The Pärnu Rata-SM proved to be very interesting for Formula Fords. We were visited by technical staff from Ford Motorsport, inspecting all cars and dismantling three engines. The results of the races also brought new intensity to the Finnish Championship.
There has been rumors circulating about illegal engines for a few years already, and thus it was about time to clear the air. AKK had decided on Pärnu as a location for more detailed technical inspections. The matter was handled extremely professionally by Ford's representative, and one daresay we should see at least one if not more of inspections of this level! Certainly our own domestic inspection process has been way too lax in the last years - and neglecting this area usually spells for doom for any series. Personally I would be pleased to see sealed engines in FFs just like they use in Formula Renault 2.0.
Inspections started already on Sat, after the first race, with a more thorough review of all cars in parc fermé. This was followed by an inspection of the data in everyone's ECU (we were using gasoline in Pärnu, so this meant looking at Pectel data). Sun then brought on further inspections in parc fermé (some of which it seemed none of the cars passed, like being able to start the engine five times without a supporting battery), and the selection of three engines for dismantling. Engines chosen were those of Janne Knuutinen, Oskari Kurki-Suonio, and Ville Kivinen - a fairly natural choice since all three had posted top times on dry. This process is still underway, but it seems at least Janne's engine passed with flying colors. The inspection covered the cams, displacement and intake, however the bottom-end was left untouched.
As for the races, the Sat race was wet and turned out quite interesting for all drivers. Both Knuutinen and Kivinen failed, leaving room for Oskari Kurki-Suonio to take the top position, followed by Sebastian Nummi and Miikka Mäkelä. Sun race started with Oskari in the lead, but it seemed he had forgotten to charge his battery (no surprise, having worked all night on the gearbox) and thus power failed mid-race. This event offered Team Söderman the change to strike, letting Ville Kivinen and Sebastian Nummi pass through. Janne Knuutinen took the overall lead, however, and came in first - thus also taking the lead again in the Finnish Championships. The next race will be in Aug at Botniaring, and will probably be quite decisive in terms of who really is a contestant for the top title!
Our team was pleased with the fast Pärnu track, and managed to capture two solid 5th places. Unfortunately we are now in a gap between the lead pack and the end, and for our part the racing was a bit boring both Sat and Sun. The gap to the front varies between 1.5...3s, and has been diminishing, but it needs to get below one second to make things interesting! Thus we will be focusing hard on the Botniaring race, and plan to be there testing July 15-16 when Formula Renaults have booked the track (other formulas are also invited apparently).
Thanks to our supporters and thanks to the crowd at Pärnu, the event was great and provided some interesting racing. Having the spectators also roam the paddock proved a working concept as well, letting everyone see motor racing at close range. Hope to see you at Botniaring in Aug, meanwhile enjoy July!
PS: I will add some pictures next week when I return...;-)
