Historic Formula Ford 2000 Association

Just come across a load of time sheets from 'back in the day', makes interesting reading. Only two circuits that we use that are still unchanged so that lap times can be compared, Thruxton & Cadwell Park. Cadwell in '83 fastest lap was 1.27.6 by Martin Donnelly in a VD RF83, over two and a half seconds faster than what is now considered a good time. Thruxton '83 was down at 1.17.06, again considerably faster than a current good time! How's that for backwards progress? Old Transits never die...they just get slower

I think the bottom of the mountain was different back then and a lot faster, not sure if that is all of the 2 seconds difference though. Thruxton is probably a more fairer comparison and if anything stacked in the favour of modern era due to the chicane kerbs. Was that a qualifying time or in the race though? that's from the era of changing wheels to tyres filled with water in qualifying so the rumours went .. In period the 83 van diemen got away with running a skirt on the pods to seal them off, probably how they got anywhere near to the reynards

oh yeah and none of us are as good as martin Donnelly

Hi Ian, I don't recall the Mountain being any different but you may well be right and interesting landmarks like the Hall Bends bridge is gone, ditto the house on the edge of the track just after the hairpin and the barn with its open doors to accept errant cars , not that any of those will have affected lap times!

On further checking, Donnellys time didn't count as on the revised result sheet he was disqualified for an illegal Zagk engine, the win being awarded to Rick Morris (run by Ken) but even then his fastest race lap was still a 1.27.8, again in a RF83, the first Reynard SF83 being down in third place. Certainly there was a lot of smoke and mirrors trickery going on as it was a major feeder series with future big names and ego's at stake. Interesting point about water in the tyres, hadn't heard that one before but from memory the ruling was the cars had to be above the weight limit after the races only and some of the front runners ran superlight bodywork in qualifying. The cars also ran closer to the track as well, 30mm clearance instead of the 40mm we run which would have helped. The first ten cars were all on race lap times of 1.30.00 or lower.

Yes Martin was exceptioal but somehow I don't think he'd have left you behind in equal machinery.

Did they run the same tyres in 83?

I think 83 was the first year we used Yokohama tyres, instead of Dunlops.

I was still running an 81 Reynard with Mike Brett, we had a new set of Yokohama slicks but couldn't afford any wet.
At a meeting early in the season, everyone was looking at the sky wondering if it was going to be slicks or wets for the race
We were parked next to Frank Bradly I said we haven't got a problem as we haven't got any wets.
At the next race meeting, Frank called us over and told us he had treated himself to a new set of wets and we could have the old ones, they had only done one test session.

That was the nicest thing anyone did for us in 5 seasons of FF2000,
as some old bloke keeps saying around here, Happy Days.

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John Saunders

Less of the Old. . I think lap record at Mallory was 46 secs as well Think it was Roberto Moreno a Royale RP27.. 20 plus years ago in my Delta I got credited with a 46 something lap time. "It was wrong ".

Lap times were so much closer back then. I remember a meeting on Silverstones old club circuit the timekeepers gave Mike a time 0.5 of a second faster than he had done (no transponders then).
Instead of being on row 6 or 7 as normal that put on the second row. We still told everyone he'd been
quicker in testing on Friday.

When the lights changed he made his way back where he should have been. Happy days.

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John Saunders