Formula Ford
Encyclopedia
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing.
The latest change in the history of the Formula since its inception in 1966 is the launch of the 2012 Ecoboost Formula Ford car in September 2011, which supersedes the popular Duratec engine in the national championships.
Formula Ford is widely regarded as the first step on a driver’s career path to Formula One, in relatively simple, strong cars.
Whilst other racing series have come and gone around the world, Formula Ford has endured. Over the years the engines have grown in power, grip from tyres has increased, and the car design has become ever more sophisticated.
History
The origins of Formula Ford began in the early 1960’s, where motor racing schools such as The Jim Russell school, and Motor Racing Stables featured single seat Formula Junior and Formula 3-like machines from world class constructors like Cooper and Lotus. Many aspiring formula 1 stars looked to these schools in hopes leaning the craft and also looking the part. However, although there was no shortage of aspiring drivers, these schools had much trouble avoiding bankruptcy. The 1 litre Formula 3 engines, the 1.1 litre Coventry Climax FJ and later the Ford Anglia 105E, cost around £3,000 at the time in addition to the Dunlop racing tires that cost £80 a set. Furthermore, these engines were incredibly fragile to boot, meaning these engines had a tendency to self destruct. All these factors contributed to a steep maintenance and upkeep cost of these schools.In 1963, Geoff Clarke; the owner of Motor Racing Stables, moved his racing school to the Brands Hatch circuit. This brought him in contact with John Webb; Managing Director of Developments at Brands Hatch. At about this time, two of the school’s Lotus Formula Junior chassis were fitted with a stock 1498cc Ford pushrod engine as featured in the recently introduced Cortina GT sedan. The 1500 Cortina, with its sensational reliability and horsepower output fairly close to “F3 proper” proved a resounding success in the school. The earliest experiments with radial tires bore fruit as well: the students of the day didn’t care that these weren’t the racing engines or racing tires, just that the cars were equal.
At an informal meeting at the December 1966 racing car show day at Olympia, John Webb and Geoff Clarke, were discussing the possibility of building a fleet of identical open wheel race cars based on the success of combining the Ford power plant and road wheels, radial tires, and Formula junior style chassis. Not only would they make ideal school cars, but would also provide a new entry level formula for a race series. They felt if they called it “Formula Ford” they could get backing from Ford itself. Webb was on the phone the next day to Ford competition manager Henry Taylor, who agreed to provide Clarke and MRS with 54 Cortina GT engines at £50 each (£15 below retail). Webb also approached the Royal Automobile Club’s competition director, to establish rules for this new class. Late in 1967, Ford announced the new Formula Ford class to the world.
- Rules: (reprinted from May ‘67 issue of R.A.C. Motor Sport Bulletin):
- 1. Type of Car – This formula is open to single seat cars with open coach work as defined by the F.I.A. for Formula 1, 2, and 3 and complying with R.A.C. Vehicle Regulations.
- 2. Engine and Ancillaries – Standard normal specification Cortina GT engine. All standard parts to be used with the exception of the air cleaner (which may be removed and substituted by a ‘trumpet’),
- carburetor jets, spark plugs. Exhaust manifold, oil sump and pump (‘dry sump’ is allowed). Re-boring is permitted using production pistons to a limit of .015. The only modification is allowed if balancing and polishing but the compression ration must not exceed 9:5:1 (total combustion space to be not less than 44.2cc per cylinder). The dimensions of all moving parts must be within standard Ford production tolerances.
- 3. Electrical Equipment – Standard dynamo and starter to be retained in working order. Diameter of dynamo driver pulley free.
- 4. Cooling – Radiator, fan and water pump free.
- 5. Gearbox – Not more than four forward speeds and one reverse (which must be operable from the driving seat) but otherwise free.
- 6. Flywheel – Standard Cortina GT.
- 7. Clutch – Free including attachment to flywheel.
- 8. Drive – Rear-wheel drive only, final drive ration free, but torque biasing differential not allowed.
