Motoring
Southland racing driver Jordan Michels will cross the Tasman next week to take up an opportunity to test drive a Mygale Formula Ford race car in Australia.
Michels was the Class 1 winner in the 2016/2017 South Island F1600 Championship and has been rewarded with the test thanks to an arrangement between the South Island Formula Ford Association and Mygale Cars in Australia.
The test will take place in an Australian specification car which will be fitted with a Duratec engine, a more modern, more powerful engine than those used in New Zealand. The test is scheduled to take place at Winton Motor Raceway in rural Victoria but in addition to the testing prize Michels has also taken an additional opportunity to test at the Phillip Island circuit as well while he is in Australia. The test car finished second in the 2016 Australian Formula Ford Championship in the hands of up and coming Australian star Will Brown.
“I am super grateful for the opportunity,” said Michels this week as he prepared for the trip. “I am looking forward to getting over there and driving. I thank everyone who has supported me over the last two years.”
Michels has spent the last two years racing F1600 in New Zealand, finishing runner–up in the South Island Championship for the last two years and third in the National Championship in both those years also. He took his first win in the national series at Manfeild in his debut season before a season plagued by mechanical gremlins this year.
Michels also tested in Australia last winter. “We took the opportunity to get some seat time while my New Zealand car was being rebuilt. The weather was not kind though. I enjoyed Phillip Island. It has a lot of heritage and is an amazing circuit. We have had a close association with Mygale Australia as we race a Mygale here in New Zealand and the relationship has built and built and that is part of the reason we had the opportunity. If we could find the funding I would love to race over there next season.”
Greg Woodrow, the CEO of Mygale Australia rates Michels highly. “Jordan Michels is another fantastic young New Zealand driver building his talent on the track. His vibrant personality and work ethic have shown, with support from New Zealand corporate entities such as Hydraulink that he has a huge future in this sport. Mygale in Australia, New Zealand and France are 100% behind Jordan’s career.”