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30 Dec 2000, 22:26 (Ref:55009) | #1 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 2,685
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Over in the Trackside forum we've been having a discussion about which will be best next year, BTCC or Powertour. Within this topic, Nigel has mentioned what series will be supporting the BTCC next season and one of the ones he names is Formula Force 5000. The immediate question is - what on earth is Formula Force 5000?
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8 Jan 2001, 12:56 (Ref:57332) | #2 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 344
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Its a series similar to Thoroughbred Grand Prix (TGP) but for F5000 cars from the early '70s.
F5000 was a series for single seater cars with basically stock block American V8 engines. It was quite big at the time and there are reputed to be quite a few of the cars still around. Force have been trying to get the series going for the last few years - gradually building up the number of potential entries - I think they are hoping that having a few high profile dates will bring out the cars in higher numbers. I hope it works - the cars where pretty spectacular - as Tom Walkinshaw used to say when he raced them - 'More Grunt Than Grip'. It might even persuade me to do the BTCC meetings.... |
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8 Jan 2001, 13:34 (Ref:57342) | #3 | ||
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,275
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There was a trial race at the AMOC meeting at Donnington last summer, but unfortunately hardly any of the cars turned up. A full grid of F5000 would be an enticing prospect indeed. Ideally somewhere like Oulton Park or Brands GP.
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9 Jan 2001, 11:46 (Ref:57580) | #4 | ||
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Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 5,549
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There was a grid of eight Formula 5000 cars at an annual Eastern Creek Historic meeting a few years ago. What an awesome spectacle, it's no concidence that the decline of open wheeler racing in Australia coincided with the demise of Formula 5000 as a premier category.
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9 Jan 2001, 13:26 (Ref:57597) | #5 | |
Racer
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 128
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I remember that meeting at EC. It was the first time I'd seen them on the track and I was blown away. They really get your attention. My older friends that used to go and watch them said back then people watched open wheelers instead of sedans. They make me jealous when they talk about seeing them race at Oran.
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10 Jan 2001, 05:54 (Ref:57789) | #6 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 441
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I just watched three of these do a lunchtime demo at a national car meet here.
There were two Lola 332's,and a Australian built Matich A40,with a Repco 5000 motor,(based on the 308 Holden motor) When they fired them up there was a general rush in the direction of the spectator areas,the best bit is in another month there will be about seven of them on the track,along with some Indy cars of the same era at a classic meeting. |
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18 Jan 2001, 10:44 (Ref:59175) | #7 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 1999
Posts: 530
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The F5000s have been racing in the UK for the last few years in the HSCC's Derek Bell Trophy series, the races allowed for a whole mix of cars from Class B Clubmans (105 bhp), F2, FF2000, F Atlantic, Super Vee all sorts. The F5000 cars sound great but really are a point and squirt machine, (I drove round the outside of one at the Silverstone club chicane - the marshals couldn't believe they were waving a blue flag at an F5000 because a Class B Clubmans was going past !, didn't last long though once we got on the straight ! - think he lapped me about 4 laps later). There are more of them being restored and it would be great to see them have their own race. One tip though - dont sit behind one in the forming up queue - they tend to have twin 6" drainpipes as exhausts... just got the visor down in time !!!
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