Another sneak preview from "Around the Raceway"

The Formula Vee Story

History of the Category

Early Days of Formula Vee

FORMULA VEE was conceived in the USA in 1959 as race-driver training car, and races began in in the USA in 1963. The Formula makes use of VW 1200 "Beetle" engine, gearbox and suspension components installed, with little modification, in a sturdy space-frame racing chassis. Engine output was only about 40 bhp, and the rev band fairly narrow which, combined with swing-axle rear suspension, made for close (and close to the edge!) racing. The cars were simple and very tough, and surprisingly fast. The class is now worldwide, and has now been in existence so long that many older, obsolete Formulas Vee cars are being returned to the racing circuits by the creation of the Historic Vee class.

A very early Beach Formula Vee in the USA, circa 1961 (Unknown)	Lou Orton in the Volkswagen Special, a Vee with a hot 1500 engine. (WASCC collection)

Several attempts were made to get Formula Vee going in WA, the earliest try back in the Caversham days when Formula Vee was new. Lou Orton gave it a brave stab in the late 1960s, but it didn't get off the ground, so he upped his Vee to 1500cc, added big valves and more carburation, and raced Formula Libre. He staggered everyone with a 2nd outright in the 1968 WA Racing Car Championship behind Don O'Sullivan's Repco Brabham Climax, a tribute not to the car's speed but to it's tough-as-teak reliability, in contrast to the fragility of the much faster cars over Caversham's somewhat moth-eaten surface. Ken Gardiner, too, brought a Formula Vee to Caversham but Formula Vee just didn't catch on at that time, and Ken switched to a Ford Special for Wanneroo Park in 1969.

Formula Vee Arrives in WA

In 1987 Ian Jones, who moved to WA from Melbourne, brought his Daveric Mk 6 Formula Vee with him. He was unable to race at that time as Formula Vee wasn't part of the WASCC race programme. In late 1989 the car first ran on the Barbagallo circuit as a promotional demonstration for the category. At the same time, Terry Phillips and the late Keith Morton set about founding the Formula Vee Association of Western Australia. Their sons, Sean Phillips and Luke Morton, were experienced Karters wanted to progress beyond Karting and saw Formula Vee as the next step. Brian Newson and Stan Craigie purchased cars from Eastern States, increasing the numbers.

Pioneer: Ian Jones in the Daveric Mark 6, 1990 (J Innes/WASCC collection)

The latest evolution, the 1600 cc class car; this is Anthony Lees, designer-builder and multiple WA Formula Vee Champion, in the new 1600 Ajay 06 built for Jez Hammond, photographed at Caversham in 2007 (T Walker)

ABOVE: Cockpit of a late model 1200 F Vee showing strong, complex tube frame. Electronic instruments on steering are very F1, and the gadget on the roll bar at right is a video camcorder! (T Walker)

ABOVE: Sophistication is the rule now, despite requirement to stick to swing axles. It is astounding how well these cars handle, and this 1600 features pushrod unishock rear suspension. The necessary camber limiting device is the horizonal rod immediately behind the coil shock unit. (T Walker)

In 1990 with several new cars were built from Elfin Crusader kits by members who wanted to start racing in the category. Some were self-built using plans and body moulds supplied by FVAWA. Additional cars arrived from the eastern states. At first the growing number of F Vees raced with the then very small Sports Car class, but for 1991 Formula Vee was well established with enough cars to run races on its own, and the first WASCC Formula Vee Championship was held that year. By 1993 FVAWA could host the the Australian Formula Vee Challenge, the de facto Australian Formula Vee Championship. (As a training category, Formula Vee, like Formula Ford, wasn't allowed an official CAMS Championship). The number of cars racing in WA rose rapidly at first, and soon stabilised at between 15 and 20 cars each meeting, which has been typical ever since.

The 1600 cc class , which will bring the Formula's lap times closer to rival Formula Ford, has already begun to make its presence felt. Jez Hammond's brand new Ajay 06 1600 cc car ran away from the 1200 cc cars at the August 2006 Barbagallo meeting. The category has now split into two sub-categories, 1600 and 1200, which still race together. By 2010 the fastest 1600 Vees were lapping around 1:10, while the 1200s lap around 1:12, well down from the 1:18s of 1990.

For a number of years, the Championship was decided on points over 3 races on the one day, later by a single race, and now by a series of races throughout the year. The Championship has been vigorously fought over the years. The 1999 Championship, held as a single 12 lap race on 15 August 1999 was red-flagged on lap 9 after a huge accident saw Steve Armfield and David Sherer collide, with Armfield somersaulting. Neither driver was injured, but the track was blocked for some time and the race declared at the end of Lap 8.

The Championship is now divided into two Championship classes, 1600 and 1200, although they still race together.

First Champion, Sean Phillips, holds off second Champion, Luke Morton, in 1991 (Rob Noble/WASCC)

Changing times: 1993, and James MacDonald in the traditional Elfin Crusader Vee is chased by Walter Williams in the radical RiBuck (Rob Noble/WASCC collection)

A crowded dummy grid, 2006 (T Walker)

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Zamel's Plate & Keith Morton Plate

Zamel's Plate

The format for the Zamel's Plate was that it was the last of three F Vee races at a designated race day. Qualifying times set the grid for race 1. The results of Race 1 set the grid for Race 2. The results of race 2 set the grid for the third and final race. First past the post in the that 3rd race won the Plate. Occasionally the Plate has been run over four races.

The Zamel's Plate was named after Zamels Jewellery, who sponsored the FVAWA for several years (at that time 1200 cc only cars).

Keith Morton Plate

When FVAWA decided to introduce the 1600 engine capacity cars, it was decided to keep the Zamel's Plate for the 1200 cc cars and the Association created the Keith Morton Plate for 1600 cc cars. Keith Morton was a founding member of the FVAWA and became a life member. Out of respect for him shortly after he died, the Keith Morton Plate was initiated.

Winners

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