Amidst controversy and incidents for the GB3 Championship leaders at Snetterton, British-American outfit Arden VRD enjoyed one of their most successful weekends in the GB3 Championship to date. Feeder Series spoke to drivers Noah Ping and James Hedley to find out more about the team’s progress this year.

By George Brabner

At Snetterton, all eyes were on the GB3 championship lead, which changed three times in the space of two days. After an off weekend for JHR Developments at the previous round in Spa, Joseph Loake entered round four on top, albeit with a margin over Callum Voisin reduced to just two points. The Rodin Carlin driver took control at the end of race one before Alex Dunne, who had gained momentum with two victories at Spa, surpassed both to top the drivers’ standings at the midpoint of the season.

Behind them in fourth lies Hedley, who was back on the top step in the first race at Snetterton with his second race victory of the season. Arden VRD’s success continued into Sunday, as Noah Ping picked up the pieces from a dramatic incident between race leaders Voisin and Kucharczyk – which saw the latter disqualified – to score the outfit’s fourth win of the year.

Ping had already won a race in 2023 in the reverse-grid race at Silverstone. However, victory in a regular contest at Snetterton, where he was already running third on merit, signified something much greater.

A team effort

With the first half of the season ticked off, JHR Developments leads the teams’ championship by 18 points over Rodin Carlin. But Arden VRD is just a further 12 points back, their rise catalysed by progress from both Hedley and Ping.

Hedley kickstarted his second full season in GB3 with an emotional win at Oulton Park. He struggled for pace at Silverstone, but his teammates Ping and Nico Christodoulou scored a one-two finish in the third race, sweetening an otherwise gruelling weekend.

Over in the Ardennes, Hedley was back within the top eight in qualifying and all three races, and Christodoulou hovered around the top 10. Ping, however, had a round to forget, finishing no higher than 19th.

Upon the championship’s return to the UK, the American took the fifth-best overall time and the fourth-best second-fastest time in qualifying at Snetterton. Englishman Hedley took sixth and seventh in the respective classifications as he looked to keep in touch with the championship fight.

Hedley won the first race with Ping seventh before both drivers made it to the podium on Sunday morning in what turned out to be the team’s highest-scoring race of the year.

They’ve helped me. They’ve accepted who I am and pushed me to the max

Noah Ping on his teammates at Arden VRD

“It’s an amazing feeling for sure. Six months ago I didn’t even know I was going to be racing [in GB3], so it’s really good to be here and get a win. I want to thank [VRD team boss] Dan [Mitchell], my team Arden VRD – I’m losing my voice, I’ve screamed too much – but I can’t thank them enough! Gustavo Yacaman, he’s been truly special, he’s helped us out a lot this weekend,” Ping told Feeder Series as he left the podium.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates as well. They’ve helped me, they’ve accepted who I am and pushed me to the max. Because none of us have been that slow in the past couple of races, it’s good to get their data, get their insight on the tracks as well.”

Comfortable at Snetterton

Ping’s Snetterton success is especially notable considering his lack of experience on UK circuits. The American, who began his racing career in the Radical Cup in 2020, was set to stay stateside with Velocity Racing Development for a USF2000 campaign after finishing third in F4 US last year, but Arden and VRD’s strengthened ties for 2023 helped make his GB3 move possible over the winter.

“I’ve gotten a lot of laps at this place. And, like I said, six months ago I didn’t know I was going to be racing this car, so I don’t know these circuits.

“I don’t know the car fully yet, but [with] every session I’m getting better, getting more comfortable. It’s just I’m comfortable at this place and I know what the car needs around this place,” he said.

“You can see it with these guys who have done two years, they’re all up there, so it’s definitely time, experience, knowing the tracks, knowing the car.”

Momentum for the summer

The more experienced Hedley is finding his form again after a mid-season trough. First and third for the Briton, in addition to Ping’s win, leaves him and Arden VRD in a favourable position heading into the five-week break.

“It would be good to have this momentum, really, but it’ll be good for me because maybe we can catch an advantage during that break. I know what I’ll be doing, we’ll just focus on ourselves, work on some things,” Hedley told Feeder Series.

“We know why we had the dip, really… We just [need to] learn from our mistakes.”

“As a team, Arden VRD are working really well together. It’s nice to see, and having knowledge from each side is really going well,” he said.

“The team did a mega job all weekend. [We] showed off that we’re all strong as a team with Noah getting a win as well. Three podiums from the team out of two races was pretty decent, and not too bad of a reverse-grid race either.”

Similarly confident in the tools underneath him and the people around him, Ping said he believed results of a similar calibre are on the cards later this year.

“I think we can get more wins, no matter what. It’s just whether if I can maximise it or not. The cars are quick. It’s just the driver that makes the difference,” Ping said. “If I’m comfortable with the car, we know we can be quick.”

Header photo credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography