Formula Ford Festival

Last updated

Formula Ford Festival
Brands Hatch.svg
Brands Hatch: the current host of the Festival
Category Single-seaters
(Formula Ford)
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Inaugural season1972
ClassesKent
Engine suppliers Ford Kent 1600
Drivers' champion Flag of the United States.svg Max Esterson
Constructors' champion Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ammonite Motorsport / Ray Race Cars
Official website 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. 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. Many winners of the festival have gone on to enjoy professional careers in various branches of motorsport - including fourteen who have raced in Formula One.

Contents

The event is administered by the British Racing and Sports Car Club.

History

Inception

The inaugural season in 1972 took place at Snetterton, where the festival was held until 1975. It then moved to Brands Hatch where it has stayed to date.

The Kent years

The Kent engine was the lead engine in early Formula Ford, and so from the first festival in 1972 until the Zetec was introduced in 1993.

The Zetec years

The 1800 cc Zetec engine was the leading engine from 1993 until the Duratec took over in 2006. Zetec remained an engine sub-class until 2014.

The Duratec engine

The 1600 cc Duratec engine is currently used in the leading races although the Zetec and Kent engines are still used in junior and classic classes of racing. Duratec remained the Festival champion class until 2014.

Loss of prominence

For many years the festival was the highlight of the Formula Ford season. 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 have been declining and recent Festivals have struggled to attract more than 40-50 cars, enough for two heats and a final. Support races from other classes e.g. Caterham, Club F3, and Historic Sports 2000 have also been included in the program. This is because although the event still has the atmosphere of past years its position as a rite of passage for young drivers has largely been usurped by other junior formulae, mostly by the FIA backed Formula 4 and karting.

More "historic" FF1600 cars have 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 more commonly seen in much more senior formulae, including current two-time IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden, who won the 2008 Kent class, the most recent prominent champion to have raced in this festival.

From 2015 the Festival became exclusively for Kent engined cars, restoring the Festival to its pre-1993 format.

Winners

Below is a list of overall festival winners. [1] Since 1993, a secondary festival was run in alongside for older specification cars running the Ford Kent engine. Since 2009, a third event has also been held for cars using the Ford Zetec engine.

* denotes later raced in Formula One

YearCircuitOverall Festival Winner Kent Festival Zetec Festival
DriverChassisEngineDriverChassisDriverChassis
1972 Snetterton Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Taylor Dulon LD9 Ford Kent engine Not HeldNot Held
1973 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Donald Macleod Van Diemen FA73
1974 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Morgan Crossle 25F
1975 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Geoff Lees * Royale RP21
1976 Brands Hatch Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly * Hawke DL17
1977 Flag of Brazil.svg Chico Serra * Van Diemen RF77
1978 Flag of Ireland.svg Michael Roe Van Diemen RF78
1979 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Donald Macleod Sark 1
1980 Flag of Brazil.svg Roberto Moreno * Van Diemen RF80
1981 Flag of Ireland.svg Tommy Byrne * Van Diemen RF81
1982 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Julian Bailey * Lola T640E
1983 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Andrew Gilbert-Scott Reynard 83F
1984 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerrit van Kouwen Lola T644E
1985 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Johnny Herbert *Quest FF85
1986 Flag of Austria.svg Roland Ratzenberger * Van Diemen RF86
1987 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Eddie Irvine * Van Diemen RF87
1988 Flag of Italy.svg Vincenzo Sospiri * Van Diemen RF88
1989 Flag of Brazil.svg Niko Palhares Van Diemen RF89
1990 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dave Coyne Swift FB90
1991 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Marc Goossens Van Diemen RF91
1992 Flag of Denmark.svg Jan Magnussen * Van Diemen RF92
1993 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Russell Ingall Van Diemen RF93 Ford Zetec engine Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Andrew MacAuley Reynard 92FF
1994 Flag of Denmark.svg Jason Watt Vector TF94 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gavin Wills Swift SC92F
1995 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Kevin McGarrity Van Diemen RF95 Flag of Finland.svg Topi Serjala Swift SC95F
1996 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Webber * Van Diemen RF96 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Marchant Jamun M96
1997 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jacky van der Ende Van Diemen RF97Not Held
1998 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jenson Button * Mygale SJ98
1999 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Ricardo van der Ende Van Diemen RF99
2000 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Anthony Davidson * Mygale SJ00
2001 Flag of South Africa.svg Alan van der Merwe Mygale SJ01
2002 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jan Heylen Van Diemen RF02 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dave Fricker Reynard 89FF
2003 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Joey Foster Van Diemen RF03 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Matthew Gilmore Van Diemen RF92
2004 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dan Clarke Van Diemen RF04 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Joey Foster Reynard 89FF
2005 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Duncan Tappy Mygale SJ04 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gavin Wills Van Diemen RF00
2006 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Tannahill Van Diemen RF06 Ford Duratec engine Flag of Ireland.svg Noel Dunne Van Diemen RF92
2007 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nick Tandy Ray GRS07 Flag of Ireland.svg Keith Dempsey Ray GRS07
2008 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wayne Boyd Mygale SJ08 Flag of the United States.svg Josef Newgarden Ray GRS08
2009 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Chrissy Palmer Mygale SJ09 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Rory Butcher Van Diemen RF90 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Neil Tofts Mygale SJ04
2010 Flag of Denmark.svg Dennis Lind Van Diemen LA08 Flag of Ireland.svg Neville Smyth Ray GRS09 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Julian Hoskins Vector TF93
2011 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Scott Malvern Mygale SJ10 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ivor McCullough Van Diemen RF00 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Neil Tofts Mygale SJ04
2012 Flag of Finland.svg Antti Buri Mygale SJ11 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ivor McCullough Van Diemen RF00 Flag of France.svg Xavier Michel Van Diemen
YearCircuitOverall Festival Winner - Kent Duratec Festival Zetec Festival
DriverChassisEngine BuilderDriverChassisDriverChassis
2013 Brands Hatch Flag of Ireland.svg Niall Murray Van Diemen RF99MCP Flag of the Netherlands.svg Bart van Os Mygale SJ10 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Julian Hoskins Vector TF93
YearCircuitOverall Festival Winner - Kent Duratec-Zetec Festival
DriverChassisEngine BuilderDriverChassis
2014 Brands Hatch Flag of the United Kingdom.svg James Raven Ray GR13/14Bold Flag of France.svg Thomas Craincourt Mygale Duratec
YearCircuitOverall Festival Winner - KentPre-1990 WinnerPre-1982 Winner
DriverChassisEngine BuilderDriverChassisDriverChassis
2015 Brands Hatch Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wayne Boyd Van Diemen MS13KBold Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Matthew Cowley Reynard FF88 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stuart Kestenbaum Van Diemen RF79
2016 Flag of Ireland.svg Niall Murray Van Diemen RF99MCP Flag of the Netherlands.svg Job van Uitert Van Diemen RF89
2017 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Joey Foster Ray GR08Bold
2018 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Joshua Smith Van Diemen JL13Barnett
2019 Flag of Ireland.svg Jonathan Browne Ray GR18Bold Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Davidson Mondiale M89S
2020 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Rory SmithMedina JL18MCP Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter DalyVan Diemen RF88
2021 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jamie SharpMedina JL17MCP Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Matt RivettVan Diemen RF91
2022 Flag of the United States.svg Max Esterson Ray GR18FMS Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Cameron JacksonVan Diemen RF90

See also

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References

  1. "ROLL OF HONOU" (PDF). BRSCC . BRSCC . Retrieved 30 October 2012.

Sources