The Nomad is back on track
Racer and engineer Tom Smith raced the unique Formula Ford 2000 Nomad Mk4 at Silverstone in what was likely to have been the car ’ s first race since 1978 . The Nomad run of cars were the work of Phil Lloyd who was sadly paralysed in an accident at Mallory Park in 1979 . In earlier Nomads , he won the Formula 1300 title . He died in 2010 .
“ We ’ ve had it for about five years , and it ’ s been a bit of a project ,” said Smith .
Tom Smith in the Nomad
“ It ’ s completely different to every other car and he was clearly a very clever chap .” The car showed good pace at Silverstone before being side-lined with electrical problems .
Famous 782 returns
After around three decades in storage in France , the works March 782 Formula 2 car raced by Marc Surer in the 1978 European F2 season returned to racing at Silverstone in May with Matthew Watts . Chassis number 8 was raced by the Swiss driver in the 1978 European F2 Championship , when he finished second to team mate Bruno Giacomelli .
At the end of the season the 782 was sold and used in Formula Atlantic trim in the early 1980s . The March was later sold to France where it was used in hill climbs . Watts bought it about three years ago in France from the daughter of the man who used it in hillclimbs , probably in the late 1980s and early 1990s .
“ It ’ s a real piece of history and we don ’ t think it had run for 25 or 30 years ,” said Watts who took a second place at Silverstone .
Matthew Watts
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