Southeast Formula Racing

[92_foxgt]

Hello everyone, I'd really like to get into Formula racing, but am slightly confused on all the classes. I'm looking at formula ford mainly, but there is also club ford which is pretty similar. I'd prefer ford over vee due to power and the modernization with EFI engines. I am unsure if club fords can use the fit engines though.

I am in South Carolina, does anyone know how the regional participation rates are? I assume the SCCA is the prominent figure here as I 've been to a couple road races they've held, but I wasn't paying attention to the open wheel races because I was helping a friend with this track car. I went to a test day(CMP) and there were 3-4 formula fords, and like 6-7 vees.

I am not looking to jump in and be a national contender, I just want to have fun and not finish last every race and have someone to race with. Thanks for any advice

[92_foxgt]

For reference I am an ASE certified master auto tech and am in my senior year of an electrical engineering degree. I will be doing all of the maintenance myself unless it's major and needs lots of previous experience(maybe transmission overhaul or engine work that requires machine tools). I have more tools than the average car hobbyist for sure.

I've raced karts when a friend would let me in one, but never owned one. I was all set to prep a road car before I realized I could get into an open wheel machine for around the same price as a road car.

[TimH]

I was all set to prep a road car before I realized I could get into an open wheel machine for around the same price as a road car.

When you count damage repairs you'll find the formula car is a lot LESS than a unibody. Trust me, there will be damage on occasion. Either that or you're incredibly good or too slow.

[david oleary]

HELLO
So to try to answer your questions a Club Ford is a older chassis that must use
the old Ford 1600 carb motor, they can not be updated to EFI, if you update it now it
becomes a regular Formula Fit and must complete with the NEWER CARS as a FF

A regular Formula Ford can be any newer chassis with the option of using either the
old Ford 1600 carb motor or the NEW Honda FIT 15A EFI (the conversion of installing the Honda Fit motor runs around $15,000 for the kit and it is made for Swifts, and Van Diemen's,) if you are converting a different chassis you may have to make some mounts
and brackets to make it work.

98% of the PRO 1600 cars are running Honda's (they are the new EFI engines and
they are restricted in HP to match the Fords ) but the Honda will run for ever with out a rebuild where the Fords need rebuilt more often.
email me doleary@rohrich.com
I have owned 4 FF and have a Honda FF car for sale now, I am building a F1000 car for later this year.
dave

[Steve Davis]

James,
To answer your question, the competition in FF has moved from SCCA to the FF1600 Pro Series for the most part, so the SCCA car count is down a bit. That said, you will still find 3 to 6 FF's at most Majors events these days. Majors is currently the SCCA's "premiere" event series - for more info, you can read about it at http://www.SCCAMajors.com.

Club Ford is for older FF cars - as a general rule, cars that have significant suspension parts "in the wind". Something like ~8x year models and older (I think). Club Ford's all run the 1600 Kent engine. FF is moving to the Honda engine, but Kent is still allowed.

I'm not sure what the regional comp levels are, but from what I've seen lately, you will only see 1 or 2 CF's and 1 or 2 FF's at regional events - sometimes NONE. FV is a little better subscribed these days with a number of drivers that have 'retired' from National level racing and are content to participate at the regional level. Although the cost to compete is not dissimilar between the 3 classes (FF, CF, FV), the cost to CRASH is WAY LESS in FV . If you have never really raced hard wheel to wheel, I'd suggest you might want to start with an FV - there are several for "inexpensive" sale here on this board in the Classified section (bottom of the forum list). After a year or so of FV, you could move on to FF if you still wanted to.

It would do you well to plan to come to the Atlanta Majors event starting Mar. 21 where you can see FF's and FV (CF is not allowed at Majors - but you can still TALK about them ). It is a spectator event and I think it's $15 or $20 for the weekend with full paddock access. (More info at http://www.roadatlanta.com/scca1 ).

I'll be racing in FV and would be happy to talk to you and introduce you to some of the FF drivers if you want to pursue that direction.

Steve, FV80
David and I were 'posting' at the same time ...

[EYERACE]

Buy a Club Ford .........and be patient.