Formula V

I've watched the Formula Vee's at the race track for years without really giving them a good look. A friend of mine needed some help working on his FV yesterday and afterward gave me a chance to drive it. It had very strong power to weight and handled like a slot car. I didn't care for the shifter linkage, but I was really impressed with the car overall. If you guys ever get a chance, try some other types of cars, it can be a whole new experience.

John,
Those cars are a blast to watch, especially the guys that run with VDCA, and they always seem to travel in packs. I was going to start out in a Formula Vee, but I got too tall for it before we finished it! We still have an early Autodynamics FV in parts at the house if anyone is looking for a restoration project... But now your buddy needs to let you drive that formula ford you were working on. Then you will really be hooked.

I raced a vintage vee from '03 through '10. There is much to recommend these cars, including relatively low acquisition, rebuild and yearly operation cost, intense competition in fields of 20-30 cars, at least with VSCDA, great group camradarie and support, and a pretty high level of reliability once they are sorted out.

I left because I wanted to try something new, and because things felt like they were getting out of control. There were too many racers driving over their heads while running in very tight packs, and the exposure to locked wheels and flipping was very real. The entire class was under close scrutiny due to the high number of incidents during 2010. A back injury that lingered for months from someone's stupidity, followed the next race by a very bad experience upside down in this vulnerable car (completely my fault), prompted me to sell it and move on, back brace and all.

Also, they lacked a certain "respect" factor. English production cars are much more interesting and involving, like a racing keel boat is to a Sunfish. I have few regrets about having raced a vee, and none about leaving the class.

But it has much to offer. The numbers are growing, which says much; just not to me.

1200cc or 1600cc???

The 1200's were just too slow for my liking... but then a competitive 1600cc was too expensive (for a car I might only drive three or four times a year).

I really would like to have an open wheeler at my disposal.

This is from the Formula Vee website in Australia - it both describes my excitment at the class... and my disappointment at the cost.

[color=#003399]In the sport of motor racing, where the cost of a car in most categories is in excess of $75,000, the cost of a new Formula Vee (1600cc) is about $40,000 and you can expect to pay around $20,000 for a competitive second hand 1600cc car. 1200cc cars range from between $5,000 and $10,000. Running costs are low, the VW engine and the VW components are most reliable, available locally and easy to maintain - and a Vee car remains competitive for many years.

A feature of Formula Vee racing is the drivers hitting 200 kph along the straights and then keeping the cars 'on the edge' for the whole race in tight formations. The strong VW engine can take revs of up to 6,500RPM.[/color]

1200, which is where most of the action in the US is.

But, they could be quite quick. My lap times were faster than a number of MBG's or TR4's, although certainly not the faster ones. And there were many excellent Vee drivers faster than me who would dominate anywhere.

And, the subjective sensation of speed was pretty close to a FF, especially in tight packs of 5-6 cars. There was NO sense of "slow."

I just grew weary of the objective dangers, mainly a function of open wheel cars in tight groups mixed with an influx of SCCA racers who were bringing a different ethic to the track and were causing #%£¥<|! to happen.

Or so it then seemed to me.

I think it was just that the laptimes of the midfield 1200s were slower than mine - now THAT is slow ;-)

The 1600's are certainly starting to dominate the fields (being the more modern cars - the 1200s are generally in the historic classes).

Formula Ford is very cool... but very expensive here, especially if you want to compete against other FFs (there are only a few FFs in my State so you have to travel a fair bit). Locally, I think an FF ends up in one of those "catch-all" Formula Libra grouoings.

So, to hang out with a bunch of like-minded souls at an affordable price, go Formula Vee.

This weekend I will be a Steward at a SuperKart meeting. Now, if you want to talk FAST and on the bones of your arse..... :)

There are not a lot of 1600 cc cars over here (called Supervees). Decent examples can be acquired in the $15k to $20k range. The early ones are air cooled and are noted for their unreliability, but they look great.

A few years ago I acquired a kart that would top out at 130 and pull 2.5 g's in a corner. It beat me up too much if I pushed it hard, but DAMN it took you to a new level. And yes the 1200 VW seemed very slow in comparison. I have been away from racing for a year, and the first thing I will do next spring to re-enter the speed envelope is to to run hot laps in a rented racing kart at the nearest road course.

You can see what Formula Vee are doing in Australia here http://www.fvee.org.au/

But them, of course, you do Bathurst... and I am not sure you could go any further ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGu5LMqQ70Q

This might be parochial, but my sense was that vintage Vee in the US has evolved to a very high level competitive with any in the world. There is a core group of American engine and chassis builders who have taken the technical art to a very high level. It was a battle to finish in the top 10 in a 30 car VSCDA field, and more intense than any sport I have engaged in, including NCAA Level 1 college hockey and high altitude mountaineering. But I "compete" all week at work, and, in retrospect, had burned out.

In B's I hope to have moved to a less intense fire.Or so I convinced myself. But the moth always seeks the flame....