British Formula Ford Championship

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The British Formula Ford Championship was an entry-level single seater motor racing category, designed to give racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting. Drivers from around the world were attracted to the United Kingdom to compete in the series, and successful Formula One drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button won their first single-seater titles in the championship. The championship was run to various Formula Ford regulations over the years, based on the engines provided for the championship by Ford Motor Company. These engine based regulations/specifications include the Ford Kent engine, Ford Zetec engine, Ford Duratec engine and in the final years the Ford EcoBoost engine.

Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain
CategorySingle seaters
Country United Kingdom
Inaugural season1976
Folded2014
ConstructorsMygale, Sinter
Engine suppliersFord
Tyre suppliersDunlop Tyres, Hankook
Last Drivers' championSouth Africa Jayde Kruger
Last Teams' championUnited Kingdom JTR

From the 2015 season onwards, the championship was replaced by MSA Formula, which conforms to the FIA's new Formula 4 regulations. Many of the teams and drivers which competed in the final season of British Formula Ford moved to the new series.

History

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Formula Ford Duratec car from Mygale, Ray and Van Diemen

Although the first British Formula Ford Championship was not held until 1976, Formula Ford's roots are firmly situated in the British racing scene. The first Formula Ford race was held at Brands Hatch in 1967 and was the precursor to the birth of the domestic championship. The first British Formula Ford Championship, held in 1976, was the original Formula Ford Championship which gave birth to many others over the years, including successful championships in Australia and New Zealand.[1]

The championship started out with the 1600cc Ford Kent engine and continued to use it until Ford introduced its newer, more powerful 1800cc Ford Zetec engine. Although this engine change didn't affect the other technical regulations, which still called for steel space frames which were much more economical to build and run compared to their carbon fiber counterparts, the increased engine power accelerated chassis development, causing many of the smaller manufacturers to stop producing cars, resulting in fewer constructors represented in the championship.[2] The Zetec regulations lasted only 12 years up until the Ford Duratec engine was introduced in 2006, providing better handling and power due to its lighter weight even though the specification had returned to 1600cc engines.[1]

The biggest changes to the championship came in 2012 when the latest Ford EcoBoost engine and specification was adopted as the main championship. The EcoBoost car marks a substantial change in the direction of Formula Ford racing as it introduces both smaller capacity Turbocharged petrol engines and for the first time a sequential gearbox.[2]

The car

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2012 Formula Ford EcoBoost Car

The championship currently allows two specification of Formula Ford car to race: the current generation EcoBoost car and the previous generation Duratec car. The championship is multi-chassis, featuring manufacturers such as Van Diemen and Mygale. To help keep costs low, cars are made from steel, as opposed to the more exotic carbon fibre commonly found in higher categories of racing. The Duratec cars were introduced in 2006, when all the cars in the series were required to use the 1600cc Naturally aspirated Ford Duratec engine which replaced the Ford Kent engine that had been used since the championships inception. Beginning in 2012, the EcoBoost class was introduced to run as the premier class alongside a secondary class for the aging Duratec cars. The EcoBoost class utilises Ford's latest EcoBoost engine which provides greater power thanks to the introduction of a Turbo Charger. The chassis however remains a steel space frame rather than the carbon fibre Monocoque found in other formulae.[3]

From 2015 onwards, the MSA Formula will use Formula 4 regulations. Mygale will continue to provide the carbon-fibre monocoque chassis (As opposed to the Tatuus supplied chassis used in BRDC F4. The engine will be a Ford 1.6L EcoBoost engine as used in the more modern Formula Ford cars, tuned to a maximum of 160 PS. All engines will be tuned by the same race engine preparer, in an attempt to reduce costs. Similarly, all tyres will be provided by Hankook. Sadev will provide the sequential paddle shift transmission and data logging system.

The Championship

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From 2013, the championship is composed of 30 rounds held at ten events in support of the British Touring Car Championship.[4] Both EcoBoost and Duratec classes compete in the same races as each other. Drivers who have competed in less than 4 junior formula races in the past are eligible to compete for the Rookie Cup, whilst both Teams and Constructors have separate championships for themselves. The Nations Cup is awarded to the highest placed registered driver from each country excluding UK.[3] In 2015, the series will again run 30 rounds at ten events in support of the BTCC, despite becoming the MSA Formula.

