Should all Formula fords be Zetecs?

[Lee Purnell]

FFord is heading for an all Zetec future according to Autosport.
Does this mean the end for the Castle Combe Formula Fords?
Or the Oulton park series?
It has been a good switch in Scotland, but will it be to expensive for many club competetors?

[marcus]

here in Australia we still run with the kent engines but within the next couple of years we should be moving to the zetec engines..they are also planning wings and slicks for the cars as well.
I belive they should be zetec engines because kent engines are probably getting more expensive by the year because Ford have to make them especially for racing as I believe they use the zetecs are a production based motor (but I could be wrong)

as for the 1600 dissapearing that may be the case but they still have at least 10 years max in them so I guess ford will have to look at what they want to do about this situation.

if everything went zetec it would harm the class for a short while but within a year or two it would be thriving again because as we all know F. Ford is one of the best training grounds in motorsport and new equipment will come on line in a great hurry.

[Dan Friel]

I wouldn't worry about Zetec engines taking over from the Kent version at Castle Combe quite yet... by all reports they're very much more expensive to run and any budget FF series would suffer.

However, the 750 MC are about to launch a Zetec series, so it'll be interesting to see how much that costs and how many runners they get. If the 750 MC can run a Zetec series - it might be the way forward (in a couple of years maybe).

[Crash Test]

I think one of the things which is going around atm is a spec chassis for the national championship here in australia. Would this be a good idea, considering that there aren't any other serious spec open wheel classes down here, unlike in Europe?

[marcus]

Im not sure if that is a good or bad thing crash test..they dont use a spec chassis in the brittish series so why should we do that out here....
the reason I say this is ..the lucky constructor say Van Diemen will make quite a bit of money out of it...good for them...but if for instance they do get it what would happen to guys like Mike Borland here in OZ whos Spectrum Chassis has been doing an excellent job but as far as I know is only raced here and maybe in New Zealand..this would surely send him broke and he is a class engineer whos talents have not yet been fullfiled.. so I dont think a spec class would be a good idea for us...but on the other hand prices would surely drop on cars wich is good for competitors.but I still feel this would be the wrong way to go.

[Mackmot]

If all Fords become Zetecs it will lose a lot of older drivers who are in the sport only for the fun. Zetecs are too expensive for low budgets they are really meant for teams with sponsors or young talents with enough to invest in their future.
They are also too complicated for are clubmans level because they are designed to give young drivers a chance to learn how to set a car up. This means that any club level drivers will have to learn the ins and outs of the car or find a mechanic to help (more expense). With more variables involed it can also result in a more difficult to handle car and therefore more crashes and now prices can really saw.

If we lose the Kent series and such like then we will see a lot of drivers leaving not for the Zetec series but for the Monoposto or such like. We cannot allow the end of the great 1600 FFord.

[Tony Harman]

I think you're right Mackmot (did I spell that right ? - can't see the original BB from this screen) The Zetec FF's are expensive to run - I run a classic FF (Kent) for fun - I'm not exactly poor but there is no way I could run a Zetec competitivley.
Yes the 750 M/C are introducing a FF series but they are now going to allow Kent engines as well. The autosport article (as usual) was not really about what I call club racing - the definition of "club" in Autosport assumes a 50k budget I think !
The problem is going to be the lack of blocks and cranks I guess, maybe what we need is the Zetec engine but simplified chassis regs.