FFord: CDR completes line-up with O’Neill

Cliff Dempsey Racing has completed its two-car driver line-up for the squad’s return to the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain.

The Irish team has signed 19-year-old Dubliner, Cormac O’Neill, to drive one of its Ray chassis, with National Formula Ford 1600 champion, Scott Malvern, already confirmed in the other car.

Like Dempsey, O’Neill raced for CDR in FF1600 last season, finishing third overall in the Irish championship and fifth in UK National series.

"I am very pleased to run Cormac in the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship, which has to be one of the toughest championships around,” said CDR team boss, Cliff Dempsey.

“Cormac has come on leaps and bounds during his first year in cars, finishing 3rd in the Irish Formula Ford Championship and 5th in the Webcon National FF1600 Championship, gaining valuable experience on a variety of tracks.

“He has had some fine podium finishes and has had several fastest laps. I do think that with a little more race craft, that he will further progress and surprise some people"

2009 was O’Neill’s first out of karts and he also finished 10th in the Kent class of the Formula Ford Festival and fifth in the Martin Donnelly Trophy alongside his exploits in the Irish and UK National series.

While being happy to remain with the team in which he made his car debut, he admitted he was disappointed that he would be ineligible to qualify for both the main and scholarship classes due to an off-season rule change by series organisers.

"I am very happy to remain in the CDR team and to be moving up to Duratec but I am slightly disappointed that I have to choose between the main championship and the Scholarship class. It would have been nice to have been able to compete for honours in both classes simultaneously as drivers have been allowed to in previous years.”

Watch the Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545) in 2010.


Andy Wilkinson