Dempsey relishes return to the track at Formula Ford Festival

Talent endures and a year out of the car has not taken the competitive edge off Jordan Dempsey's skill as he returns to Brands Hatch this weekend for the BRSCC Formula Ford Festival.

Jordan and his father Morgan, who is his mechanic for the weekend, have been at the track in southern England for a few days and are getting re-accustomed to the Formula Ford, being run by Kevin Mills Racing.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner this evening (Friday), Jordan said: "From Wednesday to Friday, it's practice, and it went well - in wet and dry conditions we were there or thereabouts, and in the dry it was very tight, maybe you could argue I was the quickest, but there's nothing in it.

"Come Sunday, it's going to be a great race, I'd say."

One of Jordan's main competitors is his team-mate, Neil Maclennan, the 2020 British national champion in FF 1600, and he estimates there are another three or four drivers who are also in a strong position to win the final on Sunday.

Describing how close the competition is, he said: "You're looking for very marginal bits of time everywhere, so if you can find a quarter of a tenth (of a second) here and there, you have that bit of an advantage."

He added: "I'm starting to get to grips with it now. The first couple of sessions on Wednesday and even on Thursday, to a certain extent, I just felt a bit rusty, because I was out for so long, and you have to get yourself back up and running again.

"Once I found my rhythm we were right up there, wet or dry."

Tomorrow (Saturday) qualifying starts at 9.50am, and Jordan races in Heat 1 at 2.40pm.

We will keep in touch with him over the weekend.

Jordan has acknowledged his supporters and partners for this event and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone next weekend (which he won last year) "without whom I would be watching these events at home!".

They are:

SD Sealants; Allington Farmshop; Canore Hygiene Ltd; Hamills Of Mullingar| Fixauto and Sleator Kia, and West End Motors Ltd.

Below: a couple of short clips from practice at Brands Hatch.