Formula Libre - Do you know what it is?

[diz]

For the younger folk out there, Formula Libre is "A free formula" for single seater racing cars.

A..... nything goes
N..... o silly regulations
G..... ood racing
L..... ots of different cars
E..... xciting single seater action
S..... peed on a budget
E..... very type of single seater is eligible
Y..... oung or old cars - it doesn't matter

If you have a single seater racing car you can race it in Formula Libre

Need more competitive track time away from your regular championship? then Formula Libre is for you.

Need more practice in a race environment before diving into the specific championship for your class? then Formula Libre is for you

Just want some fun racing? then Formula Libre is for you

Is a Jedi better than a Renault 1700 or 2 litre, or Vauxhall Lotus, or ARP F3, or Historic F3 or F2, or Monoposto 1200, 1600, 1800 or 2000, or Formula Four, or Zetec, or Duratec, or, or, or, the list is endless.

Watch out for Formula Libre racing coming to an Anglesey Circuit near you soon.

[kickstart]

I really hope that you open this up to single seaters of up to 3 ltr capacity as there are lots of old F3000 and late F2 cars knocking around with nowhere to race outside of big money euroboss.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by diz

A..... nything goes
N..... o silly regulations
G..... ood racing
L..... ots of different cars
E..... xciting single seater action
S..... peed on a budget
E..... very type of single seater is eligible
Y..... oung or old cars - it doesn't matter

Diz, You obviously have too much time on your hands at the moment to think of that one.

I suppose I will have to go and buy a copy of Motoring News again as you are now famous!

Merry Christmas to you and Di.

[diz]

Originally Posted by kickstart

I really hope that you open this up to single seaters of up to 3 ltr capacity as there are lots of old F3000 and late F2 cars knocking around with nowhere to race outside of big money euroboss.

Or maybe no upper limit Nigel, F5000 springs to mind. With sufficient entry support, there could be upto and over two litre races.

Your nice and shiny black car seems just the kind of tool to use in the upto 2000cc division.

[F.O.F.]

we have libre over here aswell.great fun guessing how many laps its gonna taka an old f3000 with a holden v6 to lap a vee

[Redracer77]

sounds like a good idea diz. I would be able to play in my new zetec F4

[JohnMiller]

Bring it to Mallory.

[schomosport]

Does formula libre have a dispensation to run at ride heights below 40mm?

[diz]

Originally Posted by schomosport

Does formula libre have a dispensation to run at ride heights below 40mm?

Now that's a good question. I'll ask my friendly Technical Commissioner and get back.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Formula Libre is NOT a single seater racing car 'formula' as there is no 'formula'!

In Formula Libre racing as I remember it at Oulton Park, Aintree, Longridge and Mallory Park there were Sports Racing Cars, Clubmens Cars and Special Saloons all battling it out with the single seaters.

On the single seater front I can remember all of the following taking part:
Formula One,
Formula Two,
Formula Atlantic,
Formula Three,
Formula 5000,
Formula Super Vee,
Formula Ford 2000,
Formula Ford 1600,
Hillclimb Specials,
and
Monoposto.

In fact several competitors created Formula Libre cars that would have been inelligible for anything else!

So to ensure you attract full grids make it a true open formula

[Ian Sowman]

Good point actually - the 'single seater' races at Lydden, and the Libre ones in Ireland, let in the likes of Clubmans cars, Radicals and so on as well. Will they be eligible?

[gixxer]

That was the problem with it years ago getting cars on the grid,it was great when the likes of Tony Trimmer in his F5000 was battling with Alo Lawler in his ex Prost F1 were both there but these two were way ahead of the rest.
Even though there was a vast number of cars that could be used the grids never really got out of the lower teens so the championship faded away!

If it was too come back then its gonna need some serious backing to get the cars on the grid,even though i'd like to see a big banger libre championship back i still feel it won't get the support.....the Boss championship is one example its taken a lot of time to build but the grids still not full!

