2024 WeatherTech Intl Challenge Formula Ford Qualifying Race (and Crash)

The Saturday July 13th 2024 WeatherTech International Challenge Club Ford (Group 12B) Qualifying race.

I started the race mid-pack; a lot of fast cars and drivers showed up for the 55th anniversary weekend of Formula Ford and I'd struggled in qualifying, missing a session with a broken exhaust header. I was hanging on to the end of the top 11 car train and after the first lap figured my race was with Brian Forster in the #83 1977 Tiga FFA-77 and Doug Beatty in the #42 1981 Crossle 45F.

Brian made it pretty clear he was going to take the inside line on every corner if there was someone behind him, so I was already thinking that if I was going to get by him at some point it was probably going to be in the draft. By the end of lap 1 it felt like I'd broken the draft for Doug so I was really concentrating on catching up to Brian, so much so that I missed the yellow flag that came out at Turn 7 and was caught completely by surprise when everyone was slowing through Hurry Downs.

After a lap behind the safety car we restarted and Doug got a great run out of turn three and passed me pretty easily through the Moraine Sweep. I'm now the chase cam for Doug and Brian's battle for 9th place, with Doug making the pass on Brian in Turn 3 on lap 5.

During their fight I've closed the gap and have the draft on Brian as we head to Turn 5. I swing out to pass Brian at the Moraine Sweep but as I do Brian makes a small move towards me, I guess to see if he can get by Doug. In the car at 125 MPH I thought he was coming all the way over (he actually pops back to the right) and I overreact, lifting while jinking left. The Lola rear end gets loose and as I try to steady it I drift too far left and the rear tire hits the grass which results in a spin across the track into the right side wall.

I've had some close calls in the Lola but managed to go 8 years without hitting anything - when I did it was a doozy. There are replays at the end, in slow motion and from the rear camera which flew off in the impact but ended up in the footwell of the car. You can see it fly past me in the slow motion replay from the front camera, pretty wild.

That's the end this year for the Lola, but we have a plan to get her rebuilt by the start of the 2025 season (thanks to everyone who's reached out to offer help!). Also a big thank you to the terrific corner workers and safety crew that worked the race, they did such an excellent job.

Chapters
00:00 Formation/Start
04:22 Lap 2 - Yellow Flag (yes, I missed it!)
04:47 Lap 4 - Restart
05:36 Lap 4 - Doug Beatty passes me at the Moraine Sweep
07:41 Lap 5 - Doug and Brian Forster battle for 9th place
08:19 Lap 5 - I crash trying to pass Brian