The Furious Formula

[Ray Bell]

It came about in the late fifties, after more than a decade of F3 being the entry-level openwheeler category with 500cc or raw power...

Inspired by Count Johnny Lurani in Italy and quickly spreading to the rest of Europe as the FIA saw its value, Formula Junior could probably be said to have created the atmosphere of driver advancement that exists today.


The rules called for cars with production-based engines and gearboxes, though modifications were allowed to comprehensively change them to raceable condition. Gouging out the ports, enlarging the valves, carburetion was free (within bounds), more durable rotating and reciprocating parts could be used, though the stroke had to remain unchanged. Only pushrod engines were allowed.

Gear ratios and the number of ratios could be changed without bounds. As for the brakes, the same quirky rule that applied to carburetion was in force... the make of car from which the engine came determined the type allowed... drum or disc, (or disc/drum, for that matter) and carbies or injection... though any type was allowed within that definition.

Engine capacity was set at 1100cc, with a minimum weight of 882 lbs, but if a 1000cc engine was used the weight could go down to 794 lbs.

The Italians had their Fiat 1100 engine, of course, and the big mover in the field as the formula started was the Stanguellini... but it wasn't long, and this is the point:

By June 1960 there were no fewer than sixty people making the cars for sale to the racing public!

The formula took off! In America there was even an extension in the regulations to give a wider scope... 1300cc engines were allowed with a minimum weight of 1040 lbs, and if you used an engine under 750cc you could shed weight to the minimum of 704lbs.

Of course, being born in the transition period, when front engined cars still saw some success, there were both front and rear engines, and even front wheel drive!

Rear engined cars soon took over, however, and the racing became intense. The fields that had battled over F3 honours became the fields with bigger, faster and more refined cars. They were ever closer to Formula One, and became the second most important formula when F2 became F1 in 1961... just 400cc bigger in engine size and a little heavier.

Now the drivers saw their path to the top, and it was through FJr!

Intense racing to be seen in front of the F1 patrons and possibly be recognised as a coming star led to fantastic battles. This was the aim of the game, and has so formed the present attitudes - but on a smaller scale... and at much lower costs.

Prices of the cars were little more than mundane road cars would bring. With all that sophistication, is it no wonder the formula succeeded.

I don't have more up to date regs than 1960, but I feel sure that disc were universally allowed by the end of 1961, and by that time Brabham added his name to the list of makers with the MRD and then the various Brabham BT range designed by Jack and Ron Taurenac.

Anyone got vivid memories of the racing engendered? And the variety of cars, the different power units (DKW two strokes included!) and other bits?

Did you know, for instance, that some, including the Deep Sanderson, had swing axle rear suspensions, while others had de Dion and live axles? Triumph Herald suspension on the rear, even!

[Yimkin]

I don't have any memories of the racing at the time, as I was a good ten years off being born, but certainly do of them being raced as historics.

Once my Dad packed in rallying, he bought a total restoration project Yimkin (front engined FJ) - hence my user name.... Once restored it was raced with the HSCC in their then very popular FJ series, alongside the usual suspects: Lolas, Elvas etc, and faster rear engined cars like Lotus, Brabham, Alexis etc. We were often combined with a third class for 500cc F3 cars. We sold the Yimkin to Italy, then rebuilt a rear engined Emeryson (ex Mike Spence), and now have a front engined Gemini ready to rebuild. My uncle also raced in the rear engined class, taking the British (and I think European) championship sometime in the eighties. Oh, yes, and we did also briefly own a Deep Sanderson, but never rebuilt it and sold it on.

They are glorious cars, intended as a training ground for F1. In a lot of ways they are similar to a cross between modern FF and F3, but with their full race engines sound fantastic! These days AMOC run a British championship, and there is also the FIA 'Lurani' trophy named after the originator of the series. Italian cars dominated the early days, but were soon usurped by the Brits. It was an extraordinary time with a rash of cars being developed. Incidentally, the Elva DKW was at Silverstone on the 20th, and is a regular competitor. Also there was the Fairthorpe FJ, which looked and went great, although it was never originally built into a running car when new.

Yimkin

[Ray Bell]

They also fostered race car builders in Australia, helping some semi-established ones become more firmly so, bringing others into being.

Nota built a few front-engined cars in their shed behind where David Jones now are in Parramatta, Elfin achieved great success with their Catlina model, mostly with thanks to Frank Matich.

I noticed today the MRD has 4-wheel drum brakes, as did the Catalinas originally. Anyone know when this rule changed?