[diz]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

Formula Libre is NOT a single seater racing car 'formula' as there is no 'formula'!

True Steve as it is a FREE catch all formula, or should I have said Class?

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

In Formula Libre racing as I remember it at Oulton Park, Aintree, Longridge and Mallory Park there were Sports Racing Cars, Clubmens Cars and Special Saloons all battling it out with the single seaters.

You wouldn't get away with putting Special Saloons in with open wheelers nowadays [says the man who once had too many Special Saloons entered at Aintree and put the upto 1000cc class in with the Vintage cars. Ten ton Bentleys' and fibreglass Minis - what a mix!]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

So to ensure you attract full grids make it a true open formula

That's the basic idea, but a true open formula for the 21st century. Sadly we can't take racing back thirty odd years - much as it would be an improvement.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by diz

That's the basic idea, but a true open formula for the 21st century. Sadly we can't take racing back thirty odd years - much as it would be an improvement.

I am not suggesting that you do take motor racing back thirty, forty or even fifty years. However there is a strong possibility that you will suffer from thin grids and even one horse races if you don't open it up.

If on the other hand you do get good entries, and I personally hope you do, then you could also run a SPORTS LIBRE race to cater for the closed wheel cars!

[diz]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

If on the other hand you do get good entries, and I personally hope you do, then you could also run a SPORTS LIBRE race to cater for the closed wheel cars!

I'm sort of ahead of you there Steve. Try this from my 4th December meeting. OK it isn't a big banger mix, but the concept of mixing them all together is a goer.

1. Put on two classes, one for Sports Cars and one for Saloon Cars

2. Wait for the entries to come in

3. Decide what to do with 86 of them

4. Extract 29 Caterham types = 1 race

5. Stick the rest together and split them into faster and slower groups, 29 in one and 28 in the other.

Faster Group
TVR Tasmin 6600
TVR Tasmin 2000
Ginetta G20 1800
MG TF 1800
TVR Tuscan 4200
BMW E30 M3 DTM 2500
Proton 1800
Fiesta XR2 1600
Sierra Cosworth 2000
Porsche 911SC 2994
TVR Tasmin 2800
Ginetta G20 1800
TVR Tasmin 2792
BMW 325 2500
T Car 1600
BMW 325 2500
Ford RS2000 1997
BMW E36 M3 3000
Porsche GT2 3600
Porsche 924 1984
Fiesta XR2 1600
BMW 325i Sport 2494
Morgan Roadster 2967
Morgan Roadster 2967
Proton
Ford Sierra Cosworth 2000
Proton 1800
Proton
Ford RS2000 2000
Porsche 911SC
BMW M6 3453
MG ZR190 1800

Slower Group
Fiesta XR2 1600
Hillman Imp 998
Fiat Uno 1300
Ford Escort XR3i 1600
Fiat Punto 1242
Rover Metro Gti 1400
BMW Mini Cooper S 1600
Fiesta XR2 1600
MG Midget 1130
Peugeot 106 Xsi 1600
Peugeot 205 GTi 1600
Fiat Punto 1242
BMW Mini Cooper Club 1600
MG Metro 1293
Alfa Romeo 33 1700
Fiat Uno 1300
Fiat Uno 1300
Peugeot 205 Gti 1900
BMW Mini Cooper 1600
Fiat Punto 1242
Ford Fiesta XR2 1600
Triumph TR6 2498
Ford Fiesta XR2 1600
Fiesta XR2 1600
Sunbeam Imp 998
Hillman Imp 998
Singer Chamois 1040
Fiesta XR2 1600
Peugeot 106 Xsi 1600

Result = 3 full grids

Whichever way you look at it, I'm trying.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by diz

I'm sort of ahead of you there Steve. Try this from my 4th December meeting. OK it isn't a big banger mix, but the concept of mixing them all together is a goer.

1. Put on two classes, one for Sports Cars and one for Saloon Cars

2. Wait for the entries to come in

3. Decide what to do with 86 of them

4. Extract 29 Caterham types = 1 race

5. Stick the rest together and split them into faster and slower groups, 29 in one and 28 in the other.

Whichever way you look at it, I'm trying.