- 9. Steering Gear – Free.
- 10. Wheels – Only steel disc type with a maximum rim width of 5.5 in.
- 11. Brakes – Only Standard parts from any homologated Group II car(s) allowed, except for drums or discs or linings.
- 12. Fuel Pump – Free.
- 13. Chassis – Of tubular construction with no stress-bearing panels except bulkheads and undertray, but the curvature of the undertray must be limited to a maximum of 1in. tubes may be transport
- liquids if required.
- 14. Body – Free within limits of 1.
- 15. Fuel Tanks – Free.
- 16. Suspension and Running Gear – Free except that all parts are steel except springs, hub adaptors, rear hub carriers and bearing bushes the materials which are free.
- 17. Shock absorbers – Free.
- 18. Tyres – Racing tyres are not allowed-otherwise free within standard production retail range as specified in Section 1 of R.A.C. Tyre Regulations.
- 19. Weight – Minimum weight of 400kgs (881.6lbs).
- 20. Cost – not to exceed £1,000 retail complete running order.
- 21. Eligibility – No driver who has competed in an International Formula 1 or Formula 2 race may participate.
Geoff Clarke then sat about approaching existing race car constructors to build the first Formula Fords. Both Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham turned down the idea; Colin Chapman however dusted off the then obsolete Lotus 31 Chassis and reinvented it as the Lotus 51.
He agreed to provide the first of two 25 car batches at £850 per car. The only stipulation Chapman had was that a Renault gear box was used. This proved to be fundamental weak point in the drive train. Difficulty with the Renault transmission resulted in a failure to continue with the second batch of cars for MRS.
Jim Russell approached Colin Chapman to supply Formula Ford cars for his own school. Chapman insisted Russell match Clarke’s 50 car order; Russell would only commit to 10 cars so the deal fell through. Russell then approached Allan Taylor who built the Alexis car and a deal was struck to jointly produce the Russell-Alexis. This car had the Hewland racing gear box which made the car more expensive (£999), but was more reliable and allowed interchangeable ratios.
The first standalone Formula Ford race took place at Brands Hatch on July 2nd, 1967. Of the 20 cars that competed, 10 were MRS Lotus 51’s, including the eventual winner, Ray Allan. The Russell-Alexis car demonstrated it superiority by winning its debut race in August 1967 and by 1968 54 Russell- Alexis has been sold. Based on this success Jim Russell opened 2 more racing schools in Britain, another in Canada, and another in the United States.
Chapman and his Lotus 51 did recover, replacing the troublesome Renault gear box with the Hewland unit, even claiming Jim Russell as a customer in 1968. 1968 also saw the debut of Meryln as a Formula Ford constructor, dominating sales for that year. Other new manufactures included Crossle, Dulon, Elden, Hawke, and Royale, together with existing constructors such as Brabham choosing to build a Formula Ford chassis.
As the production Ford Cortina engine evolved to a new 1600cc crossflow unit, so did the Formula ford regulations. Increasing costs forced them to relax the £1,000 price ceiling on Formula Ford as blueprinting of the engine was now allowed.
Belgium hosted the first race outside England, in 1967. Formula Ford racing quickly spread across Europe and North America, with the first official Formula Ford race in the United States on March 23rd, 1969. By the late 1960's and early 1970's, Formula Ford had established itself as a direct path to a seat on a Formula 1 car, the highest level in open wheel motorsport. Australian Tim Schenkin won over 2 dozen Formula Ford races in 1968, two years later he was driving a Formula 1 car for Frank Williams. Emerson Fittipaldi impressed during the 1970 Formula 1 Grand Prix Season after a short stint in Formula Ford. In 1970, he became the first Formula Ford graduate to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. In 1972, he became the first Formula Ford graduate to win the Formula 1 World Championship.
