After making the uncharacteristic swap from speedway to open-wheel racing in 2018, Kyan Davie will make his New Zealand Formula Ford Championship debut later next year.
At 15-years-old, Davie will be one of the youngest drivers in the 2021 field.
The Saint Kentigern’s College student had spent most of his early racing career in quarter midgets. But after three seasons on dirt, Davie opted to pursue a new challenge with NZ Formula First.
Without any tarmac experience before his Formula First debut, Davie quickly got up to speed with his new environment. In the 2019 Formula First Manfeild Winter Series, he claimed three race wins and seven podiums en route to fourth in the standings.
Now, Davie is making the next step into the national Formula Ford series. However, he believes the more challenging aspects of the progression will come off the track.
“Formula Ford has always been the step up from Formula First,” Davie told Velocity News. “Not just speed wise but also for professionalism and maturity.
“When asked after a session what the car is doing, my answers have to be clear and detailed about what it is doing through different sections of the corner. Maturity on track is very important. That comes from being forward-thinking and staying calm in a high-pressure scenario.
“I will be expecting the same extremely close racing, where I have to race under immense pressure from the other racers who are generally in your slipstream.
“From learning this type of racing in Formula First, I am sure it will be a great advantage for me in Formula Ford. That style of close racing in the two classes does keep the drivers on their toes and one DNF could really hurt your championship.”
Next year’s New Zealand Formula Ford Championship will be contested across a shortened three-round calendar.
Davie says the condensed racing schedule will place added importance on consistency and reliability.
“It is going to come down to who has finished all nine races,” Davie said.
“It is extremely important not to have a DNF because it will then become too hard to try and fix the damage done to your championship.
“You can not let the pressure get you. Sure there is the thought that it is a fairly short championship, but you can’t let any pressure drive you into a mistake.”
When asked what the goal is for his maiden season, Davie was clear in his intention to take each race as a fresh learning opportunity.
“The goal is always to the absolute best, but you have to be realistic that it is my first season where I will learn a lot from other drivers who have done more in a Formula Ford then I have.
“Still, I would like to be up the front and trying to be in contention for a top-three in the championship.”
The opening round will be at Hampton Downs on February 21, with meetings at Pukekohe Park in March and Ruapuna in May rounding out the season.