Australian Formula Ford Championship competitor Lachlan Mineeff is aiming to secure a top-three position in the final standings, when the series concludes at Phillip Island this weekend.
Mineeff is currently fourth in the FFord standings, just three points behind his team-mate Tom Sargent who sits in third position.
While Mineeff is mathematically in contention for the title, he accepts that outright victory in the Formula Ford championship would be a stretch. However, he says third place is a very achievable target.
“We would need a lot of luck to go our way to finish first or second, but it’s going to be a good battle for third,” he said.
“One of the main drivers I need to beat will be (team-mate) Tom, but while I’ll be racing hard to try and beat him, I’ll also be very conscious of not making unnecessary contact.
“The Phillip Island round was good for us last year – I finished fourth in one of the races, which was my equal-best result. The title contenders will be driving cautiously this weekend, so the plan will be to capitalise and hopefully win a couple of races.”
The year 11 Oxley College student is also hoping his recent simulator racing exploits will give him a winning edge. In preparation for the event, Mineeff has been competing in some high-profile simulator races including the Tuesday night “Just Send It” iRacing series, a competition that attracts Supercar and even Formula 1 drivers.
“The simulator racing has been very useful in terms of mentally preparing me for the task at hand,” Mineeff said.
“Even though the sensations are never going to compare to real-life racing, a lot of the processes and approaches are very similar, especially when it comes to maximising performance over a flying lap in qualifying, and setting up overtaking moves on other cars.
“On Tuesday night I raced at Bathurst in a TCR car, and it was really cool to compete against the likes of (Supercars Champion) Scott McLaughlin.”
This weekend’s final Australian FFord round will consist of practice on Friday, qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, and Races 2 and 3 on Sunday.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Indicom Electrical
Cactus Graphics
Astral Industries and Maintenance
