Castle Combe Racing Club Formula Ford 1600s Championship
TITLE SPONSOR – MOTUL
Club racing at its best!! Catering for Kent-engine Formula Ford 1600s, this superb championship has been a crowd favourite at the circuit since 1969. The Castle Combe Championship is now the oldest in the country and arguably the most successful, blending intense competition with a friendly atmosphere amongst the competitors. Large grids and close racing ensure the success of the Championship for competitors, sponsors and spectators alike!
Formula Ford racing has been essential to the Wiltshire track’s story since the late 1960s.
For 55 years, wheel-to-wheel dicing and plenty of thrills and spills have been key elements of Castle Combe race meetings, as the circuit’s championship has consistently delivered hugely competitive racing from strong grids. Formula Ford was first created in 1967, and early races were held at Castle Combe in 1967 and 1968 before the circuit championship was inaugurated for the 1969 season.
In 1969, the Castle Combe Formula Ford Championship was created as the first circuit-based championship in British motor racing, thanks to the foresight of the late Howard Strawford, the man who would go on to save the circuit from closure and develop it into one of Britain’s most popular venues.
“I was the first person in the country to come up with the idea of having a regional championship,’ said Strawford, speaking in 1998. “I applied directly to the RAC for the Formula Ford championship in 1969. By chance, someone I knew from South Wales had moved across to this area and was in charge of advertising for Guards cigarettes. So we started with sponsorship from Guards. We could generate enough interest in the area for it to work.” As usual, Strawford’s vision was proved correct.
LAP RECORDS
Class A – Post ’95: 1m09.866s Michael Moyers
Spectrum 011C 08/10/16
Class B – 1990-1995: 1m10.337s Luke Cooper
Swift SC92 25/05/15
Class C – 1985-1989: 1m11.548s David Cobbold
Van Diemen RF89 06/08/22
Class D – Pre’85: 1m11.683s Ben Mitchell
Merlyn Mk20 02/05/22
Fastest Laps updated 26/08/2024
Photos by Jack Flash Photography & Trackside Images
