Favourite Formula Ford Festival Memories?

[Andrew Kitson]

As discussed elsewhere in the forum I painted a 'montage' of some of the winners of the FF Festival ( on my website).
It has long been a highlight of the season for me and I wonder what your favourite memories are of this terrific event?
On the track the final of 1988 was sensational when Sospiri won but also one of the semi's in '85 when Hill, Blundell, Bancroft and Tim Jones had one hellova scrap.
Off track the activities in the Kentagon take some beating, especially the year myself and friends were so wrecked I think I slept in one of John Village's race cars in the back of his truck! A mate used one of the spare motors as a pillow - must have been comfortable.! I can still remember the hangover and pain from the noise when the racing started at 9am on the Sunday. However, always a good weekend on and off track.
What do you remember?

[Mackmot]

hummmm I think it would be too incriminating to say that Jenson Button had a ******* comp with Marino Franchitti and Craig Murray and Ryan Dalziel. So I wont say it.

2000 James Courtney driving straight at Mark taylor was pretty funny.

Brian Jones being presented the andrews picture was nice.

and as i said before 82 was special as it was 9 months before I was born

[Andrew Kitson]

Mackmot what are you still doing up at this hour?

[Mackmot]

erm, sorry, I was just looking at my prints, honest.

I always get up before 9 anyway even if i go to sleep at 8 in the morning

[Mackmot]

im still sort of working at this time, just reseaching local companies and some scholarship thing

[Andrew Kitson]

Well I'm waiting for some paint to dry..

[Mr Jinxx]

And I'm a night owl and always late in the mornings. You watch Big Brother? Isnt it funny how, when left to their own devices, all the housemates end up going to bed late and sleeping into the afternoon.... it must be natural for us to do that, and not (as the twatty folk would have us believe) to go to bed when the sun sets and get up when it rises.

[Andrew Kitson]

Well, up again now after some sleep - back to my original question anyone - any great FF Festival memories?

[BennyBoy1978]

2000 was good cos it was my 1st one, the final was amazing race lots of action!

[Morcilman]

89 I think with Michael Vergers fighting from last to second side by side with the first, Palhares. And on the way passing Coulthard as if he was a novice...

That is the best drive I remember from the festival

[Tomgreen]

Can't remember the year but it was when miku santivertu (bad spelling i know) and bas leinders took each other out while leading one, two in their works Swifts in the final. Kevin Maggarity went through and won and said he almost crashed laughing when he saw the 2 swifts out of the race. I think it was 95? Sorry again for my spelling.

[Jonny Apex]

1985, watching Bertrand Gachot coming towards me upside down after contact with Jonathan Bancroft at the start of their semi (I think) into Paddock, sparks flying off his Van Diemen's roll bar.

Ellen Lohr - Paddock. Nuf said ...

1988. Sospiri overtaking nearly half the field to win it for JVA (on saying that, nobody standing at the bottom of Paddock could believe they kept that race going after Gil de Ferran rolled into the tyres and hit them upside down with his helmet first, knocking himself out - one poor marshal trying to get to him was then hit by another car going off and ended up with broken legs)

1988. The aborted 'start' of the final after Derek Higgins and Jose Cordoba took off from the front row before the lights went green. They argued the sun had come down so much it was shining directly onto the lighting gantry and nobody could see them. To the disgust of their rivals (including a furious John Village if anyone's seen the BBC highlights), they were allowed to take up their original positions because, said the officials, technically, no race had ever taken place because the lights never subsequently went green. About an hour or so later, the race restarted with a waved Union Jack flag.

2000. Davidson hanging on in his Mygale to beat the works VDs.

1983. Ross Cheever rolling out at Paddock.
1981. My pal Jon English getting through his heat on the Saturday and into Sunday morning's quarter-final in his ex-John Booth VD. He was delighted, naturally, but gutted too because it meant he couldn't go down the Sun and have a few pints!

[bella]

opening the car door last year to find out i was parked in the middle of a lake in the campsite.

[Peter Scillitoe]

Has this thread been sparked by the news that Brian Jones is currently writing a book on this very subject?

[RAT CATCHER]

2000 the scrap between Courtney and Davidson and the row Between Jim Warren and Jonathan Lewis, that was funny ,
And 88 got so p...st and woke up in bed with a Dragon,

[mattray]

Bet you there are more fave memories about the good old Kent days rather than crappy zetecs! (I will withdraw the "crappy" comment given the chance to do a proper year in one!)

Matt

[The Accomplice]

Seen you drive Mattray.....keep the crappy comment in.

[Sato san]

what year was it when Herbert was in the Quest ? , and came through to win it from the back in the 1st heat .

I still think 98 was a good one , watching Button punt of Ambrose at Clearways , Button had got caught out there the week before in the Eurocup race by Wheldon ( i think ) and wasnt gonna take no messing this time around .

[Andrew Kitson]

It was 85 when Herbert won. A pretty dull final though. He led Bancroft most of the way with 3rd and 4th equally spaced. Yes, 98 was a great final if a little aggressive from Jenson but a worthy winner all the same.
But for me it is the 'Kent' Festivals that seem the most memorable. What about Ratzenberger v Favre in 86? That was a cracker.

[ghinzani]

My fave (biased here!) was 94 Kent final when my driver Gavin Wills won it - especially after he totalled the front of the car in the semi and we had to hammer it straight for the final (the semi was stopped and they did countback). myself and steve stapley were litrally hammering front wishbones straight!! then after about 10 laps of the final he'd got into the lead and then they stopped it... he was sat on the grid in pole crying his eyes out 'cos he thought fate was against him - but good on him he held his nerve and led all the way in the restart. Then afterwards we couldnt get ****ed cos there was only me and him to drive the transporter and camper back to Plymouth... I got back in at about 4am, my then missus was fast asleep so I sat and got ****ed with a bottle of brandy and was somewhat worse for wear when she got up in the morning - I vaguely remember a *******ing!

happy days!

[Mr Hahn]

Originally posted by ghinzani
I got back in at about 4am, my then missus was fast asleep so I sat and got ****ed with a bottle of brandy and was somewhat worse for wear when she got up in the morning - I vaguely remember a *******ing!

happy days!

All my memories of the festival are vague, for a similar reason!

[F3fan]

Ghinzani;

What's Gavin up to now, haven't seen him in a long time?

[ghinzani]

F3fan - havent spoken to him since myself amd Mr Edwards walked away from the Swift debacle! However I know he moved West-tec (the good part!)up to Corby way and started an ASCAR team (they have a website if you look on google), which was always Gav's fave series. I also noticed he has dusted the sc92 ff down and was contesting some Star of Mallory rounds. A good bloke, dedicated to racing - hopefully one day his company will get the recognition his hard work deserves.. but this is motor racing so its probably all down the image and PR !!

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by ghinzani
they have a website if you look on google

It's quite a good one.
www.teamwest-tec.com

[Stephen Green]

Dave Coyne weaving away down the bottom straight to fend off everyone else on the final two laps. How he didn't get excluded from the results was a major surprise to many of us!