PYE ON A HIGH!

Scott Pye won the 2010 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain in a dramatic final round of the season on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit yesterday to become the first non-European winner of the coveted title since the turn of the Millennium.

Australian Pye, driving a Mygale for the Jamun Racing team, moved to the head of the driver standings following a dominant victory in Saturday’s 24th round and second place yesterday – behind JTR’s Tio Ellinas – means he takes the title by 19 points from erstwhile championship leader Scott Malvern. He is Jamun’s sixth consecutive champion.

“It’s difficult to put into words – to win the championship is absolutely fantastic,” said an elated Pye. “Our season started on such a high at Oulton Park with a win, and to finish on the podium here at Brands as champion is an amazing way to cap a brilliant year.

“Our main goal is British Formula 3 next year. I’d really like to try to follow in Daniel Ricciardo’s [2009 British F3 Champion] footsteps I guess, and try to win that championship.”

With 12 race victories, 18 podiums in total and 16 pole positions, it’s been a truly outstanding season for the 20-year-old from Mount Gambier. Huge credit must go to his season-long rival Scott Malvern though, the Cliff Dempsey Racing driver just missing out on the title in only his second year of circuit racing.

Ending the campaign as a deserving vice-champion with a hard-fought third place in the final encounter, the 21-year-old from Ilford in Essex also has his sights set on British F3 for 2011 – but there’s a lot of hard work lying ahead to raise the required budget.

He said: “I pushed 110 per cent all year; the team and I have worked so hard as we’ve been on the back foot from the start. The Ray isn’t developed entirely, certainly not as much as the Jamun Mygales are, and I’ve been fighting against Scott, who is a lot more experienced than me. Congratulations to him, though, he’s a deserving champion.

“Overall I’ve had a good year, a very good year, and I’m hoping I’ve impressed the right people and done enough to try to secure the funding to go into F3 next year – that would be the ideal route for me.”

Cypriot racer Ellinas ended his first year of competition in cars in perfect style, a superb victory in the last round giving him his third success of the campaign and marking him out as very much one to watch.

The destination of the Scholarship class was decided on Saturday when the dogged Raysport driver Tristan Mingay took his 10th class win of the season to seal the title. It was a sweet success for the 20-year-old from Hailsham in Sussex, whose season was nearly brought to a premature close in a nasty accident at Brands Hatch earlier this month. “After what has been a long and at times hard season, this matters a lot,” he said. “There have been many ups and downs along the way, and it’s great finally to have got the job finished.”

All eyes will now turn to the BRSCC Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in three weeks time where both Scotts will go head-to-head in a bid to win the prestigious Festival crown.