FORMULA FORD 50TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL
Never before in New Zealand have so many Formula Fords taken to the track at once. The occasion being the 50th anniversary of the Formula Ford, held at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna on May 1.
The party and meeting was the brainchild of former competitor Nigel Barclay. For his efforts he was rewarded with a field of 66 cars; from the earliest, a 1971 Elden Mk8 to the latest 2020 Ray GR20s. Racing was divided into the decades and included the final three races of the 2021 national championship.
A huge carrot dangled at the younger drivers, those who invariably competed in the national championship races, was a trip to England to compete in the British Formula Ford Festival, with another part of the prize being a tour of the McLaren factory.
This was the last race on the one-day programme and, despite sun-strike issues at the end of the main straight, the full grid of 26 was not difficult to fill for the 18-lap dash.
For the record, Cantabrian James Penrose with his ’93 Van Dieman came from behind to edge out Matt McCutcheon for the championship. Penrose also won the festival race and the trip.
Drivers in the racing programme included Shane Drake, the 1995 champion, and Grant Campbell, the champion in 1978 and 1989.
Others in attendance were David Oxton, the inaugural winner in 1972; Jeff Pascoe 1981 (the first South Islander to win); John Crawford 1985; and Paul Larsen 1990. Ken Smith was also on hand.
Oxton is also remembered for his exploits in other single-seater classes, most notably Formula 5000. For him, memories of fifty years ago were still very clear.
“It doesn’t seem a long time ago at all. But considering it is 50 years ago that is scary. I used to measure time in decades. I think now it has to be years!” he quipped.
Crawford well remembers his championship year, one that came a year after he was runner up to Steve Richards.
“I remember those years so well, especially the scraps with Steve Richards. We still stay in touch.” Crawford added: “Formula Ford has certainly stood the test of time. I have many great friends from the era.”
The field included 18 who had made the trip from the North Island, along with two from Australia.
Almost predictably, the racing did produce many accidents. Three were rather serious and serve as a sharp reminder about the adherence of a sound safety policy. The most serious involved Anna Collins, the national class 2 champion from 2015. This accident was not considered a racing incident by many observers. A car behind her messed the start and ended up trying to climb over the rear of her car. Anna was extracted having suffered a broken arm.
Phil Foulkes was tipped on his lid after a vehicle in front missed a gear change. The time it took to free him seemed an age. Tom Alexander, meanwhile, had the frightening experience of heading straight into the tyre wall at the end of the hairpin after a brake failure.