Weekend Format

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A 20-minute qualifying session is used to decide the grid for all the weekend's races. The drivers fastest lap decides the grid for race one, their second fastest time decides the grid for race two and their third fastest time, the grid for race three. All three races will be run over 15 miles.[3]

Points system

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Current points system

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Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race as well as the driver setting the fastest lap using the following system:

Main Class, Teams Cup & Nations Cup points systems.[5]
 1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th   11th   12th   13th   14th   15th   Others  Fastest Lap
30 27 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 3 2 1 1
Scholarship Class points system.[5]
 1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   Others  Fastest Lap
20 15 12 10 8 6 4 3 2 1 2
Constructors Cup points system.[5]
 1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
8 7 6 5 4 3

Champions

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1981 champion Ayrton Senna in his Van Diemen built car
Season Champion Constructor Teams' Champion Secondary Class Nations Cup Winter Series Champion
1976   David Kennedy Crossle Not Held Not Held Not Held Not Held
1977   Trevor van Rooyen Royale
1978   Kenneth Acheson Royale
1979   David Sears Royale
1980   Tommy Byrne Van Diemen
1981   Ayrton Senna Van Diemen
1982   Maurício Gugelmin Van Diemen
1983   Andrew Gilbert-Scott Van Diemen
1984   Dave Coyne Van Diemen
1985   Bertrand Gachot Van Diemen
1986   Jason Eliott Van Diemen
1987   Eddie Irvine Van Diemen
1988   Derek Higgins Van Diemen
1989   Bernard Dolan Reynard
1990   Michael Vergers Van Diemen
1991   Marc Goossens Van Diemen
1992   Jamie Spence Swift Winter Series Champion
1993   Russell Ingall Van Diemen   Martin Byford
1994   Jason Watt Vector   Narain Karthikeyan
1995   Bas Leinders Swift   Vítor Meira
1996   Kristian Kolby Van Diemen   Ricardo Sperafico
1997   Jacky van der Ende Van Diemen   Mark Taylor
1998   Jenson Button Mygale   Ricardo van der Ende
1999   Nicolas Kiesa Mygale   Anthony Davidson
2000   James Courtney Van Diemen   Adam Carroll
2001   Robert Dahlgren Van Diemen   Joey Foster
2002   Westley Barber Van Diemen   Alx Danielsson
2003   Tom Kimber-Smith Van Diemen   James Walker   Sebastian Hohenthal
2004   Valle Mäkelä Van Diemen Not Held   Robert Sunderland
2005   Charlie Donnelly Mygale   Andrew Bentley
2006   Nathan Freke Mygale   David Mayes
Season Champion Constructor Teams' Champion Scholarship Class Nations Cup Winter Series Champion
2007   Callum MacLeod Mygale Not Held   Matt Dobson Not Held Not Held
2008   Wayne Boyd Mygale   Chrissy Palmer
2009   James Cole Mygale   Daniel Cammish
2010   Scott Pye Mygale Jamun Racing   Tristan Mingay   Australia
2011   Scott Malvern Mygale Jamun Racing   Cavan Corcoran   Australia
Season Champion Constructor Teams' Champion Duratec Champion Nations Cup Winter Series Champion
2012   Antti Buri Mygale JTR   Matt Rao   Finland Not Held
Season Champion Constructor Teams' Champion Scholarship Class Nations Cup Winter Series Champion
2013   Dan Cammish Mygale JTR   Harrison Scott   Argentina Not Held
2014   Jayde Kruger Mygale JTR   Ashley Sutton   South Africa

Other UK Championships

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Such was the popularity of the formula in the UK over its history; there is an abundance of second hand chassis from previous generations of the championship. This has led to the formation of several other national and club level championships within the UK catering for legacy chassis, engines and cars.

  • BRSCC Formula Ford Duratec Championship - Created at the end of 2012, the proposed championship will give a home to the previous generation Duratec class Formula Fords after the British Championship switched solely to the new EcoBoost class.[6]
  • Formula Ford 1600 Championships - Operated by the BRSCC, this championship caters for cars built to the Kent specification, utilising the Ford Kent engine. Consisting of two regional and one national championship, it give opportunities for a range of drivers to showcase their talents. A two class structure based around the construction year of the chassis allows a range of different chassis to remain competitive.[7]
  • Several Club level championships are also arranged. Of note include the Monoposto Racing Club Championship[1], the 750 Motor Club Formula 4 championship [2], the Castle Combe Formula Free championship [3] and the Classic Formula Ford Championship[4].

Formula Ford Festival

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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. The events are held over the course of a weekend and although various classes of past and present Formula Fords are present, the high point for many is the championship in which young but skilled drivers from Ford competitions in Europe and beyond race against one another. Often it is a rare chance to compare the skills of drivers who take part in different Ford competitions around the world. The event is administered by the British Racing and Sports Car Club.

References

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  1. ^ a b "The History of Formula Ford Racing". [britishformulaford.com]. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b "History". [formulafordzetec.co.uk]. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "2012 Formula Ford GB Regulations" (PDF). British Formula Ford Championship. BRSCC. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Formula Ford returns in 2013". British Touring Car Championship. TOCA. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "2013 Formula Ford Championship Sporting Regulations" (PDF). British Formula Ford Championship. Max Communications. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  6. ^ "BRSCC ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR DURATEC FORMULA FORD". BRSCC. BRSCC. 29 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-01-12. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  7. ^ "AVON TYRES FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIPS". BRSCC. BRSCC. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
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