham on the 26th May
|
| Left: Alex takes the Scholarship win |
Alex
bags a brace at Knockhill for Myerscough but electrical problems scupper the hat trick! 2nd round of the Championship was an eventful and
nail-biting affair. Qualifying on Saturday went well with Alex gaining pole in
the Scholarship class and a reasonable 15th overall.
Race 1: Starting from 15th
on the grid, Alex was leading his class comfortably until the safety car came out following a collision
between Matt Hamilton and Glen Wood which left Wood beached. As
the safety car pulled in it started to snow. Alex again opened up a
lead but a few laps later had a minor spin and lost a couple of places, one of them being to the next contender in
the Scholarship class. However, a brilliant and brave pass just beyond the start
regained him his position. Shortly after that, because of the deteriorating weather
and track conditions the red flag came out. After some initial confusion about
who was where when the flag was shown, Alex was rightly awarded the Scholarship win, fastest lap and 12th overall.
Race 2: Sunday saw a troubled start to
the day with unforeseen electrical problems developing during the warm up. Some
frantic work ensued by the team and with 2 minutes to spare they made it to the grid, hearts racing and not sure whether the
car would actually go the distance. Again Alex pulled out a good lead and everything
seemed well until three minutes before the end, the car cut out on track and Alex had to steer it safely off the racing line,
so a DNF! He did manage the fastest lap in class but missed the win
by four laps!! Alex said “I was really enjoying the race and had pulled
out a good lead and on the back of the guys in front – absolutely gutted when the car cut but that’s racing..”. Fastest lap though put him in pole position for the Scholarship and 14th
overall in the final race. Race 3: Between races the Team had been working relentlessly to resolve the problems and with fingers crossed
Alex drove up to the grid. A flying start moved him up two places before the
first corner and within a few laps he was up to 9th overall and ahead of some of the championship runners for some
laps. Deteriorating weather conditions saw cars slithering all over the track and after
running comfortably in the top 10, not wanting to jeopardise his place in the Scholarship, Alex decided to bring the car home
safely in 11th. This ended a dominant weekend and placed him at the
head of the Scholarship with two race wins, 3 Scholarship poles and fastest laps in all three races. Thanks go to David,
Kitch and all the Myerscough Team for their dedication and hard work. Next outing.... Croft 26th/27th April.
|
| The Myerscough Team at Oulton Park with the winning trophy from Race 2 |
Alex brings silverware home from his first Championship race meeting. The 2008 Formula Ford season kicked off at Oulton Park over the Easter weekend, running alongside
the Formula 3 meeting. Alex racing in his "rookie" year in the Scholarship class had to start from the pit-lane in the
first of the weekends races after his car developed a minor fault. He was making his way up the order, when the race was red-flagged
following an accident. Nevertheless, he finished 15th overall, and 3rd in his class. In the second race he started
well and after establishing himself in the lead of his class, he began to draw away to finish 1st in class, 13th
overall, and set the fastest lap in the closing stages to grab the extra point! Afterwards he said "It was good, once
I made a break I was able build up a nice cushion and then control the gap." The 3rd and final race saw a brilliant
start from Alex - from 13th on the grid he took two over the start line with another on the straight going up to Island bend.
Up to 10th he was close on the heels of the next runners as he approached Druid's ....alas, he caught the tail end of a collision
that caused the car in front to spin, hitting Alex. Although he was still running he could feel damage to the back end
and brought the car into pit lane, so a retirement for that one. Despite the setbacks, a good weekend overall and counting
the days to the next round at Knockhill in two weeks' time. Alex sends his thanks to the Myerscough Team who worked very
hard over the weekend, undeterred by the difficult and draughty conditions, to help him on. Finally,
a big "Thank You" to all Alex's friends and supporters who turned out in force on a very cold and windy March weekend.
