FF50th DATE CHANGE!
The dates for the FF50th have changed! The event has been moved up one week to September 11-15, 2019. Please adjust your calendars and travel plans accordingly. More FF50th news will be posted on this page as it happens.
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FF50th @ Road America: News Release #1
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
October 8, 2017 (Updated May 12, 2018)
Big news! The Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association (VSCDA) will be hosting a 50th anniversary party for Formula Ford at Road America September 11-15, 2019. Please note that the dates for the FF50th have been moved up one week!
The FF50th will be a five-day event starting with registration and tech on Wednesday, paddock load-in and untimed practice on Thursday, qualifications with a group photo on Friday, and concluding with heat and feature races on Saturday and Sunday.
Open to Kent-powered Formula Fords of all ages, there will be two race groups allowing a total entry of 200 cars. Tire rules (for both slicks and treads) and licensing requirements are being written for maximum inclusivity.
The FF50th will headline the 2019 Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival, the VSCDA’s marquee event. Mike Korneli is the ELVF race chairman. Steve Beeler will be organizing the FF50th related aspects of the weekend.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #2
CROSSOVER AND OVERFLOW ENTRIES
December 11, 2017
The objective is to get as many drivers into the FF50th as possible. To that end, crossover entries (that is, a driver entering one car in both Formula Ford race groups…two drivers sharing one car is not a crossover) will be tentatively accepted up to the entry deadline. If there are less than 200 entries at the deadline, crossover second entries will be confirmed in entry date order until both race groups are full. After the entry deadline, late entries will not bump a crossover out of a race group.
If both Formula Ford race groups are oversubscribed, overflow entries will be given the option to run in another VSCDA race group. A process will be set up to move overflow entries into the Formula Ford race groups as cars drop out due to misfortunes of one form or another.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #3
SAFETY PREPARATION, LOGBOOK, AND ANNUAL TECH REQUIREMENTS
January 8, 2018
The VSCDA Technical Requirements for Race Cars defines safety preparation, logbook, and annual tech requirements for the FF50th. The document outlines straightforward guidelines for basic vehicle and driver safety: on-board fire extinguishers, master switches, fuel cells, roll hoops, driver restraints, helmets, protective garments, throttle springs, rain lights, catch tanks, the usual stuff. Here is the link:
https://vscda.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/TECHNICAL-REQUIREMENTS-FOR-RACE-CARS-1.pdf
Logbooks and annual techs are required at VSCDA events. If your car does not have a logbook, you can obtain one from the VSCDA tech inspection team. Annual techs from other racing organizations (VMC member clubs, SCCA, CASC, etc) will be honored. A pre-race survey will be sent out before the event to assess the logbook and annual tech work load.
A possible surprise is the requirement for a Car Preparation Sheet. Before an entry will be accepted for a VSCDA events, a car must have an up-to-date CPS on file with the VSCDA office. Here is the link to the one-page form:
https://vscda.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017genericcarprepform.pdf
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #4
DRIVER LICENSING
February 6, 2018
The following requirements must be met to race at a VSCDA event including the FF50th:
- be a VSCDA member
- be at least 18 years old by October of the current year
- have a Medical on file with VSCDA OR hold a competition racing license
- have a Car Preparation Sheet on file with VSCDA
- have wheel-to-wheel competition racing experience within the past 2 years OR
- have completed a competition racing school within the past 2 years
VSCDA annual membership is $120 with an “early bird” special price of $100 if purchased by mid February. A one-event membership for the Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival (the FF50th’s host event) is $75. If you are thinking about the value of an annual membership, VSCDA holds races at three other fine venues: GingerMan, Blackhawk, and Grattan.
Competition licenses issued by the VMC, VMC member clubs, SCCA, FIA, and CASC are routinely accepted at VSCDA events.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #5
EARLY ENTRY DATA COLLECTION
February 25, 2018
The FF40th entry process was simple. There were three race groups: one vintage, one restricted regional, and one national. Drivers entered one or more race groups and it was all good. The restricted regional was slightly over-subscribed but (fortunately!) not until after the entry deadline.
Because the FF50th will only have two race groups, we are expecting enough entries to fill both with 100 cars each. The FF50th entry policy will be to accept the first 200 entries and then group them in the best possible way. I see a process that fills Group A and Group B simultaneously by speed potential and also by drivers who want to race against each other.
Here is a preview of the criteria that will be used to assign cars and drivers to race groups:
Number of years racing?
Number of races in the last three years?
Current license?
Number of races at Road America?
Best Formula Ford lap time @ Road America?
Chassis (Make / Model / Year)?
Damper Locations (Front & Rear)?
Damper External Cannisters (Front & Rear)?
Tires (Brand / Compound)?
Chassis Modifications?
Body Modifications?
Home Club?
Home Club Classification (FF / CFF / VFF / Other)?
Cross-over Entry?
Multi Driver Entry?
Drivers, clubs, or series you want to race with?
Group preference (A or B)?
This data will be collected during the early entry process which will go live this October. Two series have already reached out about racing together at the FF50th: the Royale Formula Ford Challenge Series and Formula Ford “The Series”. If there are drivers that you want to race with at the FF50th, it is not too early to get organized and put a list together.
More details on this topic to follow as the early entry process is finalized.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #6
ENGINE RULES
March 19, 2018
The FF50th will be open to Kent and Cortina powered Formula Fords of all ages.
For Formula Ford engine specifications, the VSCDA Technical Requirements for Race Cars follows Monoposto Racing rules which in turn reference the SCCA 2015 GCR. The 2015 SCCA GCR provides stable specifications for Kent and Cortina engines that Monoposto expects to continue referencing going forward.
