ZIPFORD SCHOLARSHIP is this enough!

[kpm]

Although involved with the formula I think the scholarship scheme anounced by M.Hines is quite an attractive deal , the winner of this even handed championship will recive a fully funded drive in a top F. Renault team for the next season. And then if they won the F.Renault series a fully funded drive in Formula 3. There can of course be only one winner of the series but it should make for some competitive racing with so much on the line to the zipford champion. Is this enough to really get the series off the ground at last?

[hysen]

While yes the prize is very attractive i can't help but think that the winner of this 'even handed championship?' has already been picked!

[kpm]

Its a good point, I know these type of prizes are always viewed with suspision but belive me if you saw the rules theres no way of fixing the result . For one there will be five independant teams who will all want to win the championship with there driver, as well as the zip run cars, and any driver or team can request the use of a competitors car if they feel they have an advantage, there are only four test days allowed , and anyone found flouting this rule is excluded from that point on. so it really should be open to the fastest most consistant driver to win. the only thing i can see happening is drivers with a lot of experience coming in as a chance to make it up the ladder , I have already spoken this week to some highly well known drivers who are looking for drives.

[nobjockey]

Spot on Hysen. I feel another FPA comming on here.

KPM - how will an independent team know any of the other teams aren't getting any 'help'?

I think this scholarship scheme is very smelly.

[sneakyg]

MMMMMMMMmmmmm
I think anything that the "suntanned wonder" is involved in, tends to have a sickly odour.!

[kpm]

To be honest the cars set up is so simple that no amount of help from zip directly would give an advantage to any driver or team that are reasonably able to run simple single seaters.as i said earlier at any time any team can request the imeadiate use of a competitors car as a comparison to there own. Financialy the independant teams will have invested a lot of time and money in the formula and I like the others will be less than pleased to the point of legal action if it was found that there was any sort of "fix" involved lets hope its just a good seasons racing ahead.

[AndyF]

Dodgy or not, the Scholarship should go someway to enhance the profile of the series!

[SILVERS95]

Bloody good racing though.....the mini winter series at brands last year was quite good....Josh Fisher and Edward Redfern was making a good race of it for the lead.....Fisher was snaking all over the place unddr braking going into Paddock and seemed to hold it right on the limit of what these cars can achieve....for me , So far anyway , i havent got any complaints !..it looks like it will produce some good close racing and if the Winner get a paid drive in a top F Renault seat , that surley that can only be a good thing.

[Clyde Ankle]

Well I'm looking forward to watching some good racing in Zipford this year.

It's just a shame that they have to race with bumpers on them.

[kpm]

BUMPERS! blame the MSA as far as i know this was a requirement of theirs to allow 16 yr olds to race. Thats why the rear wing/bumper is so low, from the front it looks like the rear wing has fallen off!. They do work though as Terry Grant found out at the winter series, and they add a bit of room for sponsors adds.

[Andy Roberts]

I still think its amazing that drivers like Josh Fisher get touted as a star driver in only his first ever race in the Zip Formula Winter Series, yet I raced against him all year in Formula Honda while he also did Global GT Lights as well! This peaved quite a few people besides me as it was a blatent lie and despite well over 20 people writing to the magazines to say this nothing gets printed.... Strange isn't it.

How can they tout it as the first step on the single seater ladder when you can quite easilly do a season in something like Formula Honda or BARC Renault for £7k when ZipFord is £25k....... Some first step which can only be taken with very rich daddies...

Its only got in there as the offical starter catagory of the MSA because Mr Hines has the money to push it.

[rcwatts17]

Whered did you see drives advertised that cheap?

[kpm]

Are the prices quoted for a proffesional team to run the car as arrive and drive , if not its hardly a fair comparison, The zipford series now has full sky tv coverage,

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by Andy Roberts
How can they tout it as the first step on the single seater ladder when you can quite easilly do a season in something like Formula Honda or BARC Renault for £7k when ZipFord is £25k....... Some first step which can only be taken with very rich daddies...

Its only got in there as the offical starter catagory of the MSA because Mr Hines has the money to push it.

The reason that you can say it's the first step on the single seater ladder instead of F Honda and BARC F Renault is because they are seen more as club racing series, raced in by older men who enjoy racing and younger drivers who can't afford to take the more successful route.
I've read your comments before, and understand that you're annoyed that it takes money, and often a "rich daddy" to get on in the sport, but that's the way it is.
The sad truth is that even ZipFord might go the way of Formula First, in that the only people who do it are those who haven't got the money to get much further. The Scholarship could help go against that, I think that it's got to be a good thing for the series. But it can't be all-or-nothing, like Formula Palmer Audi was. Successful feeder categories like Formula Ford, Renault and 3 enable the second place driver to be promoted to the next level as well as the champion.

[Jonny Apex]

Originally posted by SILVERS95
Bloody good racing though.....the mini winter series at brands last year was quite good....Josh Fisher and Edward Redfern was making a good race of it for the lead.....Fisher was snaking all over the place unddr braking going into Paddock and seemed to hold it right on the limit of what these cars can achieve....for me , So far anyway , i havent got any complaints !..it looks like it will produce some good close racing and if the Winner get a paid drive in a top F Renault seat , that surley that can only be a good thing.

Edward Redfern. What a talent.