ParcFerme.Com

The penultimate round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be contested at Tasmania's Symmons Plains this weekend, with the championship well and truly in the balance in a season that has produced some outstanding racing.

While things are tight at the top end of the points table, a closer look at the top three competitors will unveil three very differing seasons for Blanchard, Walsh and Moffat, placing them all in the race for the 2007 crown heading into Symmons Plains.

Blanchard has shown unmatched consistency this year, the young Victorian has completed every single race on this year's card, taken out round honours at Clipsal and Winton, won five races, and been in the points a staggering 16 out of a possible 18 races.

After streaking to a healthy points lead early on in the piece with round wins in two of the opening three rounds, it is clear Blanchard focussed on making sure he kept on adding to his points tally in order to stay atop of the leader board.

Since Winton Blanchard has finished top five in all but two races, and those two races at Sandown in September were the only times he hasn't scored points this year.

"It was disappointing at Sandown, both times I didn't score points it was due to incidents out of my control," said Blanchard.

"I definitely need to win races in the remaining two rounds and I am very confident of doing that, we will have the required speed to win and I am quietly confident of winning enough races from here on in."

While he has been tallying up the points on a consistent basis, Blanchard has not won a race in his Jaylec Mygale since round three at Winton, and with Walsh charging up the points and hot on his tail the pair will need to go all out in the remaining six races to clinch series glory.

A CAMS Rising Star this year, Walsh found himself in the unenviable position of having to make up ground from the get go, although he is the first to admit it was his own doing.

"I was far too eager at the start of the year in terms of putting pressure on myself to win races," explained Walsh.    

"Since then I have concentrated on finishing in the points and things have fallen into place for me so I am not going to change my strategy now because I have found it has worked in my favour to not concentrate on winning and just taking each race as it comes."

Walsh has round wins to his name at Eastern Creek and Queensland Raceway and has won half of the season's races with nine wins to his name; almost double that of series leader Tim Blanchard.

Between the opening race at Eastern Creek and race two at Sandown, Walsh was untouchable winning a staggering eight races straight before a controversial incident with Blanchard resulted in a penalty being handed down by stewards and placing Walsh in tenth after race three.

Having clawed his way back and earned his current standing as second in the championship, a battle with Blanchard lies ahead and it is clear anything less than race victories wont be good enough.

Son of a gun James Moffat is the third contender for this year's crown, but will need race wins to claim a series victory, something he hasn't been able to do since round two at Barbagallo.

Moffat was round winner in Perth and has finished all but two races in the points this year, another outstandingly consistent performer; however he will need to find further pace in his Mygale and things to go his way in the remaining rounds to snatch the series win.

Finishing first on the podium at Sandown for the first time in his National debut year was Sonic Motor Racing's Glen Wood, who will group with CAMS Rising Stars Kristian Lindbom and Joshua Scott as the likely challengers to the top three this weekend in Tasmania.

Round seven at Symmons Plains kicks off with a practice session on Friday morning, with qualifying and three races to make up the rest of the weekend sessions.