Lowe is the Schumacher of his classical series

DAVE LOWE has picked up his 11th Classic Formula Ford Championship title. The Sarnian, who has been described as the Michael Schumacher of the classic FF world, went into the last race of the season at Snetterton Park with the series already in his hands.

He finished on 85 points, a staggering 26 points clear of his nearest rival Jon Davis on 59.

At the final race on the Cambridgeshire track, Lowe did not finish on top of the podium but nevertheless was happy with his performance.

'I finished second to local driver James Denty whose father runs a Lotus restoration business just two miles from the circuit,' said Lowe.

'James is always going out testing cars there so to be beaten by him by less than one second was no disgrace and I had the satisfaction of overall fastest lap of the race.'

During the season, Lowe in his Lotus 69 netted back-to-back overall victories at Brands Hatch and Silverstone with class wins at Oulton Park, Snetterton, Croft and Pembrey in Wales. He also notched up a second place at Donnington with his victory at Snetterton and a bronze at Lydden that he got in his Lotus 61 while the 69 was receiving major engine works back in Guernsey.

Lowe had no problem in picking out his highlight of another memorable season.

'The most satisfying race would have to be the overall win at Brands Hatch as the confines of the club circuit makes for very close racing,' he said.

'I started third on the grid, ran second, dropped to fourth got back up to third then went head to head with the leaders into the daunting Paddock Bend and came out with the lead that I held onto for the remaining four laps to take my best win in years.'

Defending his title is on the agenda for the Guernseyman again next year and so is returning to France where he spent an enjoyable weekend this season at a meet at the famous Dijon course.

Also in the pipeline is to race at Pau near the French-Spanish border on a Monaco-style street circuit.