FPA: - Mark Evans

:bag:
Dare i mention this series in here....

But i was keen to know if anyone on here can shed any light on my fellow countryman who is racing in the series, Mark Evans!?? :beer:

Well here is a little bit about what he does for a living and what racing experince he has. http://www.formula-palmer-audi.com/drivers/cv.asp?id=me And here is how he is currently performing in the championship. http://www.formula-palmer-audi.com/2003_results.asp

Personally I like the series a lot. And Sky Sports "world motorsports" cover the programme with a 1hr slot every 3 weeks or so. I know the series is more of a club level now than it used to be but I belive that Ryan Lewis and Adam Sharpe in particular have potential to make it in the big time. Maybe not as far as F1, but perhaps F3000 or sportscars.

The series is still one of my favourites on the National racing scene though, and hopefully one day it can go back to the good old days when it produced drivers like Wilson, Kerr, Falkner, Jouanny etc..

Im sorry but I have to disagree with you slightly on that one Saleen. Ryan Lewis didnt feature at all in last years Zip championship whilst at the same time (in the quicker, arguably more difficult to drive FPA cars) he is at the front .... as he was last year. We know that Zip (whatever you may think of it)produces quick drivers- Michael Spencer, Dom Jackson, Ed Redfern, Jamie Morrow and as Ryan was nowhere near the pace of these guys but leading FPA it suggests to me that he does not have the pace to make it to the 'big time' or anywhere near F3000.


Just my opinion !?

Muz, correct!

In fairness I would add Josh Fisher to the ZIP list. Plus there is Sacha Hamm who along with Mike Spencer, Jamie Morrow and Ed Redfern were the 4 drivers who won all of last years ZIP races.

By the way I saw all of the races the Lewis brothers did in 2002 ZIP and I have to agree with Muz's assessment. Nice giys, but I think unlikely to reach F3000.

By the way best wishes for a full recovery to Ben Ryan who was stabbed in the eye when he confronted a burglar who had broken into his flat/house a few weeks back.

NO4...i heard some intersting things yest bout the C5 F1 comp winner. Apparently He had come third in the aintree drivers comp and done a race in the Formula Ford

racing dick - when was he in ARD comp'? I'm guessing 2002, as Jamie Morrow won it in 2001 and I don't remember Mark from that year. Normally the winner and I think the 2 runners up do a race/races in the FF Star of the Midlands series. Is this what he did?

back in 99 i think, did one race in the ford. thats for certain. Also done some tuscan and ginetta testing previously. I think!

As I said in PM - a little ironic that Lars Sexton and Jamie Morrow didn't make the F1 round, apparently because of their previous experience, and Mark (if what you're saying is correct) who everyone though had only done karts went through and ultimately won the competition.

i guess with no malicous intentions that mark fitted the bill, could play up to the cameras, be pretty good in the car etc though i had heard that he infact failed the fitness test at the start but somehow made it through

sure your right, but given that those drivers who declared previous experience were expected to do much more than the so called inexperienced drivers; someone not coming clean about their previous motorsport experience would have a significant unfair advantage.

As Tiff Nedell said to Jamie Morrow and Lars Sexton, their entering the comp' with previous experience was not exactly in the spirit of the competition. Therefore, it begs the question what would he have said to someone who had entered without making public his/her previous racing experience!!

Formula Zit hasnt produced any stars yet, and I wouldnt write Lewis off on the basis of an occasional appearance.

Russfeld, Im sorry but if my memory serves me correctly R Lewis did nearly all of the Zip champ, however finished way down the championship order and never ran at the front. Im probably going to get grief from the FPA supporters ..... however I would say that if you put any of the 5 Zip drivers that I mentioned earlier into FPA they would absolutley walk it. After all, we have established that they are a lot quicker than Ryan and he seems to be leading the FPA championship with relative ease

Russfeld - think thats a bit harsh. Mike Spencer is regularly in top 10 of Formula Renault, not bad in his rookie season. Josh Fisher is doing well in BARC FR, Dom Jackson is competing in Formula BMW in Germany. Jamie Morrow reached the finals of the Johnny Herbert Search for a Star and Be a grand prix driver comps' and has been signed up by Essentially Sport, Jensen Button's mangement company. In other words 4 of last seasons top 5 ZIP drivers have done well, whereas the 5th, Ed Redfern, is leading the 2003 ZIP championship.