Unique features of Formula Ford
Formula Ford, unlike all the previous single-seater series, is not a one-make championship. It allows freedom of chassis design, engine build and numerous technical items of specification on the car. This opens the door to many chassis manufacturers, large and small. Many other single-seater formulae impose fixed specifications. Only two other professional single seater racing formulae in the world offer the same freedom of chassis and engine build: Formula ThreeFormula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
and Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
The Formula today
Formula Ford racing exists in two main forms: National Series for aspiring 'career' drivers run around the world which have used the 1600 Duratec engine, (which replaced the heavier but not significantly more powerful Zetec engine in 2006), and for 2012 are beginning to adopt the new Ecoboost 1600 turbo engine; and a mainly amateur, club-racing series attracting serious enthusiasts using the now elderly 1600 Kent Engine with which the formula ran from the mid-1960s to mid-1990s. Whatever the engine of the Formula Ford car, it has long provided a relatively inexpensive way for drivers to race purpose-built racecars. There are many Formula Ford 1600Formula Ford 1600
Formula Ford 1600 is a number of championships which cater to 1600cc, Ford Kent powered Formula Ford racing cars. These are cars which were disbanded when the UK national Formula Ford category adopted the 1800cc Zetec engines in 1993...
series for drivers of the older Kent-powered cars.
A Formula Ford car is one of the more distinctive-looking open-wheel race cars because it does not have wings to create aerodynamic
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
downforce. Top speeds in the National Class are easily as high as in the other Junior Formulae of BMW and Renault, but cornering speeds tend to be lower as Formula Ford cars lack the downforce-producing aerodynamic aids on the other cars; handling is therefore entirely down to mechanical grip, and the lack of wings ensures that cars following another are not aerodynamically disadvantaged, allowing some of the closest racing with plenty of overtaking. Series' rules may permit slick or treaded tires, generally supplied either by Dunlop or Avon. As the rules limit engine modifications, all cars are relatively equal racing results tend to be close. Formula Fords allow suspension, damping, gearing and braking bias changes, but not aerodynamic options such as winged cars.
Many famous race drivers have used the formula as a step up to international competitions. For example, Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine
Edmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing...
and Jenson Button
Jenson Button
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...
were both British Formula Ford champions; and Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick
Danica Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, model and advertising spokeswoman. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, being the only woman to win in the IndyCar Series as well as holding the highest finish by a woman at the Indianapolis 500 of 3rd...
, the first female to win a major race in the IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
on a closed course, finished second in the British Formula Ford Festival early in her career. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
and Jody Scheckter
Jody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former auto racing driver, the Formula One World Drivers Champion.-Career:Scheckter was born in East London, South Africa and educated at Selborne College.-Formula One:...
were both competing in Grands Prix within a year or so of starting Formula Ford in Britain.
The 2012 Formula Ford Ecoboost car
A new Formula Ford car is expected to be introduced in 2012. Unlike its predecessor that has NA engines and manual gearboxes, the car will be utilising power from a turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engineFord EcoBoost engine
EcoBoost is a family of turbocharged and direct injected six-cylinder and four-cylinder gasoline engines produced by the Ford Motor Company. Engines equipped with EcoBoost technology are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with larger displacement, naturally aspirated engines while...
and a sequential gearbox. The new car is expected to have 165PS, with identical engine calibration for every competitors' cars.
The car's chassis remains a steel spaceframe construction, with free chassis design open to all manufacturers. New to the car is its compliance with Formula Three safety standards, which involves mandatory crash structures, side-impact panels running the full height and length of the cockpit, an FIA-specified headrest and an extricable safety seat.
In addition to the safety enhancements, some mandatory elements of bodywork shape have also been introduced. These will define the shape, size and orientation of the sidepod air intakes and the roll-hoop cover. By mandating these the frontal areas will be equalised between different manufacturers, removing the potential for significant aerodynamic advantage, making driving ability and the skills of engineers and designers in car set-up the major factors.
