The team - the same outfit that finished third in the competitive Victorian State Formula Ford Championship with Johnston in 2006 - could potentially contest more rounds of the series should suitable budget be found.

Glenelg-based Johnston has one Australian Formula Ford Championship start to his name - at the Clipsal 500 in 2005 - and will return to the streets of the South Aussie capital in March to kick off his first National Championship campaign.

After ending his debut Victorian Formula Ford season with two podiums from two rounds at Phillip Island, Johnston said that he was looking forward to the challenge of stepping up to a National championship level this year.

"When young drivers look to advance their career, most look to Formula Ford which is what we have done," he explained.

"I can't wait to be on the grid of the Clipsal 500 in March to start my first National Championship campaign. It's going to be a big step in my career but I'm confident that we're up to the task."

Experienced Mygale team owner Greg Woodrow will head up the Asher Johnston Racing / G-Force Mygale team, bringing years of National formula Ford championship experience to the party.

"Greg has been around the sport for a long time and has an understanding of what it takes to win a championship," Johnston said.

"I'm really happy with the team that we've put together over the last couple of years, and I think that they are all ready to make the step up into a National-championship winning outfit.

"We are under no illusions as to how tough it's going to be - I'm certain that this will be a development year for my career - but it should put us in a really good position to challenge for the championship in the 2008 season, which is the ultimate goal.

"Until then we are focused on preparing the new car for Clipsal, raising funds so we can come out strongly at our home event." He said.

Johnston has been one of South Australia's brightest racing talents in recent years, emerging from the ranks of karting to dominate Formula Vee 1600cc competition both locally and in Victoria - winning the Victorian State Formula Vee title in 2005.

In 2006 Johnston stepped up into a Formula Ford and was one of the quickest drivers in a competitive year for the Victorian state Formula Ford championship, coming home strongly to third in the championship - the season highlight being a stunning round victory in the penultimate event at Phillip Island.

Johnston and his team will take delivery of their brand-new Mygale SJ07 chassis this month and will aim to have the car ready to test well before the Clipsal 500 in March, all the while continuing to raise finances for their campaign to enable them to complete the full championship season.

The Clipsal 500, the opening event of an eight-round 2007 Australian Formula Ford Championship - will be held from March 1 - 4.

Johnston, 20, will support the UK-based Teenage Cancer Trust after meeting relatives of cancer survivor and British racing driver Joe Twyman on a recent trip to Europe.

Asher will sport a Teenage Cancer Trust band across the top of his Visor as he pilots his #18 AJR / G-Force Mygale SJ07 around the demanding Clipsal 500 Circuit in the Adelaide Parklands on March 1 - 4.

The event will be the beginning of Asher's first Australian Formula Ford Championship campaign following a storming year in the 2006 Victorian State Formula Ford 1600 championship last year, where the Glenelg-based teenager won a round and finished third in the championship despite it being his first year in Formula Ford competition.

Joe Twyman races in the UK - with ambitions of a LeMans start in the future - and spent over two years fighting Leukaemia after being diagnosed aged 18.

Whilst in hospital watching the LeMans 24hr race, Twyman raised over $30,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust and organised to have the organisations logos on the Intersport Racing Lola running in the event.

When on a trip to Europe late last year to visit the Mygale factory in France, Asher Johnston met Twyman's relatives on a stopover in London and was immediately moved by the cause, purchasing a number of the helmet strips to support the charity.

Twyman is selling the visor strips to help raise funds and awareness for the trust.

"It was great to go to Europe and meet the guys who were making my new car, but finding out about the Teenage Cancer Trust and what Joe Twyman had achieved was the real highlight." Asher said.

"To find out from Joe's uncle, Craig, about what was achieved, what the Trust stands for and how much they helped a fellow young driver like me was all I needed to get on board and support what they are trying to achieve for the Teenage Cancer Trust."

"I can't wait to proudly wear the visor strip on my helmet when I make my first real attempt at the Australian Formula Ford Championship, at my home event.

"The Clipsal 500 is such a big event, my home race, and I hope that people take notice of what we are doing." he said.

Johnston's brand-new Mygale SJ07 arrived in Australia three weeks ago and since then his team has been busy assembling the car ready for battle at the Clipsal 500.

Asher will once again race with the support of the G-Force Mygale team and at this stage intends to contest a limited campaign on the national Formula Ford series in preparation for a full-scale championship attack in 2008.

Johnston heads to his home round with confidence, having already raced the demanding street circuit in a Formula Ford once before, in 2005.

