Formula Ford Duratec

[Barry Pomfret]

The new Duratec engined cars were on show at the Festival and the Spirit chassis did a few demo laps. Engine looks great, really compact and well laid out. It ran with a fabricated exhaust manifold and a tiny cat which helped it to sound superb, like a proper race engine, but I am sure the noise levels will need to be cut before it races next year. I had a long chat with Roger Ratley ( Ford electonics guru), the engine with its current ecu map has been giving 150 bhp on Mountunes dyno and they weighed the Spirit car, 400 kg !, should be very exciting racing.After all the initial scepticism it should bring Formula Ford back to the forefront of junior single seater racing.

[Triple J Motorsport]

The airbox on the Mygale looks OTT plus covering the roll hoop will cause problems, how will the marshals lift the car? Are they expected to remove the engine cover?

Lets hope Ford give the UK championship the backing and promotion it needs

What happens at the FF Festival next year FF1600 FF1800 and FF Duratec ?

Only the UKFFC and Australia are switching to Duratec so can only see enough cars for one Duratec race.

[Stephen Green]

*Rolls sleeves up ready to lift a FF car*

Seriously though, for your car to be lifted with the minimal amount of damage we (marshals) need to be able to pass a strap around the roll hoop. If there is no room to do so then bodywork is bound to be damaged from time to time. It would also mean longer time taken to recover cars if we had to remove bodywork etc, so a no go in my book.

[Valker]

Does anyone have photos of new Duratec engined FFord?

[Athgoe Racing]

As i understand it in Austraila the duratec is limited to 120 Bhp and are running the 1600 tyres, would this make more sence ? We need talent back in motoracing not people with money and no talent. It looks sad for UK motorsport in the future the good UK drivers with no money have to go and race in the USA or Europe. The UK was the home of motorsport that is starting to slip as a result of these mad decisions.

[Eddy V]

I guess there will be still some mods going to happen before the proper 2006 cars show up. Overheard one of the Spirit people saying something like this.

[eltong]

Anyone konw where I could get a copy of the new Technical regs that have been produced for 2006?

[jimbomit]

Originally Posted by Barry Pomfret

The new Duratec engined cars were on show at the Festival and the Spirit chassis did a few demo laps. Engine looks great, really compact and well laid out. It ran with a fabricated exhaust manifold and a tiny cat which helped it to sound superb, like a proper race engine, but I am sure the noise levels will need to be cut before it races next year. I had a long chat with Roger Ratley ( Ford electonics guru), the engine with its current ecu map has been giving 150 bhp on Mountunes dyno and they weighed the Spirit car, 400 kg !, should be very exciting racing.After all the initial scepticism it should bring Formula Ford back to the forefront of junior single seater racing.

How does this compare with the Zetecs? I know they were about 2 seconds a lap quicker around Brands than the 1600's, the tyres must count for a lot of that so the power can't be too much of a factor. . . or can it?!!! I must admit I thought they were knocking out about 150bhp or have I been horribly misinformed?

[Valker]

Formula Ford 1600 (2006CY) Technical Regulations – Version Draft 03 , for external review (PDF 500 kt)