BRSCC APPOINTS ALAN BOWLES AS SUPER CLASSIC PRE ’99 FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP COORDINATOR
The British Racing & Sports Car Club is pleased to announce that Alan Bowles has been appointed as the new championship coordinator for the Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford Championship, with immediate effect.
Alan is a respected and well-known figure within the Formula Ford community and has been involved in running, engineering and racing cars in the category for almost fourty years. Having lent his enthusiasm and knowledge to the BRSCC in assisting with the club’s prestigious Formula Ford Festival in recent seasons, including aiding the event to achieve an entry just short of 100 cars for the 50th running in 2021, Alan was the natural choice for the club to appoint as the new leader of its growing Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford Championship.
The championship is preparing to head into an exciting 2024 season which will see it visit popular Formula Ford circuits such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Mallory Park and Oulton Park. So far during 2023, the Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford Championship has received great support throughout with no less than 46 registered drivers to date. The Club is greatly looking forward to seeing the championship further develop and grow throughout 2024 and beyond.
In order to help you learn a little more about the man himself, we sat down with Alan to find out all about his history and experience in Formula Ford, and how he feels about taking on his new role.
Congratulations on the appointment, Alan. Tell us your thoughts on becoming the new Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford coordinator.
I’m very enthused to be taking the role. I’m very much of the opinion I’m following a Formula Ford legend in the late, great Ian Smith, and that if I can do even 25% of the job he did, it’ll be a result. I’m not here to fill his shoes, but more to carry on the great work he started. I’m very privileged and honoured to accept this appointment as the new Super Classic Formula Ford coordinator, and I look forward to picking up where Ian left off and doing the best job I can for the championship and its drivers.
Tell us about your history and experience in motorsport and within Formula Ford to date.
“It all started for me on my 5th birthday, when I visited the Surtees factory and was shown around by Sir John Surtees himself – that’s what hooked me into motorsport. I was a regular at Brands Hatch as a kid, watching on the main straight by the old bridge, and I was there for the infamous British GP in 1976. As a 15 year old, I saved all my money and bought a moped and went to every test, practice and race day for two years solid. If anything was at Brands Hatch, I was there. I also started marshaling for the BRSCC for three years, which were some great days too.
“A friend bought a pre-’74 Formula Ford and I helped prepare the car for him, following the Pre-’74 Championship for the entire season, where we managed to finish eighth. I then bought the car from him and raced it myself between 1984 and 1987. These were the days when we regularly had 40 entries on average, and I finished 9th in the championship in 1985. I also competed in four Formula Ford Festivals, and then in Champion of Brands for two seasons in a Ray chassis. My final season of racing saw me move up to Formula Renault, also in a Ray in 1990, before I moved away from competing for a few years, but continued to manufacture go kart chassis, something we’ve done ever since for over thirty years.
“More recently, I’ve been involved with helping Jonathan Lewis at the Festival and from there I’ve continued my involvement with him, including bringing back the likes of Roberto Moreno and Marc Goossens to race in classic cars at the Festival, as well as running a car myself in Champion of Brands this season and currently own two classic Formula Fords from the 1973 era, which I maintain and look after on a regular basis.”
What is it that you love about Formula Ford more than any other category of racing?
“For me, when I started marshaling and spectating, Formula Ford was the one race everyone had to watch. It had the most excitement, the most competitive field and no-one knew who would win. Every time there was a meeting at Brands, there would be a Formula Ford race. Even in the glory days of the Festival, you knew you were going to get twenty laps of quality racing in the final.
“Plus with drivers such as Johnny Dumfries, Andy Ackerley, Julian Bailey and more, these guys became household names at one point. That’s what instilled me to write a book on behalf of Brian Jones all about the Festival and fulfill a lifelong ambition of mine. I wanted to share the Festival experience with those that hadn’t been able to back in the day.
“When I raced, it was an affordable category to get involved with at that level. It was “dad and lad”, you put the car on the trailer and off you went. The Pre ’74 championship had drivers turning up every fortnight and racing, which is what made it so competitive. The ethos of togetherness and helping each other is still there today. It’s all about the racing, going out and enjoying yourself.”
What are your ambitions for Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford going forwards, and how much more potential do you feel the championship has to grow further?
“At the moment, the Super Classics is for individuals rather than teams, and I still see Formula Ford as a category that helps you learn a lot more than they could in other formulae. Silverstone’s 22 car grid was a superb achievement and there’s no reason why it can’t grow further. I’ll be doing my best to make that happen as coordinator.
“We know that there are so many cars out there that can race and we need to do our best to try and tap into that pool in order to attract more. I’m quite keen to speak to drivers within the classic and historic Formula Ford community in a bid to attract even more cars onto the grid and continue to do so on a consistent basis.
“I want to see it become the flagship single seater category the BRSCC runs and the kind of championship that earns its spot on bigger race meetings in front of bigger crowds. We want to make Super Classic Formula Ford a championship that attracts big enough grids that it simply can’t be ignored. All in all, I want to make sure we promote it successfully and to make sure it’s a fun place to race and to enjoy competing with us.”
What’s your message for any current and/or potential drivers looking to race in Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford next season?
“Our message is simple – this is an open invitation to join us in 2024. We want to put on competitive races with full grids and to have an experience that makes them want to come back and race at the next event, time and time again. I want to listen to what our competitors want and for them to feel listened to and wanted.
“Ultimately, I want to ensure that Super Classic Formula Ford becomes the best championship in the country to race and compete in a classic or historic Formula Ford race car. For me, it simply is the best form of racing and I want drivers to come and experience that for themselves.”
The 2023 Super Classic Pre ‘99 Formula Ford Championship is set to conclude at Oulton Park on October 28th, with next season’s provisional calendar due to begin at the Silverstone International circuit on March 16/17 2024. For more information on the formulae, visit the dedicated page on the BRSCC website, or contact Alan by phone on 07767 655733 or by e-mail at superclassicformulaford@brscc.co.uk for any questions, queries or enquiries regarding Super Classic Pre ’99 Formula Ford.
MORE INFO – https://brscc.co.uk/formulae/super-classic-pre-99-formula-ford-championship/
