Formula Libre
Encyclopedia
Formula Libre is a form of automobile racing allowing a wide variety of types, ages and makes of purpose-built racing cars to compete "head to head". This can make for some interesting matchups, and provides the opportunity for some compelling driving performances against superior machinery. The name translates to "Free Formula" - in Formula Libre races the only regulations typically govern basics such as safety equipment.
In 1932, Louis Chiron
won the Nice Grand Prix aboard a Bugatti T51
, closely followed just 3.4 seconds behind by Raymond Sommer
in an Alfa Romeo Monza with third place going to René Dreyfus
, also in a Bugatti T51. In 1933, the race was won by Tazio Nuvolari
in a Maserati 8C, followed by René Dreyfus in his Bugatti and Guy Moll in an Alfa Romeo Monza. In 1934, the race was again won by an Italian in an Alfa Romeo Tipo B, none other than the best driver of the season, Achille Varzi
. The last season to feature a Grand Prix at Nice was in 1935, when the Alfa Romeo Tipo Bs dominated the circuit in the hands of Tazio Nuvolari and Louis Chiron, who placed second, and René Dreyfus, who took third.
Most recently, the British Open Single Seaters (BOSS) Formula has spawned EuroBOSS
http://www.euroboss.com and USBOSS http://www.usboss.com equivalents, signalling the re-emergence of Formula Libre events. Racing purists have come to embrace Formula Libre as an alternative to the increasing preponderance of spec racing series, and a number of competitors' vehicles are cars orphaned by discontinued spec series.
Formula Libre has provided some ambitious young drivers with an alternative to series with higher competitive costs and lower performance. Most recently, the UK's British Racing Drivers' Club
(BRDC) awarded their Rising Star award to 2004 EuroBOSS Champion Scott Mansell http://www.scottmansell.com.
The concept is arguably the oldest in motor racing:
In 1932, Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron
Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
won the Nice Grand Prix aboard a Bugatti T51
Bugatti Type 51
The Type 51 series succeeded the famous Type 35 as Bugatti's premier racing car for the 1930s. Unlike the dominant Type 35s of the prior decade, the Type 51 were unable to compete with the government-supported German and Italian offerings.-Type 51:The original Type 51 bowed in 1931...
, closely followed just 3.4 seconds behind by Raymond Sommer
Raymond Sommer
Raymond Sommer was a Grand Prix motor racing driver....
in an Alfa Romeo Monza with third place going to René Dreyfus
René Dreyfus
René Dreyfus was a French driver who raced automobiles for 14 years in the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Era of Grand Prix motor racing.-Early life:...
, also in a Bugatti T51. In 1933, the race was won by Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
in a Maserati 8C, followed by René Dreyfus in his Bugatti and Guy Moll in an Alfa Romeo Monza. In 1934, the race was again won by an Italian in an Alfa Romeo Tipo B, none other than the best driver of the season, Achille Varzi
Achille Varzi
Achille Varzi , was an Italian Grand Prix driver.-Career:Born in Galliate, province of Novara , Achille Varzi was the son of a prosperous textile manufacturer...
. The last season to feature a Grand Prix at Nice was in 1935, when the Alfa Romeo Tipo Bs dominated the circuit in the hands of Tazio Nuvolari and Louis Chiron, who placed second, and René Dreyfus, who took third.
Most recently, the British Open Single Seaters (BOSS) Formula has spawned EuroBOSS
Euroboss
The EuroBOSS Series is a motor racing series in Europe. The first season was in 2001. The current EuroBOSS Series is open to Formula One cars constructed before 2004 , Indy Racing League or Champ Car chassis and Formula 3000 cars with engines of unlimited capacity...
http://www.euroboss.com and USBOSS http://www.usboss.com equivalents, signalling the re-emergence of Formula Libre events. Racing purists have come to embrace Formula Libre as an alternative to the increasing preponderance of spec racing series, and a number of competitors' vehicles are cars orphaned by discontinued spec series.
Formula Libre has provided some ambitious young drivers with an alternative to series with higher competitive costs and lower performance. Most recently, the UK's British Racing Drivers' Club
British Racing Drivers' Club
The British Racing Drivers' Club is a membership body which represents the interests of professional racing drivers from the United Kingdom.-Early days:...
(BRDC) awarded their Rising Star award to 2004 EuroBOSS Champion Scott Mansell http://www.scottmansell.com.
The concept is arguably the oldest in motor racing:
- Grand PrixGrand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
racing adopted Formule Libre briefly, beginning in 1928. - Formula Libre racing is currently very popular in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.http://www.formulalibre.co.za/ - Germany's InterserieInterserieInterserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series....
runs as a Formula Libre, mixing single-seat formula cars with sports racing prototypes. - The Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race CourseWatkins Glen InternationalWatkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
hosted a Formula Libre race from 1958 through 1960 as a prelude to becoming the home of the Formula OneFormula OneFormula 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...
United States Grand PrixUnited States Grand PrixThe United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
. - USAC held a famous Formula Libre race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1962.
- Formula Libre is a popular class in historic or vintage racing.
- Lime Rock ParkLime Rock ParkLime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lime Rock, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut, in the state’s northwest corner...
held a famous Formula Libre race in 1959, where Rodger WardRodger WardRodger M. Ward was an American racecar driver who won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. He also was the 1959 and 1962 USAC Championship Car champion.-Early history:...
shocked the expensive and exotic sports carSports carA sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s by beating them on the road courseRoad racingRoad racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
in an OffenhauserOffenhauserOffenhauser was an American racing engine manufacturer that operated from 1933 to 1983.The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was developed by Fred Offenhauser and his employer Harry Arminius Miller, after maintaining and repairing a 1913 Peugeot Grand Prix car of the type which...
powered midget car, normally considered competitive for oval trackOval trackOval track racing, also known as oval racing, is a form of closed-circuit automobile racing that is contested on an oval-shaped track. An oval track differs from a road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, almost universally left...
s only. - 1971's Questor Grand Prix was a well-attended inter-series race between Formula OneFormula OneFormula 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...
, Formula 5000Formula 5000Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
, and ChampCar teams, featuring top drivers at California's Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario Motor SpeedwayThe Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
. - The Rothmans 50000 race in 1972 permitted almost any kind of single-seater or sports-racer in a 300 miles (482.8 km) race at Brands HatchBrands HatchBrands 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...
, competing for a £50,000 prize fund (considerably more than most Grands Prix of the day). Most of the grid consisted of Formula OneFormula OneFormula 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...
and Formula 5000Formula 5000Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
cars, with some Formula TwoFormula TwoFormula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
machinery and the odd, more exotic vehicle. - Formula Libre races usually closed the programme at British club meetings in the 1970s, allowing not only cars that didn't suit any of the classes racing that day to run but also giving drivers of formula cars another chance to race.