"It will be nice to go to Clipsal knowing the circuit." He said

"I finished inside the top fifteen there in 2005 and that was my first ever drive of a Formula Ford. To go back there this year, with a full year in the car under my belt will be great."

"It won't be a case of having to learn the track - instead I'll be able to go out and develop the car right from the first practise session. I can't wait - it's going to be a huge weekend and I'm confident that we can pull a good result on our first start."

The Clipsal 500 Adelaide gets underway next Thursday in the Eastern Parklands of Adelaide, and runs for Four days.

The Formula Fords will have two practice sessions Thursday, Qualifying on Friday before staging two races on Saturday and the third on Sunday as a lead in to the V8 Supercar season opener.

The Seven Network is expected to carry live coverage of at least one Formula Ford race from Adelaide throughout the weekend.

20-year-old Johnston experienced the whole gamut of emotions throughout the opening round of the 2007 Australian Formula Ford Championship but leaves the event confident in the knowledge that he has what it takes to race at the very front of the series.

The Clipsal 500 was Johnston's second start in a National Championship Formula Ford event but his first since finishing third in last years Victorian Formula Ford title.

Driving his AJR / G-Force Mygale SJ07 #18 entry, Johnston will tackle a selected campaign on this year's championship to gain experience and race miles before aiming to win it in 2008.

Johnston's Clipsal 500 weekend started slowly, Asher the recipient of contact from another driver on just his second lap of the first practice session Thursday morning. The impact broke the rear suspension of his Mygale chassis and left the team without any data or information from the session.

Now a session behind the eight ball, Johnston was 17th fastest in the second practice session as the team battled to set the car up to suit the bumpy street circuit.

Qualifying was equally difficult, 20th place the best the team and driver could muster after three red-flags ensured that it was extremely difficult to get a clear lap around the 3.2km track.

Two races were held Saturday, Asher working from the 10th row of the grid to finish a safety-car interrupted affair in 14th position - a pleasing gain and proof that things were slowly beginning to turn around.

Unfortunately that didn't last through the second race, when Asher was caught up in a mid-pack coming together and ousted from the 8-lap affair on lap four.

With the damage repaired, Asher was a man on a mission in Sunday's finale and set about working through the field as quickly and cleanly as possible.

Johnston passed a number of cars and escaped the carnage - 15 of 25 starters finished the race - to finish an excellent 11th.

Since Clipsal I haven't been totally motorsport free. I've had a number or drive days and also the Kart Maina 300 Enduro to raise money for the Variety Club. After being almost a lap up at one stage, we ended up 2nd overall, but a good time was had by all.

The AJR team was also apart of the Adelaide Motorshow. We had the Simulator there and, again, it was a huge success. Thankyou to Everyone who helped out over the 5 days, especially to Pete from Duplex IT.

We did a lot of work refining a setup for the wet weather, which we have never had the chance to do, even with the 04 Mygale last year. It was also my first time behind the wheel of the car since the Clipsal 500 so it felt good to get back in and do some laps. Special thanks to Mike O'Donnell for his help.

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The weekend through up a mix of weather conditions and we got to see just how good our wet setup that I was so happy with a fortnight ago was.

I won race one in the wet, and was narrowly second in the second race Saturday afternoon.

I was loosing quite a lot of time in some areas so we were chasing the car to try and cure this on Sunday. The results showed a 2nd and two 3rd's but we saw it as a step forward as we identified the problem, now we just have to find a suitable solution that doesn't negatively effect the car in other areas.

We ended up with the fastest time of the weekend, and a PB for me, at a 1.12.0. I'm confident we can go faster then that in time, once we have sorted a few more things out with the car setup and try a few new things.

Again, thanks to AJR crew, Frank, Kev, and Pete.

Formula Ford National Round 6

For the first time since the Clipsal 500, we raced with the National Series at the Sandown 500. We had a test day prior to leaving at Mallala where we gave the car a shakedown after a full strip and rebuild.

The main aim of the weekend was to get back into the swing of racing again in preparation for next season. Friday consisted of only one practise session before qualifying, so there wasn't much time to get the eye back in before it got serious.

I qualified down the grid after the wrong call on setup, but having been out of the car for so long, it was tough going to get near the pace of the leaders.

In race one and two I managed to stay out of trouble and ran around the mid teens for most of both races. Race 3 on Sunday was looking like a similar story until the last lap where at the braking approach to turn 1 I was hit from behind which resulted in a DNF to round out the weekend.

A big thanks to the AJR team, Dad and Frank for their help over the weekend. Also to G-Force, Cartek, Duplex IT and our new sponsor, Ugly Fish Eyewear for their continued support.