White targets full-time campaign

Heritage Formula Ford champion Oliver White will take advantage of a shortened calendar to contest a full season in the British Racing and Sports Car Club’s National Fford Championship for the first time this year.

White, who finished third in the 2018 Formula Ford Festival, has previously been restricted by budget and work commitments.

“The short season made it possible,” he said. “The grid is super-competitive as well and I think that’s partly due to the fact it’s a shortened season. It obviously brings the budget down a bit, which helps.”

Other established names attracted by the three-meeting calendar, which began at

Oulton Park last month, include White’s fellow Festival frontrunners Matt Cowley and Chris Middlehurst.

While White was restricted by engine problems to a best finish of sixth at Oulton, and Cowley suffered an off in the wet conditions, Middlehurst claimed a podium finish and called on organisers to scale back future calendars too.

The remaining two rounds will take place at Anglesey next weekend and Brands Hatch (26-27 September).

“For next year, to get more drivers, they should make it less meetings and more races – have triple-headers,” said Middlehurst. “You’re already here and an extra race isn’t going to cost much more money. You’re already paying the team a day rate and then an extra race is just a bit more fuel [whereas] another weekend travelling, it’s more money.”