Murray heads returnees while Malvern is a wildcard

Reigning BRSCC FF1600 National champion Niall Murray leads the contenders from this year’s championship to have entered the Formula Ford Festival.

Having won the event in 2013, Bernard Dolan-run Murray dominated both championship races on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in the national championship by four and 10 seconds respectively earlier this year, but says the nature of the Festival means there can be no favourite.

“I’m really looking forward to it, we’ve had a really strong year and historically we’ve gone well there,” said Murray. “But this is the Festival and anything can happen.”

The Festival brings a host of one-off entries that haven’t competed in the championship but turnout for the knockout event.

British Fford champion and Walter Hayes Trophy winner Scott Malvern will compete in a Geva Racing Mygale, which has been converted from Duratec to a Kent engine.

“I did one morning’s test at Zolder and have a day before the event,” said Malvern. “The car was mega. I’m used to it in Duratec form, but the balance is almost the same with a Kent engine, so it’s really familiar.”

Multiple winner Joey Foster also returns and will be a frontrunner, but the previous two winners of the Festival are missing. Last year’s winner Wayne Boyd is on European Le Mans Series duty, while 2014 winner James Raven doesn’t have the budget.