FF 1600 STAR DEMPSEY IN FESTIVAL COME BACK

Three-time hayes winner’ s last visit was in 2010

Three-time Walter Hayes Trophy winner Peter Dempsey will make a surprise return to the Formula Ford Festival this weekend.

Dempsey last contested the Festival in 2010 when he was competing in the Duratec part of the event.

His most recent UK outing was in the ’15 Walter Hayes Trophy, where he finished second in the final before being excluded for wearing the incorrect frontal head restraint.

He will now return – driving a brand new Ray run by his father, Cliff – and says he has missed racing in the event, having been following it from the US in recent seasons.

“I was keen to do it this year as I haven’t done much racing in the last few years,” said Dempsey. “Every year goes by and I’m watching the [Festival] live timing from 3000 miles away. I’ve been keeping track of what’s going on but I was missing it – Formula Ford is the best racing in the world!

“Dad had a car available so I thought it would be a bit of fun. I will be driving a new Ray 2018 car that hasn’t been raced yet. It’s a brand new car that was just shaken down last week by James Clarke. He shook it down and everything is good to go.

“I will have to shake off the rust and will be doing two-and-a-half days of testing. Obviously you want to be competitive but I’m just going to have a bit of fun.”

However, if he is successful, Dempsey hasn’t ruled out competing in the Hayes too – but says it depends on whether he can fit it in around his work schedule.

Having switched his main focus to competing in the USA in 2008, Dempsey has now set up his own team stateside, running Pro Mazda cars. In the series’ first official postseason test last month, 2017 champion Victor Franzoni set the fastest time and Dempsey is encouraged by how things are progressing.

“It’s always good to make a good impression in the first test,” he said. “Over time I got a little bit fed up of working for other people and it’s nice to be your own boss.”