Although the Finnish Rata-SM (Finnish Championship) tour is now completed, racing continues abroad. Next weekend the first inaugural DMFFF (Dansk Metal Formel Ford Festival) at Padborg Park will take place. This also constitutes the last event in this year's Formel Ford NEZ (North European Zone) Championships. The event takes place Sun 20.9., and several Finnish drivers are heading south for this race...
Antti Buri is likely to be the event favorite, although in the about 20+ expected Duratec entries (and about 6 Zetecs) racing will be tough and it will be interesting to see how comes out on top. Entrants include both Scandinavian drivers, as well as teams from for example Belgium. Most Finns have not had much chance to test and practice on the Padborg track, and since there is only 45min testing on Sun morning (right before races) available learning the new track will be key. Antti Buri and his team have had one test session at the track in the weeks prior, however.Other entrants from Finland are expected to be Ville Kivinen, rumored to race in a new Van Diemen Duratec car (which he apparently will be testing next week in the UK), Miikka Mäkelä with his Mtec Duratec (and potentially his sister Milla, although this is not clear), and s2i Motorsports Per Stenius who will seek to attend the race with his RE85 fueled Van Diemen Zetec. Miika Hirsimäki is unlikely to attend, after a disappointing early season in his Mtec Duratec car. Antti Buri will be racing Mtec Duratec as well. Most of the field will be Mygale Duratec cars. Kivinen and Swedish Milton Lundström are among those expected to defend the Van Diemen brand.
Following Padborg, the season finale is expected to take place at the legendary Brands Hatch Indy circuit, and the BRSCC Formula Ford Festival. Drivers from Finland that are expected to attend include Ville Kivinen and Sebastian Nummi (Team Söderman, driving new Van Diemen Duratec cars; Sebastian was 2nd in the 2009 Finnish Championships), Antti Buri (potentially driving a Mygale, or alternatively Mtec Duratec), Miikka Mäkelä (Mtec Duratec). s2i Motorsport's Per Stenius may also attend, and is now discussing with the organizers whether it would be possible to run his Van Diemen Zetec with RE85 fuel.
Thus, a few more weeks of interesting racing ahead, stay tuned!
