March 2010
Flow Group on Track for 2010 Success?
The Flow Group could be playing its part when Yorkshire takes on the rest of the world as battle commences in new season of Formula Ford this spring.
Teenage race ace Adam Parsley – supported through his karting career by the company – hopes to be taking the big step up into cars to join Harrogate’s Mark Harper in a new team engineered by Jenson’s Button’s former mentor Roger Parkes in the series in which many former F1 world champions cut their teeth in motorsport.
As well as the current champ, other big names such as Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakinnen all started their careers in Formula Ford.
And, for Harper and Parsley, 2010 will be about making their mark in the sport which visits famous circuits such as Oulton Park, Silverstone, Rockingham, Snetterton, Donington as well as the Zandvoort circuit in Holland, racing in front of crowds numbering more than 30,000.
Harkesport may be new to the grid but Mark completed his rookie year last year, gaining valuable experience and learning the circuits before he and partner Jo Horsman linked up with Parkes at the end of last year to form the new team.
Parsley, 16, joins Harkesport after five years in the highly competitive British karting arena and – subject to additional sponsorship - will be racing in the championship’s scholarship class for young talent with limited experience in cars.
Rossett School pupil Parsley said: “Formula Ford is the natural step for me but we’re still going to need more support if I’m to be sure of being on the grid at Oulton Park in April.
“The next few weeks are going to be pretty frantic but it’s a dream worth chasing; we can only hope there are companies or individuals out there who would like to share it.”
“We’re delighted we’ll be able to present ourselves as a Yorkshire team,” said Mark, who also takes on the role of team manager when he’s not in the car himself.
“We’d like to think we can represent everything which is good about the county such as some old-fashioned grit out on the circuit married to a sensible approach to the racing budget.
“It’s not going to be easy taking on some of the established names in the sport but, with a nice mix of youth and experience, we just might be able to spring the odd surprise this year.”
Parkes, who returns to Formula Ford after an absence of several years, said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of the new season and to working with Mark and Adam. We may be a new team but the preparations for the new season have gone well.
”We acquired two new cars since December and we’ll be aiming for some trouble-free testing over the next few weeks to allow both Mark and Adam to get some mileage under their belts. If that goes as we’d like, then we’ll be looking forward to both drivers doing themselves justice at the first meeting in April.”