FEATURE : CLASSIC FORMULA FORD
Sport for all
Classic Formula Ford 1600 represents one of the most affordable and accessible ways of getting into historic racing . Paul Lawrence talked to four drivers from across the grid , all having a ball on modest resources .
Alan Fincham
Age : 60
Hometown : Attleborough
Racing for 15 years Van Diemen RF80
“ My granddad died and left me a little bit of money and I only wanted to do singleseaters . I wanted to race what I call a proper racing car . And really , I ended up with the Van Diemen because I was walking round Snetterton on single-seater days chatting to people . Virtually everybody said : ‘ you want to go and give Ken Thorogood a call .’ He ’ s three miles from where I live .
“ This is my third season back after a break and the nice thing is that I ’ m going quicker generally speaking now than I was prior to the break so that ’ s good .
“ I had to be sensible with my budget . The reason we chose Classic Formula Ford in the end was because Ken is Mr Classic and when you start out knowing nothing he used let me go over to his workshops and work on the car and learn a bit about the car , because I ’ m no mechanic .
“ I think Classic is just right for people like me . You ’ ve got a nice array of talents , a nice array of drivers and ages and so on . And while I suppose I ’ ve only ever been in mid-field I ’ m working hard now at getting a little further up . It is a bit of a cliche but it really is one big family .”
Ben Hadfield
Age : 54
Hometown : Hook , Hampshire Racing for three years Van Diemen RF78
“ I started three years ago in June 2018 . I was at Donington for my first ever race . I bought the car but I hadn ’ t tested it and I ’ d never driven a Formula Ford . I bought it , got some advice and pootled round at the back of the grid and had the most amazing day of my life .
“ I have a trailer and a car and I literally do it on a shoestring . There ’ s people who will always chip in and help and there ’ s a group of us doing the same . I have to say that without the help of Shaws Motorsport , Mark and Sarah , I wouldn ’ t be able to do it . It ’ s the best thing I ’ ve ever done . I wish I ’ d done it when I was 21 , but
I am living the dream now , as it were . “ The paddock is very friendly and it does make it accessible . We ’ re surrounded by some people with amazing cars at HSCC events who do it in a different way and that ’ s amazing to be around . But this end of the paddock , there ’ s some of us that have to do it on a shoe-string . Thankfully , everybody gets that and that ’ s one of the great enjoyments of a weekend away racing .
“ I do everything myself and I don ’ t have any training . I have a great bunch of support guys around me and I ’ m just learning on the go with a friendly community of people .”
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