Leastone and Finol Oils announce 2017 Star of Tomorrow Championship
As we arrive at one of the highlights of the Formula Vee calendar, the Formula Vee Festival, Leastone Racing Cars and Finol Oils are delighted to launch the 2017 Finol Star of Tommorrow. 2017 will be the 4th year of the Finol/Leastone partnership and the 5th year overall for initiative, which offers newcomers to Formula Vee the opportunity of a race weekend in the Leastone 1000, the 160 BHP slicks and wings shod Leastone single seater. The first two years of the prize saw rookie champions Colm Blackburn and Sean Newsome enjoy an all expenses paid race weekend at the end of year event at Mondello Park. 2015 saw the impressive Des Foley take to the daunting Oulton Park circuit outside Chester, where he recorded a brace of top 10 finishes despite being surrounded by more powerful machinery.
2016 will see the rookie champion travel to the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, where he/she will have a full days testing prior to 2 Monoposto races over the weekend. As we enter the second half of the season, the Finol Star of Tomorrow is wide open, with Conor Molloy, Aimee Woods and Ken Browne locked in a 3 way battle for the championship lead.
For 2017, the plan is to offer the Finol Star of Tomorrow a similar opportunity, although the venue can only be confirmed once next year’s Monoposto calendar is released. The Monoposto championship visits all major UK circuits during the course of the year, so depending on how the calendar falls, the 2016 champion could find him or herself racing at tracks such as Donington Park, Brands Hatch or Silverstone.
‘We are delighted to continue our support of the Finol Star of Tomorrow championship into 2017. What we like about this initiative is that offers the clubman racer an opportunity to race on an iconic British track while experiencing slicks, wings and a sequential gearbox. We enjoy promoting grass roots Irish motorsport which we are also seeing this weekend, with our title sponsorship of the Formula Vee Festival’ said Sean Holland of Finol Oils Ltd.
‘I’m delighted that this initiative is continuing into its 5th year. Formula Vee continues to grow and we have attracted some great new talent since the prize started. I want to thank Finol for their continued support and the credibility that having such a top Tier Company involved brings to the championship’ said Leastone founder Paul Heavey. ‘It is a great opportunity for one of the rookies to experience the UK motorsport scene, which will open their eyes for sure! I am also pleased that we continue to offer rookie racers of all ages the opportunity to enjoy such an experience.’
Heavey was referring to the relatively open entry requirements of the Finol Star of Tomorrow. The championship is essentially a rookie championship but it is open to licence holders of all ages, providing they have completed less than 5 race events (the minimum requirement to lift the novice plate from new drivers). The one exception to this rule is Ginetta Junior drivers (14-17 year olds), who are eligible for the championship regardless of how many races they have completed.
The 2016 Finol Star of Tomorrow has 4 rounds remaining, and concludes at Mondello Park on October 1st. The championship winner will race the Leastone 1000 in the final event of the UK Monoposto calendar at Brands Hatch on the 30th of October.