Ford Championships around the world
Championships for Formula Fords are run in many countries around the world. The major one is the British Formula Ford ChampionshipBritish Formula Ford Championship
The Formula Ford Championship single seater category is a motor sport category which gives many racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting...
operated by RacingLine Ltd, but there are thriving series of note in Australia, , Holland, Scandinavia, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Asia, and South Africa. Each run to essentially the same rules and regulations, with minor variations for local conditions.
In 2011 a Formula Ford Eurcup was introduced, inviting the best drivers from the Dutch, British and Scandinavian championships to race together at some prestigious circuits. The series visited Spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
, Zandvoort
Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...
, Brands Hatch Grand Prix and Zolder
Zolder
The Circuit Zolder, also known as Circuit Terlaemen, is an undulating motorsport race track in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.Built in 1963, Zolder hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1980 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix. The F1 circus...
to form the four stand-alone rounds.
- Asian Formula Ford Championships
- Australian Formula Ford ChampionshipAustralian Formula Ford ChampionshipThe Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series...
- State Championships are also held in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South AustraliaSouth Australian Formula Ford ChampionshipThe South Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned state motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars.For 2011, the Championship caters for Modern and Historic Kent class Formula Fords as well as Fiesta class Formula Fords....
and Western Australia.
- State Championships are also held in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia
- British Formula Ford ChampionshipBritish Formula Ford ChampionshipThe Formula Ford Championship single seater category is a motor sport category which gives many racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting...
- Canadian Formula Ford Challenge
- Danish Formula Ford Challenge
- Dutch and Benelux Formula Ford Championships
- F2000 Championship SeriesF2000 Championship SeriesThe F2000 Championship Series is a North-American based open wheel road racing series in North America. Based on the American variant of Formula Ford, F2000....
(United States - East, with one Canadian round) - Finnish Formula Ford Championship
- Formula Ford EuroCupFormula Ford EuroCupThe Formula Ford EuroCup will be a Formula Ford championship, aimed at giving drivers experience at European race circuits. Three National Formula Ford Championships will be involved in the inaugural 2011 season. These are the British Formula Ford Championship, the Benelux Formula Ford Championship...
- Formula Ford FestivalFormula Ford FestivalThe Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford powered single seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county of Kent, in Southern England...
- New Zealand Formula Ford ChampionshipNew Zealand Formula Ford ChampionshipThe MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship has been held annually in New Zealand racing circuits.-History:Formula Ford emerged as a racing class in New Zealand. In 1972, the inaugural New Zealand Formula Ford championship won by David Oxton. The open wheel category rapidly developed into the...
- North European Formula Ford Championship
- Ontario Formula Ford Championship (Canada)
- Pacific Formula Ford 2000 Championship (California, with one Nevada round)
- Québec Formula Tour 1600 (Canada)
- Scandinavian Formula Ford championship
- South African Formula Ford Championship
- U.S. F2000 National ChampionshipU.S. F2000 National ChampionshipCooper Tires presents the U.S. F2000 National Championship powered by Mazda is an American racing series using the American variation of the Formula Ford formula, "F2000", that resumed operation for the 2010 season...
Chassis
In order to reduce cost and allow smaller manufacturers to produce their own design of chassis without prohibitive tooling costs, chassis are steel space-frame, unlike the monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
s found in other types of single seater racing. The more popular marques were Van Diemen
Van Diemen
Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of...
, Mygale
Mygale
Mygale is a French racing car constructor and contractor that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. The company was established in 1989 by Bertrand Decoster and its factory is based in Magny Cours....
and the Australian-built Spectrum
Borland Racing Developments
Borland Racing Developments is an Australian championship winning manufacturer of open wheel racing cars, principally in the junior categories of Formula Ford and Formula Vee....
, but smaller manufacturers such as Ray and Vector have had some success. In the United States in the early twentyfirst century Pipers also raced with strong results. Historical designers who have made a mark on the series have included: Titan, Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
, Merlyn, Hawke, Citation, Swift
Swift Engineering
Swift Engineering is an American engineering firm, most notable for producing racing cars for a variety of open-wheel racing series, including Champ Car World Series, Formula Atlantic, and Formula Nippon.-History:...