Yes, VERY!

[diz]

Anyway, let's get back on topic to Single Seater Formula Libre now.

[kickstart]

Libre could be great fun and it would be interesting to see how well F3 cars go without air restrictors. I remember being down at Combe last season for a days testing and they were talking about a similar concept. Maybe now with CC racing Club they might accept a round or two, provided the cars can be kept under 108dB, which with modern silencing technology should be possible.
If this got off the ground I would be very tempted to buy an early F3000 car as then there would be somewhere to run it.

Happy Holidays

[halecmini]

I personally like the sound of it, my main concern would be having big cars ie even 2ltr cars are massive cars compared to the jedi, they wouldn't enen noticed if they touched one of us... especially at a track like anglesey!

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by halecmini

I personally like the sound of it, my main concern would be having big cars ie even 2ltr cars are massive cars compared to the jedi, they wouldn't enen noticed if they touched one of us... especially at a track like anglesey!

I agree

No Jedi's as you are too fast !!!!

[ger.taxi]

formula libre,,,, great class off racing in the early 70s,,here in ireland lots off different makes,,,made going to race meeting worthwhile???? now days all the cars look the same boring...................differance in speed meanr one had to keep on his toes while flagging,,and be aware of different classes mixed together????

where have these days gone,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[andy97]

Originally Posted by diz

For the younger folk out there, Formula Libre is "A free formula" for single seater racing cars.

A..... nything goes
N..... o silly regulations
G..... ood racing
L..... ots of different cars
E..... xciting single seater action
S..... peed on a budget
E..... very type of single seater is eligible
Y..... oung or old cars - it doesn't matter

If you have a single seater racing car you can race it in Formula Libre

Need more competitive track time away from your regular championship? then Formula Libre is for you.

Need more practice in a race environment before diving into the specific championship for your class? then Formula Libre is for you

Just want some fun racing? then Formula Libre is for you

Is a Jedi better than a Renault 1700 or 2 litre, or Vauxhall Lotus, or ARP F3, or Historic F3 or F2, or Monoposto 1200, 1600, 1800 or 2000, or Formula Four, or Zetec, or Duratec, or, or, or, the list is endless.

Watch out for Formula Libre racing coming to an Anglesey Circuit near you soon.

Diz

Any dates for next year yet? Is the planned March meeting an early season "one off" or will there be a few throughout the year?

I would echo John Miller's plea to bring the idea to Mallory, too.

Finally, remember that the BARC-SEC run a similar idea (with classes up to 2 litres, and including Clubmans cars) at Silverstone Stowe, Brands and Lydden throughout the year.

Andy

[redturner37]

Steve, correct me but surely there is a differance between Formula Libra and Sports Libre. AFAIK, sports Libre is a class which caters for cars for which NO OTHER class exists. This is certainly so in the Sprint/hill-climb world. You would not be able to run a legal Formula Ford in sports libre class, unless of course you were amalgated because of lack of entries. RedT.

[halecmini]

more venues the better! echo the mallory!

[diz]

Originally Posted by andy97

Diz

Any dates for next year yet? Is the planned March meeting an early season "one off" or will there be a few throughout the year?

I would echo John Miller's plea to bring the idea to Mallory, too.

Finally, remember that the BARC-SEC run a similar idea (with classes up to 2 litres, and including Clubmans cars) at Silverstone Stowe, Brands and Lydden throughout the year.

Andy

It is a one off at the moment at the Anglesey Circuit Club meeting on Sunday 26th March. It will be suggested as a programme filler to BRSCC, BARC and any other clubs running meetings at Anglesey in 2006. A lot of championship coordinators won't take their prima donna drivers to Anglesey. Would you believe that one 'major' club won't even consider taking their 2000cc Ford based single seater class to Anglesey as they don't think the circuit is suitable for that type of car. It beggars belief. They must be Barcing mad!