Benchmark Formula Ford team CHE Racing will enter three cars in the entire 2022 Australian Formula Ford Championship, starting at the historic Sandown Raceway this weekend.
After securing a dominating championship title for Tom Sargent last year, the ACT-based squad has bolstered its team, moving from two full-time entries to three.
The drivers include a great mix of youth and experience, with Jimmy Piszcyk (South Australia), Zak Lobko (New South Wales) and Tom McLennan (Queensland) all ready to take on the challenge and try to follow in the footsteps of some of Australia’s great racing stars like Larry Perkins, Russell Ingall, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup – all former champions of Australian Formula Ford.
Piszcyk, 15, is an experienced Formula Ford driver, having competed with Synergy Motorsport in two rounds of last year’s championship. He will drive the chassis that Sargent took to his title success last year.
For Lobko, this weekend at Sandown will mark his first-ever car race. The 19-year-old has stepped out of a 10-plus year karting career that saw him compete in both Australia and the United States.
McLennan, 17, has a good level of Formula Ford experience, having competed in Queensland-based state racing titles, finishing with a round win at Queensland Raceway in the final round last year. The 2022 season will mark his first full attack at the national series.
Practice will be held at Sandown on Friday ahead of qualifying and racing on Saturday and Sunday.
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Cameron Hill
Team manager
“I’m really excited to start a new season with an all new driver line-up,” said Hill.
“We had an awesome year last year, finishing one-two, and the aim will be to be go one-two-three this year, so we’ll be giving it our best shot.
“Jimmy is a really great kid. He is quite mature for his age, and second time around in the category, we expect him to perform quite well.
“Zak has a extensive experience in karting and has a good head on his shoulders. In testing, it hasn’t taken long to get up to speed. He hasn’t been to the tracks, but we can supply him with the support that he needs, so hopefully he can feed off that and get right on the pace.
“Tom has proved to be fast in testing and will benefit from his time in Queensland Formula Ford. Once he gets his head around the southern state tracks and gets more experience on those circuits, I’m confident that he’ll pick it up.“
Jimmy Piszcyk
#93 Iocane
“I have my work cut out for me, but this year is about myself pushing to be the best I can and we’ll see what comes out at the end of the year,” said Piszcyk.
“My expectation for the year is to do the best I can and try and finish in the top three. That will be a great achievement for me in my first full year.
“We’ve done some pre-season testing. The car is different to what I’ve driven in the past, but it’s certainly fast enough, and I’m feeling confident with the team.”
Zak Lobko
#7 Elite Attachments
“It’s great to join CHE Racing for the 2022 Formula Ford season,” said Lobko.
“I want to pursue a career in Supercars in the future, and with COVID restrictions now starting to settle down, I felt that the right time was right to get out of karting and take my racing to the next level.
“I would like to be up the front, but I’ve done limited testing, so I want to see how this first round at Sandown goes. I’ve improved every time I’ve gone out, so I guess a top 10 result would be a good result, but I don’t want to put any expectations on the result.”
Tom McLennan
#8 MACPRO Properties
“It’s a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get into the season. It’s a good team with a very professional set-up,” said McLennan.
“I’ve done three test days of testing at Phillip Island, Winton and Sydney and I loved it. It’s the first time that I’ve driven outside of Queensland, so it was great to experience so new venues.
“I’m aiming for a top 10 finish in the series and work my way towards a podium. The main aim is to be consistent and finish every race. I’m hoping to do every round, but I will need to balance that with schooling as I’m finishing Year 12.”
