next »

[T-Man]

  WHEN the engines rev for the Clipsal 500 Formula Ford race next month, Happy Valley resident Michael O’Donnell’s heart will be beating fast as he prepares for his first race on the Adelaide circuit.

That is a dream come true for the IT support worker, who only began serious racing six years ago.

“As a local lad, getting the chance to race there on my home track is very exciting,” he said.

“My dad took me to motor races since I was four years old.

“I’ve always loved racing.

“I just never had the money nor the chance to do it earlier.

“I saved up to by my first car and found out I was pretty good at it.

“I won a couple of state championships in Formula Vee in 2007 and 2008 and also won SA race driver of the year in 2008.”

O’Donnell, 28, will compete in the Formula Ford national championship race for Trevor Pound’s Engman Engineering team, taking to the track each day from March 17-19.

He hopes local businesses will take the chance to sponsor him as a hometown boy in front of the huge Clipsal crowd.

“I’m looking to getting in there and hopefully staying off the walls,” O’Donnell said. “It’s going to be hard to stay damage free.

“The car will be getting up to 230km/h on the Adelaide track.

“I’m a very competitive, full-on-or-nothing person.

“I’d love to win, but realistically, if I can slide into the top 10 that would be a great result for me and the team.” Supercar champions Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup are among the many racing drivers who had their start in Formula Ford.

O’Donnell said he would have liked the chance to step up from state competition and compete on the national circuit for a season or two, but the estimated $300,000 annual cost was prohibitive.

“At the moment, I’m just focused on the job at hand,” he says.

“I think about it every day.

“My career highlight so far has been that driver of the year award, but racing at the Clipsal will probably top that.”


Story From: http://hills-and-valley-messenger.whereilive.com.au/news/story/mike-in-dream-debut/Above Pic By: Stephen Laffer.
===========================================================

Awesome good luck buddy

[Stido]

Awesome stuff man, wish you all the very best hopefully you can inform us of your weekend once you are back home would love to know the events that surrounded such a big weekend for you. Hope they televise it

[Simon351]

Super stuff Mike, Hope you have a great weekend mate, have fun 

[doecke83]

Great work mate I'll be working at turn 7 (start of Brock Straight) and I'll try and gets some shots for you 

[Marty]

Well done Mike, and best of luck for the weekend! 

Spewing i wont be there, i've missed the last 2yrs.
Hopefully next year. 

[Mr Pink]

Good onya Mike. All the best mate.

Ps another nice photo for Brendan 

[Forzasab]

Giv'em heaps mate!
And I dont mean the pitbabes cause that's a given 

[The_DraiK]

WTG MoD... hope to get to track to witness your run.

[Wikstr]

Thanks guys .  It's getting close now.  We feel we have some good power down improvements on our car with our suspension setup and if our test day at Mallala last week is anything to go by we are very happy with the changes.  Clipsal should all be about power down too, so fingers crossed I can stay outta trouble and have some fun.

Obviously will let ya know how I go, unless I'm totally embarrassed

Mike (yeah, the ugly mug in the photo )

[mixfloors]

Wow, great news Mike, Hope it goes well for you. Your going to need good "power down" to, with 70+ ATR memeber riding along with you.... welll at least our best wish's will.
Will we get some coverage of the race from CH7 ? IF so, do somthing spectacular, not expensive... like a backflip off the pit wall when you win or something...

[Stido]

haha yeah, make sure you look straight into the camera, and say "thanks to the guys at Austeam, oh and mum and dad too "

really looking forward to watching you now wish you all the best :D:D

[Matt Cooper]

Good luck Mike... I'll be watching from my lounge room cheering ya on.

[Tickford]

All the best for the weekend Mike!. May she be fast and stay off the walls.

We'll be barracking for ya!

[Jason_Sman-21]

Good luck mike

[Bacchulum]

Will we get some coverage of the race from CH7 ?

Last year, they usually showed the FFord races on V8Xtra a few weeks after the event (on a non-race weekend).
Hopefully they'll decide to show the support races on the actual weekend this year on 7Mate (or whatever it's called), otherwise, why bother having multiple digital channels?

All the best Michael, I'm off to do some laps of Adelaide (GP) in NkPro so I'll know how bloody hard it is!