Oulton Park 26th Feb. Second test saw a damp start to the
morning, and although it did dry out the track was not in a good condition all day. Nevertheless, still managed to better
our times from the first test, and although some minor mechanical issues hampered progress, we got some good track time with
approx 100 laps during the course of the day.
| First test at Oulton 12 Feb 08 |
|
| Picture courtesy of www.davidmunn.co.uk |
Alex tests at Oulton
Park Tuesday, 12th Feb
This
was his first full run on the International Circuit and just the second time out in the Duratec car, and it proved to be an
excellent day’s testing. Alex was finding the acclimatisation to Duratec
power a steep learning curve but quickly got down to some impressive lap times at Championship pace, and on old rubber. Thanks to all the Myerscough Team for
their hard work in preparing and setting up the car which enabled Alex to put in over 100 laps during the day. Together they
gained a clear direction on how to go for the next tests.
The Welsh Racing Drivers
Association has announced the nominations for its new prestigious Tom Pryce Award. The
award honours the achievements of young Welsh drivers whilst preserving the memory of Tom as a beacon of achievement. Tom
has become legendary as the only
Welsh driver so far to win a Formula One race (1975 Brands Hatch Race of Champions). He is also the only Welshman
to date to take pole position and lead a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix (The British Grand Prix at Silverstone
in 1975). More importantly, he was not only famed for his car control but also as a person who was unaffected by his
fame. "We can certainly see something of Tom in the current batch of
new drivers and hope this award will show them how much we appreciate their efforts." said WRDA Secretary, Robert Allenden.
Alex is honoured to be amongst the seven nominees for this new award.
For more information on Tom Pryce and his career go to his tribute site at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/sport/tom_pryce.shtml
FORMULA FORD SAMPLER DAY - SILVERSTONE 5TH DECEMBER:
Alex was amongst the sixty potential British Formula Ford
Championship contenders who took part in the Formula Ford Sampler Day at Silverstone to test the latest chassis
and meet the teams. The day was organised by series promoter RacingLine to assist established and new teams to find
racing recruits for the coming season. Several drivers from this year's BFFC were in action with new teams, as well
as some notable names from other single-seater series and several fresh-from-karting newcomers.
Alex, of course, is already signed up with the Myerscough Motorsport
Team but took advantage of the day to test out the Silverstone Circuit for the first time. It turned out to be a very
wet day with heavy showers, spaced out to ensure track conditions alternated from very wet to very greasy and back again.
This did, however, provide Alex with an ideal opportunity to test himself on a wet track and see if he could carry through
his excellence in wet racing from karting to single-seaters. He didn't fail (we didn't think he would!) and put in some
impressive lap times for a first time drive, both at the circuit and on a wet track.
Alex sends his thanks to Racing Line for organising
the day; to Matt and the Myerscough team for their hard work before and during the day and for setting up the car to
perfection, providing him with first class track testing time.
For more info on the day visit: http://www.britishformulaford.co.uk
 KARTING FINALE: 30th Sept 07. Alex winds up his short but highly successful
karting career at Shenington Kart Circuit, racing in the final round of the British TKM Super 1 Championship, securing 8th
place overall and placing himself firmly amongst the top 15 seeded drivers in TKM for 2007
|
| World Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch Sept 07 |
Brands Hatch 21/22 September
Both of the Brands Hatch rounds provided superb entertainment
for the large and appreciative crowd gathered for the prestigious World Touring Car Championship event. A 25-car Formula Ford
field gathered in Kent, with drivers from seven nations taking part.
For Alex this was his second Formla Ford race in the
month, entering as a guest driver for a practice run in preparation for the full competition in 2008.
Not put off by racing for the first time in front of a huge
crowd, Alex got on with the job to bring home his second Scholarship win on Saturday,netting two wins in his first two race
meetings.
Looking forward to 2008..........
|
| Croft Presentation Sept 07 |
Croft 9th September
ROOKIE WINS ON FORMULA FORD DEBUT
Alex Jones, 18, from Anglesey, won the Zetec class at the British
Formula Ford Championship round at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire last Sunday. This was Alex’s first race, after only
minimal testing in the Zetec Van Diemen, run by Myerscough College Motorsport.
Alex had gained confidence during the weekend, which helped him put
this year’s top points scorer, Matt Dobson, under pressure during the last race at Croft. With Alex set to pounce, Dobson
spun his car and Alex took the lead keeping his head for the last laps, to bring home his first Formula Ford trophy.