Rules stability ahead of a big event is a good thing. So that everyone can prepare with confidence, the FF50th will also reference the 2015 SCCA GCR for Kent and Cortina engine rules.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #7
CHASSIS ELIGIBILITY
April 2, 2018
The FF50th will be open to Kent (and Cortina) powered Formula Fords of all ages.
The VSCDA Technical Requirements for Race Cars follows Monoposto Racing rules which list eligible Historic (pre 1973) and Club (1973 – 1982) commercially constructed cars. To define chassis eligibility for the rest of the Formula Ford universe, the 2015 SCCA GCR will be referenced.
Just what exactly is a Formula Ford? Everyone knows the basics: a single seat, tubular frame, flat bottom, open wheel racing car. The 2015 SCCA GCR, which is also being referenced for Kent and Cortina engine specifications, will provide the rest of the details.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #8
REGISTRATION PROCESS & APPROXIMATE TIME LINE
July 31, 2018
Registration for the FF50th @ Road America will open this fall. The on-line registration process will include a questionnaire for race group placement: chassis, tires, shocks, driver experience, etc. The questionnaire will also provide an opportunity to indicate that you belong to a series (The Crossflow Cup, Royale Formula Ford Challenge, etc).
Initially, entries will be placed into one of these five classifications. Based on entry composition, preliminary classifications may be further defined and sub-divided in order to fit 200 cars into two race groups.
- Vintage Formula Ford on treaded tires
- Club Formula Ford on treaded tires
- Formula Ford on treaded tires
- Club Formula Ford on slicks
- Formula Ford on slicks
Early Registration. The early registration window will be open from October 2018 through January 2019. Early entries will be subject to a refundable deposit. Final classifications and provisional race group placements will be announced in January. During early registration, classification and/or race group change requests will be accommodated and entries can be withdrawn with a full deposit refund.
Regular Registration. The regular registration window will be open from February 2019 through April 2019. A non-refundable deposit will be required at time of entry. During the regular registration window, there may be movement across race groups as one fills up before the other.
At the end of regular registration, cross-over entries (one driver in one car in both race groups) will be confirmed subject to the 100 car maximum per race group. Confirmed cross-over entries will not be bumped by late entries.
Late Registration. Late registration will open in May 2019. Late entries will be subject to the non-refundable deposit as well as a late entry fee.
If both FF50th race groups are over-subscribed, overflow entries will be given the option to race in another ELVF race group. For all entrants, the balance of the entry fee will be due at event registration.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #14
BANQUET SPEAKER…PAUL PAGE!
December 20, 2018
Paul Page, the “voice” of the Indy 500, will be the banquet speaker at the Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival / FF50th banquet Saturday September 14, 2019 at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Formula Ford’s 50th anniversary in North America will be celebrated at the ELFV, the Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association’s marquee event.
Paul is best known for his Indianapolis 500 radio broadcasts and CART/IRL television broadcasts. Paul joined the Indy 500 radio team in 1974 and hosted the broadcast from 1977-87 and then again in 2014 and 2015. Paul led the television broadcast of the “500” from 1988-2004, twice honored with a Sports Emmy Award as Best Special. Less well known is Paul’s time behind the wheel, racing Formula Fords from 1970 to 1977.
Kent-powered Formula Fords of all ages are welcome at the FF50th. There will be two race groups allowing a total entry of 200 cars. Click here for the VSCDA’s pre-registration page: https://vscda.org/ff50th-road-america-pre-registration/
For more information on the event, click here: https://stevebeeler.com/ff50th/
FF50th @ Road America: News Release
Third Formula Ford Race Group
March 6, 2019
FF50th pre-registrations (227 cars as of March 5) have exceeded not only expectations but the 200 car limit imposed by two Formula Ford race groups (2 race groups x 4 mile track x 25 cars per mile). To accommodate the still growing entry list, a third Formula Ford only race group has been added to the FF50th’s schedule.
Cars will be assigned to the three race groups as follows:
A: VFF (treads)
B: CFF (treads)
C: FF (treads and slicks) and CFF (slicks)
Second entries on Group A and Group B cross-overs (one driver and one car entered into two race groups) will be bumped “up” into Group C space permitting. Group C cars interested in more seat time will cross-over into the VSCDA race group where Formula Fords usually race. That group is going to be very light with a few vintage non-winged FB’s and even fewer FJ’s.
Cross-over entries will be confirmed beginning August 1. Once confirmed, cross-overs cannot then be bumped by a regular entry.
The overflow plan previously announced is no longer in effect. Entries will be capped at 300 cars.
The FF50th will headline the 2019 Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival, the VSCDA’s marquee event, and is open to Kent and Cortina powered Formula Fords from all eras (vintage, club, and modern) on both treads and slicks.
FF50th @ Road America: News Release #17
RACER Magazine to Produce FF50th Program
March 11, 2019
Long-time Formula Ford aficionado Paul Pfanner (Racer Media & Marketing) will be producing the FF50th program. RACER’s August issue will feature Formula Ford’s 50th anniversary. For the program, Paul will customize the magazine with a special cover and an insert with FF50th focused content (schedule, entry list, paddock locations, etc). The insert will have the look and feel of FORMULA magazine from back in the 1970s. No doubt the FF50th program will be an instant collector’s item.
The FF50th will headline the 2019 Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival, the VSCDA’s marquee event, and is open to Kent and Cortina powered Formula Fords from all eras (vintage, club, and modern) on both treads and slicks.