With regard to Lewis, to the best of my recollection they took part in 6 of the 12 races, hardly occiasional appearances, finishing 11th and 14th in the championship.

Originally posted by Russfeld
Formula Zit hasnt produced any stars yet, and I wouldnt write Lewis off on the basis of an occasional appearance.

For once Russfeld I actually agree with u. ;) Lewis seems to be a great young driver who I think shows signs of real promise.

What was interesting was at Snetterton his fastest race lap was ridiculously quick, and close to a fast FRS time, unless the results were a misprint.

In round 3 I have him 2nd on the grid at 1:08.492 but the fastest lap of the race at 1:06.984 with FRS fast time at Snetterton this week of 1:06.670. Now maybe Ryan did a 7.984 and its wrong, but I think also that day was damp and turbo engines make some nice power on a cool 'thick' day on a dry track.

Timings are correct.

Hell of a job to make the comparisons you are all doing. I can't imagine two cars more different than a Zip and an FPA.

Bob - For my part the comparison had nothing to do with Ryan's performance in FPA, rather how he and his brother performed in ZIP last season.....................
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Russfeld - think thats a bit harsh. Mike Spencer is regularly in top 10 of Formula Renault, not bad in his rookie season. Josh Fisher is doing well in BARC FR, Dom Jackson is competing in Formula BMW in Germany and won 2 weeks ago. Jamie Morrow reached the finals of the Johnny Herbert Search for a Star and Be a grand prix driver comps' and has been signed up by Essentially Sport, Jensen Button's mangement company. In other words 4 of last seasons top 5 ZIP drivers have done well, whereas the 5th, Ed Redfern, is leading the current ZIP championship.

With regard to the Lewis's , to the best of my recollection they took part in 6 of the 12 races, hardly occiasional appearances, and finished 11th and 14th in the championship.
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I atke your point about the ZIP and FPA cars being very different.

By the way, how has Josh Fisher being doing recently?

another thing is there aimed at different generations... No offence. bUT FPA is full of oldder gentleman where zip are at knippers fresh out of nappies...

1.13.757 zip at combe
anyone know a time for fpa at combe

Josh was on pole at Oulton 2 weeks ago and went off while leading, it was a shame. As the JA cars seemed to be struggling that day I think Josh's blunder represented a defining moment in the championship.

racing dick - ZIP fastest lap at CC is 1.13.26 and FPA 1.04.85.

Bob - thanks for that. Very unlike Josh to go off like that. Shame, he's a nice young guy with a lot of ability.

see his management site www.motor-sport.uk.com

racing dick - yes I kmow this site, run by Roger Philips of Action Resources who has a stable of drivers, including Josh. Just thought that as Bob is directly involved in BARC Renault I might get a less corporate speak view on how Josh is doing!

no probs, he also manages Jesse Mason friend of mine whos in college.

its strange how a lot of you can pass judgement of ryan when u do not know the facts especially with regards to zip ford appearances. I have intimate knowledg of ryan and he is one of the best divers i have ever raced against, i know he wll make it professionally, dont forget not every racing diver wats to be in F1.

JR Ewing you are a complete idiot where do u get your facts out of autosport? maybe you should attend a race weekend might help the chip on your shoulder.

same goes for you MUZ too.

steady on geez, where all here for the fun of it.

everyones entitled to their opinion regardless of if they upset or others dissagree..

question.... where does JR appear in this thread also facts speak for themselves. If Ryan is that good he wouldn't have aimed for fpa which has the reputation of being aimed at gentleman. INstead have opted for Formula Renault or Ford...

It will be interesting to see how he gets on next year in a proper series... No offence meant to Ryan, you Beagle or ANyone involved with FPA

Rich

i know but its the same old muck, i agreed with racing dick. i was giving my opinion, dont get wound up when i disagree with people, plus it will make JR smirk and think he has annoyed me.

