WINGMEN MEET

WHERE HEDNESFORD HILLS RACEWAY, STAFFORDSHIRE WHEN AUGUST 2019 WRC-style rear wings have become a popular upgrade for Mk2 Focus owners in recent years, and now they host they own exclusive meet purely for big-wing monsters. We popped along to see what all

Epic meet for fast Focuses with massive rear wings!

Shows that also contain some nearby track action are always worth a visit, so when ex-FF feature star, Adam Haynes, invited us to the third annual ‘Mk2 Wing Day’ at Hednesford Hills Raceway in Staffordshire, we were keen to take a closer look. And we’re glad we did as this turned out to be way more than your average get-together!

Wing Day is the yearly national get together for the ‘MK2 Wings’ group – essentially a club for owners of Mk2 Focuses with huge WRC-inspired rear wings – which as we know usually come complete with an array of other cool and varied mods. This results in an amazing multi-coloured spectacle when a selection of cars from the group are parked together, and Hednesford Raceway provides the perfect motorsport-themed backdrop for some cool photos too. “When myself and Tim Walker first formed the group two years ago, our main aim was to have all the Mk2 Focuses in the UK at the same venue on the same day,” Adam explains, “as the cars are located all over the country, getting them together proved tricky, but we were pleased to have 14 cars at our first meet here at Hednesford back in 2017. We now have 83 members (63 of them own Focuses with big wings!) and today 26 of those have made the trip which is great to see.”

Hednesford happens to be the fastest and longest tarmac banked oval in the UK’s shortcircuit oval racing scene, and regularly hosts hot rods, stock cars and other popular oval formulae. But on one day each year, the ‘Wingmen’ have full access to the venue which also includes the oval track itself.

The day begins with a catch up and socializing, the cars are parked neatly together for some group photos, but by lunchtime Wing Day really comes into its own when cars begin to take to the track. As onlookers watch from the infield, owners get to unleash their car’s potential on the oval and it all combines to make a truly unique sight. Few venues can offer such close and uninterrupted views and the sight and sound of a grid full of Focus STs and RSs at full chat in such close proximity would have any petrolhead buzzing. Owners are of course told not to exceed their driving ability and like a trackday racing is not permitted. Overtaking and cornering is all carried out safely and there were no close calls with that unforgiving Armco – no one wants to go home with their pride and joy on the back of a recovery truck after all.

Later in the day, all show entrants are invited to line up on the starting grid and once in position all the cars drive around in procession and again this makes another breathtaking sight.

As for the cars themselves, the variety was extreme to say the least considering every car present could hastily be described as a Mk2 Focus with a WRC wing. In fact, we can’t recall such an array of differing liveries in one place while wheels, bodykits, engine and suspension mods all varied greatly too. RS and ST models were represented in healthy numbers and there were a

number of familiar ex-feature cars among them which is always nice to see. As shows and meets go, Wing Day is a real gem; non-stop close-up action, a great social and banter, and some stunning cars to boot.

The Mk2 Wings group will be attending various shows in 2020, including their own annual Wing Day - for more info they can be found on Facebook, just search for ‘Mk2 Wings’. If you were debating whether to order that WRC wing for your ST or RS, we hope this feature may have prompted you into action, and if your Focus already has a WRC wing in place, Wing Day is certainly the place to be. Don’t forget, Hednesford Hills also holds numerous oval racing events throughout the year too, check out incarace.co.uk for more details.