, Euroswift, Elden, Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...
, Crosslé, Lola, Zink, Bowin
Bowin Cars
Bowin Cars was an Australian designer and manufacturer of motor racing cars from 1968 to 1976.-History:The car company was founded by John Vincent Joyce , a successful designer and builder of racing cars and in later years gas appliances incorporating Low NOx Technology...
, Royale, and Cooper Racing.
Engine
Formula Ford racing cars can be fitted with different engines. After some very early races with the 1500 cc Ford CortinaFord Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
GT engine, the formula rapidly adopted the OHV 1600 cc Ford Kent engine
Ford Kent engine
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia, it is an in-line four-cylinder engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.-Pre-Crossflow:...
, using production blocks with little special preparation. In 1993 Ford replaced its Kent block engine with the more modern and more powerful 1800 cc 16-valve Zetec
Ford Zetec engine
Ford Motor Company used the Zetec name on a variety of Inline-4-cylinder automobile engines. It was coined to replace "Zeta" on a range of 1.6 L to 2.0 L multi-valve engines introduced in 1991...
. The advent of the Zetec created a new class of Formula Ford cars popular in some countries, although the increased weight of the engine was felt to adversely affect the handling of the cars. The formula originally mandated production gearboxes, wheels and tyres (and a maximum cost for the rolling chassis, although this was long since abandoned), but Formula Fords later used racing gearboxes and, in some championships, slick tyres.
For the 2006 season the Zetec engine was superseded by the 1600 cc, DOHC 16v Duratec engine. The Zetec was criticized by engineers and designers as less than ideal because of its bulk and weight. The move to Duratecs brought Formula Ford back to using 1.6 L capacity motors. Despite the capacity decrease, at up to 160PS the newer engines were more powerful than the Zetecs, and weigh 20 kilograms (44.1 lb) less, reducing overall weight and increasing performance significantly.
For 2012 the fourth engine generation is launched with the Ecoboost 1600 direct-injection turbo engine. By far the most technologically advanced engine in the history of the Formula, it uses controlled engine mapping to deliver around 165bhp for all cars. As a modern, high performance engine, the engine runs well within its manufacturing tolerances, which should ensure greater reliability and lower maintenance costs than any of its predecessors. It also means, for the first time in the history of the Formula, that all of the engine's internals will be standard production parts.
The Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
approved Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
's 1500cc Fit
Honda Fit
The Honda Jazz is a five-door hatchback subcompact manufactured by the Honda Motor Company of Japan, first introduced in June 2001 and is now in its second generation. The Jazz shares Honda's Global Small Car Platform with the City/Fit Aria, Airwave/Partner, Mobilio, Mobilio Spike, Freed and Freed...
engine for use in Formula Ford, or Formula F as it must be called, in 2010.
Administration
Ford Motorsport administers some of the national Formula Ford championships around the world, and continue to control the Technical Regulations for all cars globally. The older Kent-engined cars are very popular with club racers, providing the ground for several organizations to run their own series. Many racing schools offer driver training in Formula Ford cars. However, in many countries, Formula BMWFormula BMW
Formula BMW is a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It is positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category...
and Formula Renault Campus
F4 Eurocup 1.6
French F4 Championship, formerly known as Formula Renault Campus France, Formula Campus, Formul'Academy Euro Series, F4 Eurocup 1.6 is a form of open wheel racing founded in 1993 by Louis Drouet. It is based in France. The series currently organized in collaboration with the Fédération Française du...
had superseded Formula Ford as the main entry level class in the mid-2000s; the demise of Formula BMW in Europe after only a few years of operation caused somewhat of a resurgence in support for the Ford grids. In the UK there are many club-level regional series aimed at the amateur enthusiast, as well as championships for older Fords. So popular is the Kent engine around the world that Ford Motorsport recently restarted a limited production of the increasingly hard to source engine blocks: for a major motor manufacturer to restart output of a 40 year old design just shows how well-established the formula still is.
For many years the highlight of the Formula Ford season was the Formula Ford Festival
Formula Ford Festival
The Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford powered single seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county of Kent, in Southern England...
at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
, England. Entries of several hundred cars from all over the Formula Ford world were common into the 1990s, with racers competing in knockout heats to decide the grid for a grand final. Entries later declined, and later Festivals struggled to attract more than 40-50 cars, enough for two heats and a final dash. More "historic" FF1600 cars had been turning up for the supporting races than contemporary Zetecs, however in 2006 the Festival saw the Duratec engine for the first time thereby having a final for all 3 marques at one meeting for the first time. The Walter Hayes Trophy now recognises the continuing interest in 1600cc 'Kent' Formula Ford and attracted over 150 entries in 2006, including several drivers who more commonly compete in much more senior formulae.
Related Formulae
Ford Pinto engine
The Ford Pinto engine was the unofficial but generic nickname for a 4-cylinder internal combustion engine built by Ford Europe. In Ford sales literature it was referred to as the EAO or OHC engine and because it was designed to the metric system, it was sometimes called the "Metric engine". The...
engine and, although it used basically Formula Ford chassis, permitted use of slicks and wings; it was seen as a natural step up from the 1600cc formula and a stepping stone to categories such as Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
. Formula Ford 2000 engines and transmissions were married to sports-racing chassis to produce Sports 2000
Sports 2000
Sports 2000 is a restricted-rules class of two-seat, rear-engined, open-cockpit, full-bodied sports-prototype racecar used largely in amateur road racing. Sometimes known as S2000 or S2, the class was developed by John Webb, then of the Brands Hatch racing circuit in England, as an affordable form...
.
Older Formula Fords, with outboard shock absorbers, race in the United States as Club Formula Fords in SCCA and other club racing series.
Formula 100 was an unsuccessful attempt in the late 1960s to create a sportscar category related to Formula Ford but using a 1300 cc Ford engine; the cars were heavy and slow. The proposed Formula Turbo Ford, an attempt to update FF2000, of the mid-1980s was limited to one Reynard that ran a few demonstration laps.
Formula Ford remains popular in its 1600 cc form—the cars are widely raced
Formula Ford 1600
Formula Ford 1600 is a number of championships which cater to 1600cc, Ford Kent powered Formula Ford racing cars. These are cars which were disbanded when the UK national Formula Ford category adopted the 1800cc Zetec engines in 1993...
, sprinted and hillclimbed. Formula Continental
Formula Continental
Formula Continental is a single seater, open wheel racing class in motorsport. It replaced Formula C as an SCCA racing class. Formula Continental includes three types of cars....
is also a popular choice in the USA and Canada. The class provides a venue for Formula Ford 2000 as well as the earlier Formula C (1100 cc pure racing engine) and Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee was a type of open-wheel motor created to act as a platform for the promotion of VW products, playing much the same role in the 1970s as formulae such as Formula Renault play today. The idea for Formula Super Vee is generally attributed to Josef Hopen, who worked as the Special...
(production-based VW engines) cars. Formula Continental cars employ aerodynamic effects (front and rear wings).
However, the inherent danger of motorsport shows has been underscored by a number of devastating crashes, most famously the crash of 19-year-old driver Lucas Dumbrell at the Oran Park Raceway
Oran Park Raceway
Oran Park Raceway was a motor racing circuit at Narellan in southwestern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia which was operational from 1962 to 2010....
in 2008. The incident occurred on the second lap of a 12-lap Formula Ford race which preceded the V8 Supercar championship race. The safety car
Safety car
In motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track. During a caution period the safety car enters the track ahead of the leader...
had been deployed, causing the pack leaders to slow down as they rounded a dog-leg. However, seconds later, cars in the back half of the track were unaware of the yellow flag having being raised and had not slowed down, resulting in Dumbrell running over the back of a competitor and rolling his car. Dumbrell suffered severe spinal injuries that left him a quadriplegic.