Mark evans - he is a smashing guy who is spending his hard earned cash on something he has dreamed of for years. He needs to brake later.

u dont know the circumstances or how much money ryan has etc....

maybe he will be in F3 next year...

its strange how a lot of you can pass judgement of ryan when u do not know the facts especially with regards to zip ford appearances
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Beagle - I went to every ZIP race last season and the facts are that Ben and Ryan drove in 7 of the 12 rounds, finishing 11th and 14th respectively in the championship - they had only one podium (a 3 at CC) between them in 14 races. Hardly setting the world on fire!

hit the nail on the head

The lap times quoted by Russfeld for FPA are seriously quick. Those of you busy heaping detriment on some drivers heads should ask themselves if they can even imagine what a lap of Snett in the 66's feels like.
I'm prepared to put my hand up and say I can't.

but was that lap using the everboost

Bob - lets make one thing clear, no one is having a go at any of the FPA drivers, nor was anyone questioning their bravery in doing fast laps. However, this is a discussion forum and by it's very nature there are going to be times when people have different views. I would suggest this makes for healthy debate.

The issue under discussion in this instance was > if Ryan Lewis can lead the FPA series and yet perform relatively poorly in ZIP, does this a) mean the 2002 ZIP front runners were better drivers than him and b)that FPA does not attract the really talented young drivers.

With regard to a)the 2002 ZIP races are the only factual evidence we can look at (as they are the only time the likes of Spencer, Redfern, Fisher, Morrow, Jackson have raced head to head with the Ryan brothers) and the results show the former consistently came out on top.

b)is a more contentious issue. However, most people would say the route to F1 usually goes regional FF, national FF or Formula Renault, F3. FPA does not figure.

In the new MSA structure, ZIP will be the closed level 1 series, FF and FR the open and closed level 2 series respectively and F3 the closed level 3 series.

Personally, I think the FPA cars look great and offer fantastic performance at a price which is cheap compared to FF and FR. However, because FPA has missed out on the level 2 slots and are expensive in club racing terms, it seems to me they'll attract more mature, affluent drivers (rather than the young guns)who want the buzz of driving quick cars at top tracks, but who don't want to develop a fulltime career in motorsport. Nothing wrong with that.

Beagle, I know the facts very well thank you. I stick by my views. In addition I know that Ryan and Ben's father (Martin Lewis) owns a company called Building Environmental Services, he is an avid motorsport supporter. He backs many junior series including Zip, karting, FPA, Tom Boardman in BTCC, Gary Paffett etc etc. He also funds his boys careers. Money is not an issue, the decision to race in FPA is down to the fact that they want to race in a series where they stand a chance of being competitive.

FPA, although I like the series, it is an amateur series, and frankly the guys at the front are not quick relative to the front runners in national fords and renaults. This was proved by the fact that Ryan can run easily at the front of FPA (which are quicker and harder to drive than Zip) yet he struggled desperately in Zip. And as No 4 pointed out, it was not a couple of one off apearances, he completed half of the championship with only one podium.

I therefore suggest, that just perhaps, I know more of the facts than your good self and therefore I will apply your original comment -

'its strange how you can pass judgement of ryan when u do not know the facts especially with regards to zip ford appearances.'

Regards

In addition Beagle....

"he is one of the best divers i have ever raced against"

I hope your not going to try and make it professionally, cos following this comment above, your going to struggle mate

All I did was broadly agree with a Muz statement about Ryan Lewis speed, which i don't think is pro level...

As RacingDick says, this website is really only for fun and can very entertaining. You shouldn't take it so seriously and I can assure you I've had less than complimentary mentions myself...

i am ryans brother.... so i know very well what goes on, the zip ford i drove was not quite as competitive as others. I know i am really only average in ability but i have fun and thats all that mattes to me as i have a career.
I think ryan and adam will be good drivers, they have set times quicker than joel roman and adrian and look where they race now.
JR i like reading your replies you obviously know your stuff - no disrespect intended.

my injuries are healing well but all the tendons in my right hand were severed so no driving for quite some time, but dont panic not long till i will be back setting average times and finishing 6th or so.... ho ho!

no problemo

Ben - sorry to hear about your attack and please to hear your injuries are on the mend. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

ditto pal....

Ben - I third that! Hope you get better soon and that it doesnt keep you out of a car for too long!

Prize for being a brave racing car drvier...

No4 can share his chips as a prize for recruiting to ten-tenths...

:beer:

Ben if you dont get what i just said read the "Channel 5 F1 driver" thread

Hang on, lets not get carried away. Chips are chips after all!!! Anyone for Brands today?

stuck in work.... and tomor im in pembrey with the 750mc.... woo hoo... doh!