Skilled young drivers from Ford competitions across the world descend to Brands Hatch in Kent to get the rare opportunity to race against each other to compare skills and battle it out for the ultimate end of season honour!
The world famous Formula Ford Festival celebrates its 41st anniversary this October and with the list of previous Festival winners reading like a who’s who of motorsport, it will surely be a fierce contest between the next generation’s racing superstars. Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Eddie Irvine and Anthony Davidson have already seen victory at the festival and this year promises some hot competition indeed.
The festival was launched in 1972 and originally at Snetterton race course until 1975, when it was moved to Brands Hatch where it has stayed since then. This was soon after the Formula Ford was created, which has always been the natural stepping stone from karting to single-seater for junior drivers. The cars promote superb racing and, along with the festival’s winner-takes-all format, Formula Ford Fest guarantees great action for all of the family.
This year, the festival is returning to tradition, with the 1600cc Kent-engined category featuring for the first time since 1992. The Kent category will consist of four classes to cater for the Post 89, Pre 90, Pre 82 and Pre 72 models, with grid space allocated, ensuring all eras are represented in the final. The Kent-engined cars remain popular – so expect a large entry for the biggest Formula Ford meeting of the year!
Formula Ford expert, James Beckett, had plenty to say about the reintroduction of the Kent-engined motors: “The Formula Ford Festival has a great tradition and history and has entertained crowds for over forty years. The competition remains one of the ‘must win’ events for single-seater racers and the names on the winner’s list reflect this. I am sure that Kent-engined Formula Ford cars fighting for the ultimate Festival prize again will prove popular with everyone.”
Last year’s festival saw Finnish driver Antti Buri snatch the prize with Ivor McCullough, demonstrating exceptional ability and consistency and winning the Kent title for the second year running. Zetec honours went to France, with Xavier Michel winning – thought to be the first win for a Frenchmen in the festival’s history.
Antti Buri has continued in fine racing form since his festival win last year, with his record this year standing at 10 races, 9 wins and 8 fastest laps. Could he make history and become the first driver to ever win back-to-back overall Formula Ford Festivals?
The 42nd BRSCC Formula Ford Festival takes places at Brands Hatch, Kent, over the weekend of the 26th and 27th October, featuring a great deal more than standard racing weekends. The festival includes action from the Vortex Ford Fiesta & Fiesta Junior Championships, and both the Duratec & Pinto classes of the BigProfile Sports 2000 Championship. This year’s Formula Ford Festival will undoubtedly be revitalised by a return to tradition and the prestige of this event will remain untouched.