This first trophy is a great bonus for Alex, whose only other meeting
this season will be at Brands Hatch in the supporting race for the World Touring Car Championship on 21-23 September. It will
be a great addition to the haul of trophies he has already won in Karting – British TKM 'O' Plate Champion 2006, GYG
Grand Prix Champion 2006, MBKC GYG Club Champion 2005, just to mention a few.
Ann Turner, Principal of Myerscough College, said “Today has
been my first visit to watch the team in action at the track. It is amazing that I have been able to see the great talent
of both Alex, as a bright new driver to Formula Ford, and the skill of the technical team, all of whom are degree students
at Myerscough College.”
Alex is planning to compete the full season with Myerscough College
next year and is now looking for sponsorship support with the increased budget required to be fully competitive in this British
series. Alex’s racing career to date has largely been funded by family income with the valuable help of a few local
sponsors.
Audrey Jones, Alex’s mother said "We are delighted with the win,
both for Alex and the Team who put in the dedication and hard work in preparing the car - a winning combination and a very
promising start, with lots more to come."
Croft Test 29th August 07
- First test at this track. Liked the track, really
getting used to the car. Onto race pace and put in some impressively quick times for a first visit.
48 hours later on to .........
Brands Hatch 31st August 07 - After
the flat of Croft, this circuit was harder to get to grips with but managed to get a good feel for the car and track.
Good basis to build on at next test day in September.
|
| Brands Hatch |
Oulton Park Friday 17th August - First Formula Ford test day (Short
circuit) 4 x 30min sessions
- 1st session - Lap times reduced steadily to 1.063
by 7th lap.
- 3rd session - into the 1.05s. Best lap 1.054
- 4th session - practising left foot braking and gear
selection.
- Ahead of schedule with progression and adaptation
into Formula Ford
- Team pleased with performance
First outing with Myerscough Team 31st July
- Met the Team, familiarisation with gears and car followed by a chance to put in some
quick laps and experience the grip levels available.
- Chance to sample and get used to the racing speed.
- Adapted well to the car and gelled with the Team
Alex moves to Formula Ford 2006 British TKM 'O'Plate Champion Alex Jones will be competing in the British Formula Ford Championship
in 2008.
Alex will race for Myerscough Motorsport, starting an intensive testing programme in August that covers tests
at Oulton Park; Croft; and Brands Hatch.
Single seater car racing has always been
the ultimate goal and Alex is both thrilled at the opportunity and determined to make the most of it. Due to start University
this September, he has deferred entry in order to concentrate on the Championship. As further preparation for a competitive
2008 season, Alex will race in the Championship rounds at Croft and Brands Hatch during September - watch this space
Karting Reports .......
British Super 1 TKM Championship 2007
This is the premier Championship for TKM, staged over 6 rounds
at different venues around the UK. Alex entered the season bang on form and with high hopes of a top 5 finish.
However, 2007 karting season has been beset with bad fortune for Alex
and with Rounds 1 - 5 completed he is currently 9th overall in the Championship - a respectable place but not one
that reflects his pace or ability this season.A reasonable Round 1 at Llandow in South Wales, where the final was run
in torrential rain, started him off at position 7, but a disastrous Round 2 followed at Whilton Mill plummeting him down the
scale to 22nd. After a promising start and qualifying 2nd in Saturday’s timed session, Alex
was caught up in mid pack collisions in two of the heats following a questionable decision about an overtaking move in Heat
1. From 29th on the grid in the final he then made his way through the pack. Up to 4th with
two laps to go and a podium within his grasp…. his chain broke!!!
Apart from Round 3 at Rowrah when his engine blew, timed qualifying
has seen him consistently amongst the top 8 overall and usually in the top 3 in his sessions. He had further bad fortune at
Rowrah when he was taken out at the start (along with several others). Rejoined but with a broken brake pedal so trying to
operate brake with his hand and still overtaking! Awsome driving got him well up the pack when a punctured tyre
(probably picked up during the melee at start) forced him to retire. Down but not out!
Round 4 at Buckmore Park helped Alex retrieved the situation somewhat,
clawing his way back up the Championship to 12th. A reasonable Round 5 at Lydd with good qualifying and heats saw
him finish 6th in the final, taking him up to 9th in the Championship.
With just 30 points between Alex and 6th place, its still
all to play for, so fingers crossed for the last round at Shenington at the end of September!!
