It’s rare we get to cover a radical DLC car in real life the same month the car becomes available to play with in Forza, but this month we nailed it.
Ashley Sutton is a 20-year-old longtime Forza fan who races online with the folks at TORA. Sutton also races Formula Ford in real life and has been in the racing seat since he was a six.
Check out his story this week in Heavy Metal Affliction.
I have a challenge for you as well. I will be hitting S class Time Attack at Silverstone in the 2013 Ford Formula Ford EcoBoost 200 for the next few days. Catch me on my twitch station and post your degrading remarks about my horrible driving in the HMA thread. I’m also into your tune suggestions and feedback about the car itself.
I’m at 2:11 in my SatNiteEduardo S class tuned Formula Ford, I got a lot more in me.
I first discovered Ashley in a Forza 2 lobby back in 2008 when he was just 15 years old and was highly impressed by his both his racing ability and feedback, and we’ve been friends ever since. Three years ago we founded our Close Quarters Racing Club (CQR) which has since grown to nearly 40 members, and having Ashley as an integral part of the club has been a hugely important to us.
Many of our members now go along to each BTCC and Formula Ford meeting to support Ashley, take photos and help promote him on social media. We recently held a virtual Formula Ford race at the Nurburgring on Forza Motorsport 5 and are currently using the games’ livery editor to prototype a new design for the Jamun Racing car that will hopefully be unveiled at the next round at Croft on 28/29 June. Ash’s current livery can be downloaded from the Recommended Designs, or search for ‘CQR NEON’.
Here’s some photos and a video of Ashley’s team mates racing his car on Forza Motorsport 5:
Video of racing Ashley Sutton’s car on Forza Motorsport 5:
Link: - YouTube
I know I speak for the whole of Close Quarters Racing when I say how immensely proud we all are of Ashley’s achievements, he’s one of the most naturally gifted racers I’ve ever raced against and his hard work and determination to succeed is an inspiration to us all.
Good luck with the rest of the season - go get 'em CQR Champion!
Good to see youth coming up through the ranks.
I have been involved in FF racing some time ago.
I do think it has lost it’s way abit but good to see a promising driver doing well.
Great article as always John and really glad to see the positive reaction to the Nurburgring DLC and booster pack. The FF is such a fun car to drive! I’m getting a new “rig” next week (super excited) and the Thrustmaster TX wheel. It’ll be the first time in many years of sim racing (I think my first was Indianapolis 500 on the 486 PC!) that I’ll have used a wheel and I absolutely can’t wait to put my new kit through its paces using this car, and I won’t have far to go to get a few tips on improving my lap times - happy days!!!
I’ve had the pleasure (not sure if that’s quite the right word) of racing against Ash in various series since I joined TORA in 2010 (wow where did that time go?). One thing you could always rely on: If he was in your mirrors, within a couple of laps he’ll have found a way around you. It’s been great fun watching Ash driving in the British Formula Ford series because you can see so many of his “trademark” manoeuvres from our Forza racing being applied, and the opposition drivers, and commentators seem to be equally gobsmacked by the overtakes!
That was an awesome move. I’m a regular at OP, watch a lot of clubsport events there & i’ve never seen an overtake on the outside at Hizzy’s ever, great pass.
Please check out the CQR Site, the guys there are very welcoming and also pop onto my tiwtter and facebook, like and follow both and you may have the chance of winning tickets towards the end of the season!
Awesome write up! I can vouch for Ash’s natural talent as every time I spend days hot lapping and tuning running some times hundreds of laps, I eventually end up near the top of the leader boards chuffed with my efforts…Then Ash turns up and goes .5 sec quicker on his second lap!!! He can just dial in soooo quickly, its very impressive. This has translated into his real world motor sport endeavors too!!
With out the bad luck he has had so far this FF season he’d be leading the Scholarship class, and challenging the leaders in the newer faster cars!
It’s unbelievable Ash has no (yup NO) sponsors for the last two rounds…crazy…only £5k per round would secure the end of the season, which is really cheap as FF is televised in the UK on ITV4 too with Ash taking most of the coverage so far with his bold overtaking moves ;O)
Come on Turn 10…Plaster his Formula Ford with a huge logo for the last too rounds and turn up tp the races with a few cockpits so race fans can try the Formula Ford out for themselves!!
Good Luck Ash for the remainder of the season. Nice news post well written John Schommer!!!
Great article once again i look forward to reading you aritcles all the time and i’d love to go around a track in that it be would be awsome thanks again
GT: w311zy1
FM4: Ferrari 360 stratdale
BMW M3 GTR
Great write up, bunch of us BG guys were at Oulton Park and were gutted for you in that 3rd race. Looked like you would be going for the lead within a couple of laps before the shifter problem as you were so much later on the brakes at Hislops chicane than anyone else.
Wow this is some sweet stuff. Good luck in the future, with your track record so far, I can’t see you not making the podium. I haven’t driven the Formula Ford in FM5 yet, but at this point there really isn’t a reason not to. And I’ll definetly download your livery.
GT: Novalefe
Unicorn: FM4 BMW M3 GTR “Street Version”
Its great to have a read about something I know a little about, having been to Thruxton to see the Formula Fords and watch them each time on ITV4 with the BTCC. Really interesting to get the background on one of the racers.
I always knew some of these racers must practice with an Xbox!!
Not on Forza 5 yet, so will have to fire up Toca…LOL.
Will keep an eye out for the rest of the season and fingers crossed Ashley will get that podium for the main championship.
Another guy who got a young start at karting! I’m getting more and more jealous by the week and continuing to blame my parents for my non-existent driving career. sigh