Barrowford's Ian Parkington started the defence of his North West Formula Ford Championship title in fine style, as he won his first race of the year.Cheshire's Oulton Park was the venue, although his season will also take in the newly revised circuit on the Isle of Anglesey. Competing in the pre-90 class, Ian qualified fourth overall, but was first in class and, considering that the cars in front were built more recently than his, he was delighted with his performance.
He said: "Practice on Friday was very wet, but Saturday's qualifying was nice and dry and I managed to get in a good lap, which put me at the sharp end of the grid. I got a very good start in the race and picked off two cars in front before the first corner.
"I managed to hold station behind the leader fairly comfortably, but on lap nine we encountered a backmarker. The leader got through, but he closed the door on me and forced me onto the grass. I spun but managed to rejoin in sixth.
"I did get back into fifth by the end of the race, which was enough to give me the class victory. The main thing was to score points in the class, but it would have been nice to have made it onto the podium against the newer cars.
"We have totally rebuilt the car from the ground up over the winter, tried a couple of harder suspension set ups and they seem to have worked straight out of the box which is pleasing."
The championship also takes in the Ty Croes circuit on Anglesey, which has had a major face lift and Ian revealed he is "very excited" about racing there.
"It's now a top class venue, a new layout, totally resurfaced and widened and I am really looking forward to racing there, our first event at the circuit is a two day event in May" he said.
Ian receives backing from Hambling Construction of Accrington and Ball Park Engineering of Barrowford and his next outing will be at Oulton Park on April 14.
Source: http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk
