Local backing puts Jordan in title-winning position
Jordan Dempsey is going in to the final rounds of the Avon Tyres BRSCC Formula Ford 1600 at Donington Park this weekend with a string of outstanding performances in 2022, but he is understandably taking nothing for granted.
The Mullingar man has clocked up 10 wins (eight in the UK national championship), 15 podium finishes, 13 fastest laps, five pole positions and four lap records out of six tracks, so his main rival, Colin Queen, must be aware that something special will be required to stop him.
Speaking this week, Jordan said he is looking forward to Donington. “It’s a track that I have experience on and I’ve gone very well at – though I haven’t raced or driven there in five years,” he said.
“The championship isn’t over yet and I still have to score 25 points over the weekend, out of 104, so at least for the first race I’ll be thinking about points and championship rather than the win in the race, but hopefully I can get that too!
“I feel privileged to have got to this point, where I’m going for the championship, because without the help of some amazing people I wouldn’t be doing any racing this year and I have such a great group of loyal local sponsors. I would love to win it for them.
“Big thanks to all of my sponsors, to Kevin and all of the lads at Kevin Mills Racing and Dad for building the best engines and working as mechanic on my car all year."
Among the sponsors is Garret Burke of RescuU van hire, who have bases in Athlone and Galway. Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Garret said he is delighted to support a midlands competitor.
He also knows what it takes to do battle on the track, as he races in the Fiesta series, mainly at Mondello Park, and his brother Ulick is a former champion in the Irish Touring Car Series.
“He has a business in Blyry Industrial Estate as well, the Tyre Brigade, so we would all have the interest in motorsport and the motor trade, and the connections to the midlands area are important too,” said Garret.
Garret remembers seeing Jordan Dempsey’s father and grandfather, Morgan Dempsey Jnr and Morgan Dempsey Snr, when they were competing, and says that his link with Jordan ties in well commercially as a sponsor in the motor business.
“We are delighted to see young Irish talent, and talent from the midlands, doing so well in such a competitive environment. The way he has done this championship, with his performances, pole positions, fastest laps and wins, really showcases his talent, and I was delighted for him. It’s great to see someone of that talent getting the results and recognition they deserve.
“What also interested me is that the margin between success and failure is tiny, and because we are sponsoring Jordan I took more of an interest in the championship, and it was only by following it that you see the massive levels of concentration and skill required. The live stream and live timings that they do make it easier to follow an Irish driver abroad, and that makes it more interesting for us too.”
Garret won’t make it to the UK for the final rounds of the BRSCC Formula Ford 1600 championship at Donington, but he’s hoping to make it to the Walter Hayes Trophy event at Silverstone in November, which shares the date with a round of the Fiesta ST championship.
The other firms backing Jordan Dempsey this year are: Novitas, TBRM, Kender, Skipjak, Sleator Kia, and Canore Hygiene.