25 Years on Michael Stucker

FORMULA FORD 25 Years On Michael Stucker/www.vintageRPM.com Michael The Man who changed the World: Well, FF anyway. Designer Bruns watches the first DB1 in October 83. Swift is the New Sleek: FROM tiny acorns, giant oaks RK Smith changed FF forever grow. when he dominated the SCCA Run- Along with the success of the Offs, left. A decade after his win, DB1, Swift Engineering moved up the DB1 was still dominant, like to build cars in other categories, this 1994 1-2 at Mid-Ohio, above. including FF2000 and, in 1987, Bruns’s original drawings show Formula Atlantic, breaking Ralt’s the concept of the car; low frontal stranglehold with the DB4. In area, wide track and centralised 1998, it moved up to Champ Cars mass. with the 009.c raced by Newman Haas Racing and Della Penna Motorsport. The current Mazda-powered Atlantic is a Swift 016.a, and the company in fine-tuning the new 019.n chassis, which will be the American Beauty spec racer in Formula Nippon from next season. British-built cars have dominated Formula Ford. But in the four-decade history of the The company, located south of Los Angeles in San Clemente, category, the most significant FF ever to race came not from Old Blighty, but from California was bought by Matsushita International, the company N the 100-year-plus history changed the game forever. of the airstream and a longer and DB1 was shaken down at Willow which also contained the oil sump owned by former driver Hiro of motorsport, some cars Prior to 1983, the standard narrower, but stiffer, chassis. In Springs and, with great optimism, tank – allowed the car to be ‘split’ Matsushita. In 1991 Matsushita, stand out as landmarks of layout for an FF was based on the short, he wanted to bring Formula the quartet entered the SCCA Run- in half for straightforward engine a member of the family that the sport. classic Lotus-style Formula Junior; 1 technology to racers on a FF Offs at Road Atlanta. and gearbox maintenance. founded what is now called IThe Lotus 78 is such a car, a single radiator at the front of budget. “We had one shot,” Cross told As much as jaws dropped Panasonic, became the first sweeping all before it and a spaceframe chassis, the driver Bruns started the Mechanical CNC Magazine. when the car rolled out, that Japanese driver to qualify for the changing the direction of Formula in the middle and the engine Design Consultants business “Our car either performed well in was nothing compared to what Indianapolis 500. 1 design. So is Porsche’s 908, right behind him. There were in Huntington Beach and at that race or we hitchhiked home, happened after Smith ran away Bruns left Swift a decade ago. one of the most successful and exceptions but, generally, the Automotive Developments at broke and defeated.” with the race. Even as he was After a spell working on various recognisable Sportscars ever to cars with the air going in the front Orange, the cutting and welding The gambit worked. As soon driving back to greet his crew, projects, including the AAR-Eagle race. ruled the roost; Lolas, Crossles and started. John Gianelli, Rusty as Smith hit the track in practice, other teams were enquiring about Champ Car, he now spends his If you love Formula Fords – and Royales, all made in England and Herford and Jules Williams all took every other Formula Ford at buying a Swift for 1984. time designing stereo equipment some people in the MNews office imported into America, led the on roles, with Alex Cross and Paul the track – in the country – was “We had orders, with deposits, in California. love FFs way too much – there way. White, who were already racing instantly obsolete. Its aerodynamic before the engine had a chance to Since 1993, Smith has owned Courtesy Frank Chambers is only one car that changed the But there was some dissent. FFs in the California club scene, design, which produced the lowest cool down,” remembers Cross. RKSport, a road car performance class forever; the Swift DB1. But, McDonnell Douglas aerospace joining in. But Cross was more of drag ever seen in an FF, gave it a Swift sold the DB1 starting at Skinny but Strong: The DB1 shows the classic lines of modern FFs. This and styling specialist business unlike many historic cars in the engineer Dave Bruns had already a salesman than a driver. So, with huge top speed advantage. Its US$16,000 for a rolling chassis, the 1984 DB1 belongs to Frank Chambers of Oklahoma. based in Murrieta, California. sport, the Swift didn’t come from penned a car with a narrow nose, Bruns and racer RK Smith, they wide track allowed it to brake later same price as the Lola of the day. Europe – it came from the good twin side-mounted radiators and pooled their money, created Swift and corner faster and, with greater Within a year, almost every race old USA. a rear-mounted oil cooler. About Cars and got to work. stability, the Swift was easier to fell to a DB1 and the design of There are two types of Formula 20 of the cars, known as the ADF, That is where the risk was. They drive than the other, older cars. the car was so sound, once a car Fords in the world; the ones built were produced and they raced had enough money for one car, With the driver pushed forward was sold, it would keep racing for before the DB1 and the ones built with limited success in the late- and only one car. Smith, 40, had in front of the radiator, most of years. As recently as 2007, DB1s after. That is no rash statement; 70s and early-80s. almost no FF driving experience, the mass was in the middle of the were still winning in America. in its Group R regulations But Bruns was not satisfied; he and Bruns had to ensure that the car, giving it a low centre of gravity The Swift layout became the covering eligibility for Racing and had bigger and better ideas in car was not only competitive but and moment of polar inertia. The architecture of almost every FF Sportscars, CAMS allows any car his head. Having already lowered that it could be manufactured car was easy to work on, with the that followed. So, any time you built prior to 31 December 1983 the frontal area with the ADF, he commercially without sending the dampers and springs above the look at a recent Van Diemen to race, but specifically excludes wanted a needle nose, wide tracks company broke. drivers knees, and the intricate or Spectrum, just think; its the DB1. In a nutshell, the Swift with suspension units tucked out After several months work, the cast aluminum bell housing – grandfather was a Yank. 56 www.mnews.com.au 57.

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