Investchem Formula Ford Championship – Round 3 – East London
Sixteen year-old Tasmin Pepper scored her best ever result in the national Investchem Formula Ford championship at East London’s demanding former Grand Prix track on Saturday (19 May).
Driving the newly liveried Ford Credit Mygale, the Midrand schoolgirl was placed third in each race and ended as second overall for the day.
It wasn’t all plain sailing though. She battled to get to grips with the ultra fast track in blustery conditions on Friday and as a result only qualified seventh fastest. “It took me a long time to take Potters Pass corner flat, and when I did I made a slight mistake at the complex,” she explained.
In the first heat she drove as if there was no tomorrow and managed to get ahead of Nicholas van Weely and then Pieter Norval after a hectic wheel-to-wheel battle that raged for half the race until van Weely dropped back. From then on she had Norval breathing down her neck until the end and when Leslie Reynolds spun at the final corner she gave him no chance to recover in front of her and at the same time made sure Norval couldn’t get a run and snatch third place from her in the race to the chequered flag.
Feeling confident for race two she made a good start and drove an aggressive opening lap. By the end of the second tour she was third, which she held until the chequered flag was waved eight laps later.
It was an impressive performance from the quietly spoken Cornwall Hill College learner. “I’m happy especially after I qualified so badly. The first race was much harder than the second one,” she commented afterwards.
