Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy Round Up

Tuesday 3rd November 2020

As always, the show pieces of the Formula Ford calendar, the Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy, were nothing short of spectacular this year. With four LDR drivers competing, including two Team USA Scholarship drivers, the team have been extremely busy the last few weeks, ensuring everything was right ahead of these back-to-back events and of course, ensuring everything was right on the day! Andy Low, Team Owner said, “This year has been a very strange one, and at times very challenging. But we are so pleased that the Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy were able to go ahead, and very grateful to the organisers for making it all happen!” 

Here’s an LDR round up of these two awesome Formula Ford events.

Formula Ford Festival

There was much excitement at Brands Hatch as 2019 Festival winner Jonathan Browne showed immense skill and precision throughout the weekend and started the final on pole. Unfortunately a second win wasn’t on the cards, after a strong battle in the final he lost out to B-M Racing’s Rory Smith for the title, but he did take P2 and a well deserved podium finish! 

Max Esterson also impressed, securing a P6 finish in the final. Throughout the weekend he was extremely focused and really pushed hard to move up the grid, showing some excellent agility on track. 

The Team USA Scholarship drivers also did a brilliant job over the weekend, with Jackson Lee finishing in P10 and Bryce Aron taking P5 in the final. Both handled the cars excellently (despite some typical English weather!) and really fought hard throughout. 

Andy Low, Team Owner commented, “I am extremely proud of the whole team! Pole position for the final, and all four of cars in the top 10, is a fantastic result and credit to everyone’s hard work.”

Walter Hayes Trophy 

At the Walter Hayes Trophy, it was no different. The LDR drivers continued to be focused, dedicated and determined on track. Again, with some horrendous English weather, the conditions weren’t easy. But it was Team USA’s Bryce Aron that really shone at Silverstone, taking P3 at the final. After starting in P9, he did an excellent job of working his way up the grid, handling the pressure and the car well and thoroughly deserved his podium finish. 

Max Esterson was also fantastic, racing strong and hard throughout the heats and onto the final where he took P14, amongst an exceptionally competitive grid. 

Unfortunately is wasn’t the best day for Jackson Lee and Jonathan Browne, who were caught up in a collision along with several other cars at Luffield, with just 5 laps to go. 

Andy Low, Team Owner added, “All four cars making it through to the final as well as a podium finish is a great end to our racing year. I am delighted for Bryce and Team USA, he’s shown strong pace for a good time now and it’s great he has managed to deliver when it counts.”

Team USA Drivers Aron and Lee Begin Foray with Promising Performances at Silverstone

Tuesday 13th October 2020

This weekend, thirtieth anniversary Team USA Scholarship drivers Bryce Aron and Jackson Lee gained some valuable experience in both wet and dry conditions during the final two rounds of the BRSCC Avon Tyres National Formula Ford 1600 Championship on the Silverstone International circuit.

Aron, 17, from Winnetka, Illinois, claimed a best finish of fifth in Race Two following a race-long battle with last year’s Formula Ford Festival winner – and Low Dempsey Racing teammate – Jonathan Browne and three-time Walter Hayes Trophy winner Joey Foster, while Lee, 18, from Avon, Indiana, worked his way from 18th on the initial grid to 12th, posting the seventh fastest lap of the race in the afternoon encounter.

“Wet and wild, that’s what sums up today,” said Aron, who has spent the entire summer in the UK. “Jackson and I got to sample some pretty tricky conditions. A wet race one and a damp race two proved to be a challenge especially due to our limited running on Friday.”

After just two brief test sessions on Friday, one of which was curtailed early due to an on-track incident, Lee, in particular, faced a dauntingly steep learning curve during this morning’s dry qualifying session. Under the circumstances, 18th place among an intensely competitive field of 29 cars – with the top 16 covered by just 1.1 seconds – represented a respectable effort. Aron, who had qualified on pole position for the previous National event at Brands Hatch, took sixth on the grid. 

The clouds opened in time for the opening race, which provided another new challenge for Lee – his first-ever wet-weather race. Aron had to be content with ninth, with Lee taking 17th at the checkered flag.

“It was a great opportunity to learn the different techniques used in rain racing and to learn how to adapt to the constantly changing conditions,” said Lee. “I’m very happy with how the race went. As the race progressed I continued to find more speed and confidence. By the end of the race, I was able to battle for positions and turn lap times close to what the lead cars were doing.”

Indeed, Lee’s best lap was within a tenth of the pace set by Aron. The track was dry in time for the second race of the day, whereupon both Team USA drivers settled into some intense battles. Aron immediately made up four positions from ninth on the grid but was unable to find a way past teammate Browne. At one stage both Low Dempsey Rays were overtaken by Foster before repassing the veteran again in the closing stages. Lee also made up ground, rising to 11th before making a slight mistake on the final lap to slip behind veteran David MacArthur.

