Double Brands win is too late

RACING driver Dave Lowe believes his chances of clinching a lucky 13th Formula Ford national title have virtually disappeared. But the 68-year-old has no plans of giving up racing yet - he has vowed to carry on until it bores him.

His latest double success at Brands Hatch last weekend has given him a glimmer of hope of achieving the remarkable feat of 13 wins - but the odds are stacked against it with a main rival far ahead just two rounds and 20 points available left.

The last two championship rounds are at Snetterton on 23 September and at Castle Combe in October.

'It's more or less a foregone conclusion and the other guy just has to turn up and claim third at Snetterton. I have won 12 and whether it's a jinx year is neither here nor there,' he said.

'If I win both the next ones I would still be shy of points by missing two rounds which is the all-important difference, but I'm not bothered after winning 12. Twelve is a nice round figure and I will be going again,' he admitted yesterday.

'The results are not the end of the world - they are a bonus.'

Having raced locally since 1963 and in the UK since 1972, he is not even remotely contemplating retiring from the racetrack and will continue until it bores him.

'I can't think of anything I would rather be doing,' he said.

Last weekend's double header saw one of the best weekends for weather. This suited his Lotus 69, which was sporting a brand new radiator to try and reduce engine temperature and increase engine power.

The modification did not achieve as much as he had desired but the car was quick enough to secure him pole position in the B class and seventh on the road with a 22-car grid.

Lowe's chief rival this year, Andrew Smith, was just four 10ths slower so his start was all-important.

But the Guernsey-man led on the all-important first lap and was able to open up a one-second gap and secure his first win of the weekend.

It moved him up to sixth overall in the championship but Smith gained a point with a faster lap only 3/1000ths of a second quicker.

Monday morning practice saw Lowe's lap times improve by 3/10ths of a second, with his rival going the other way, giving him a cushion of two car lengths between them.

It boded well for a decent result but he was wrongfooted at the start when misjudging the lights and he lost a place to an A class car which boxed him in into Paddock Hill bend.

'I chased him down for six laps and finally passed him around the outside of the same corner then drove away from him while he fought with Andrew and slowed each other up,' said Lowe.

'Two-thirds through the 16-lap race a gasket went on my exhaust but although it sounded rough it didn't slow me at all.'

Smith overdrove into a spin at Clearways to drop to third in B class, while Lowe secured his double win and fastest lap for a five-point advantage over his rival.

'But with only two rounds left I have left it a little late to redress the balance this year,' admitted Lowe.

It has not helped that he missed two rounds participating in other races so it will need no scoring points by Smith for Lowe to win.

'I don't think that will happen,' he said.

Lowe is travelling to an international meeting for historical Formula Fords and FF 2000s in Dijon, France, this weekend.