Alex wins with a 15 second lead!
12/13th May. Visiting Hooton Park for his first race meeting
at this circuit, Alex put in a very impressive performance winning the first two 15 lap heats and putting in the fastest lap
times. By the third heat the rain had arrived, fortunately in time to get the wets fitted, and despite a very wet track Alex
came from 12th on the grid to 2nd, earning him pole position for the final. By mid afternoon, the rain was a steady downpour
and the finals were cut back from 20 to 15 laps. From Pole position all Alex needed was a good start and to clear off, which
is precisely what he did! With karts spinning off at almost every corner, Alex sailed on regardless, coming around to lap
the back four and reaching port 15 seconds ahead of the rest of the field! Presenting him with the winner's trophy, Bob Wilson,
Circuit Owner, described it as "a masterful drive".
Some race report extracts from 2006/2005:
ABkC 'O' Plate Glan y Gors September 06
"Alex Jones took a popular win in the TKM Extreme 'O' Plate
Trophy, the best supported class."
3rd in timed qualifying and good heat finishes had put Alex
2nd on the grid for the final with Randal Lynn on pole. James Duxbury in 3rd position got a flying start putting him
in front of Alex up the straight. Alex reported "I was behind James at the start, then Randal Lynn ran wide letting
us both through. I got past James and just brought it home for the win". (2.5 secs lead over the rest of the field).
MBKC Dragonmasters Grand Prix GYG July 06
Consistent performance throughout the weekend saw Alex put
in fastest lap times in two of the heats and from 3rd on the grid in the final he was soon passed the front runners
Luke Caudle and Phil Smith going on to take a clear lead 3 seconds ahead of the field and fastest lap.
MBKC Gold Cup Three Sisters June 06
An overcast but warm day on which Alex and kart seemed to
be flying! He put in the fastest lap in both heats, breaking the lap record for the Valley Circuit set by Martin Lyell
in 2005. New record 46.20.
Shower of rain just before the final saw a last minute
change on the grid to wet tyres and the dilemma of what pressures to use - would it keep raining or dry up? Almost got
it right, tyres working well and Alex up from 3rd on the grid into 2nd but kart stepped out slightly on lunar allowing Martin
Lyell to pass and take 2nd place. Alex took 3rd place on the podium (as he had done for the 2005 Gold Cup)
Glan y Gors Race Report October 05
Third final of the afternoon arrived in the shape
of TKM extreme, a class which has had a massive resurgence over the past couple of seasons. The championship is a really tense
battle, led narrowly by Gem Wainwright from Jack Oldham but, the big danger lies in Alex Jones, bang in form and, having done
fewer meetings, no points to drop at the end of the championship. Jones took heat one from pole spot with Mike Jones and Max
Reynolds taking heats two and three, but Jones it was sitting on pole for the final and instantly making his advantage stick.
Three Sisters specialist John Halliwell tucked in behind but was never in with a chance of making a strike on Jones as he
advanced to take a comfortable lights to flag victory from Halliwell by 4.303secs (Note: Alex went on to win the
Championship).
GYG Grand Prix Report Sepember 05
Today it was Alex Jones, recent dual winner both here and
at Three Sisters who shaded the heats taking two out of four. From pole spot he quickly powered ahead of the pack ..........By
lap 3 Jones had really pulled ahead."
Three Sisters Race Report August 05
TKM extreme, the major success story of the year, was the
first final of the afternoon and, whilst it had provided three different heat victors in the shape of Alex Jones, James Duxbury
and Jack Oldham, the final, most unusually, was a real one kart affair with Alex Jones simply taking off from pole slot and
absolutely decimating the field. By as early as lap three he had built up a three second advantage and he didn`t slow down
from there, eventually taking a completely untroubled 15 lap victory by a massive 9.650secs.
MBKC Gold Cup June 05
"TKM Extreme boasted its biggest grid so far of he year
here at Three Sisters, no fewer than 45 and ... the renaissance of this class appears complete. As you would expect,
massively competitive, with many top drivers and many quick regulars coming together ..... Bell and Mullholland quickly
pulled out an early advantage followed by the every quick and consistent Alex Jones ........ a great race from Jones in third
place".
|