“Today I got my first taste of what racing in the UK is like,” said Lee. “I knew the competition was going to be very tough, but now that I have first-hand experience I truly understand how competitive this type of racing is. I understand why the Team USA Scholarship chooses to send their drivers to race in the UK because racing against this tough competition will definitely improve me as a driver. This racing experience is unmatched by any series I’ve been a part of and I’m sure I will make big strides in my short time racing here.”

“Along with a top-five, I also got to enjoy a great battle with some very experienced drivers in Jonathan Browne and Joey Foster,” added Aron. “There’s still much to learn but a solid first weekend with the Team USA Scholarship. Lots of fun to say the least; especially in a large field this close which proved once again to be a great experience. I can’t thank Doug Mockett, AERO Paints, Cooper Tires, SAFEisFAST.com, Jeremy Shaw, and everyone involved with the Team USA Scholarship enough for making this experience happen.”

Low Dempsey Racing will now undertake final preparations in advance of the next race event for the two Team USA Scholarship drivers, the 49th running of the famed Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 24/25.

Esterson Joins LDR Set Up For Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy

Monday 12th October 2020

Low Dempsey Racing is excited to announce the addition of Max Esterson to the lineup for both the 2020 BRSCC Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy.

New York native Max Esterson will join the team after competing in two Champion of Brands races, and one National Championship race already this year with Phil Wills Racing. Finishing 7thin the Champion of Brands, and 13th, 11th and 10th in the National round, Max has shown real potential and LDR are really excited to have him onboard for the rest of the season. 

Talking about his time in the UK so far, Max said “The racing throughout the field was incredible. Attacking and defending for the duration of each race was a blast. I had some awesome battles in September at Brands, and that’s what makes me want to come back.”

Esterson’s primary experience, besides a season at his local kart track, came from iRacing, the leader in online motorsport simulation, where he competed in their World Championship Series in 2018 and 2019. He said, “iRacing really did give me my start in racing. What I learned competing there at such a high level has been the key piece in my quick progression."

Talking about the future, Max stated, “I think I made good progress last month, I just hope to keep the momentum going.  I loved the racing in England and am thrilled to be able to come back with such a great team for the Festival and the WHT, and look forward to learning from all the LDR guys. I have to thank iRacing and Max Papis Innovations (MPI) for supporting me this trip, because without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Andy Low, Team Owner, added “We’ve been really impressed with Max’s performance so far this season, and having spent some time with him, we know he’ll be a great fit with the rest of the Low Dempsey boys. We’re really pleased to be able to add another brilliant contender to our existing strong line up of Jonathan Browne and Team USA drivers, Bryce Aron and Jackson Lee.”

You can find out more about Max at www.maxesterson.com and follow Max on Instagram @maxesterson.

Team USA Scholarship Announced

Saturday 19th September 2020

Low Dempsey Racing are thrilled that Bryce Aron and Jackson Lee have been announced as two of this year's Team USA Scholarship winners.

Bryce, 16, is already part of the LDR set up and has been doing a fantastic job so far this season. He has had several podium finishes to his name from races including the Combe Challenge, Champion of Cadwell and Champion of Brands. Jackson Lee, 18,  is currently racing for Rice Race Prep in F1600 in the USA, and has had an impressive season with them so far. 

Andy Low, Team Owner, stated “We’re all really excited about the Team USA Scholarship winners this year! It’s great that Bryce has been selected and it is a real testament to all his hard work. We’re also all really excited to work with Jackson, he is a great driver and we can’t wait to get him out on track! We’d also like to say a huge thank you to Jeremy Shaw and the rest of Team USA for working so hard to make this happen during such turbulent times.”

Both drivers will join the team for the iconic Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy.

Cliff Dempsey Racing Enters New Era

Tuesday 9th June 2020

After a delayed start to the 2020 season, Cliff Dempsey Racing will resume testing this week under new management as Andy Low, who has worked for Cliff Dempsey Racing and is a good friend of the team, takes the reigns after buying the team off Cliff and Michelle Dempsey. 

Now Low Dempsey Racing, the team is looking to start a new era in Formula Ford but Cliff will remain as part of the team in order to ensure a smooth transition between owners. With regards to the name change, Andy Low, the new owner stated “We wanted the name to reflect the ownership change but equally we wanted to play homage to the past and include the Dempsey name. The team has worked so hard over the last 30 years to establish themselves and build a great reputation that we didn’t want to throw that all away. Especially, as apart from myself, the team will remain the same as it was under Cliff.” Cliff added, “I’m delighted that Andy is taking over the team. I have known him for years and know he will do a great job!” At just 27 Andy has over a decade of experience within the motorsport industry, primarily in Endurance Racing but also within Formula 3, Superleague and of course, Formula Ford. 

Low Dempsey Racing already has three drivers confirmed for the season in the form of Jonathan Browne, who won the Formula Ford Festival last year, and American drivers Bryce Aron and Grant Palmer, who both come to the team with impressive junior careers. Andy Low said, “I’m excited about finally getting going with the season and seeing what we can achieve this year with our drivers. Our testing back in February went extremely well and we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do competitively.”