Ben Evans Racing

Formula Vee is rapidly becoming the budget single seater championship of choice. It features huge grids, close racing, a varied calendar and one of the friendliest paddocks in motor racing.

The cars are based on the gearbox and suspension of a Volkswagen Beetle and then built around a range of different chassis – from the wonderful to the weird! As in the heyday of Formula Ford, Vee is an open formula meaning that pretty much anything goes within the tightly controlled formula.

From the Formula Ford shaped GACs and Storms to the aerodynamic Sheanes and AHS Challengers and the vastly superior Scarabs (guess who Ben drives for!), a Formula Vee grid can seem like an explosion in a fibreglass factory.

The race format

The race format is simple – 10-15 minutes of qualifying followed by a race lasting for 13 minute plus 1 lap – this ensures close, exciting racing. The large field often means that qualifying is split into two groups with the event run as a heat and a final.

As such everyone gets at least one start and many drivers get two races. The 14 round series is split across 10 weekends with a handful of double headers. The 2006 season takes in classic British venues such as Castle Combe, Thruxton, Cadwell Park and Oulton Park plus Formula One venues past and present Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park. Vee is one of the country’s best travelled championships.

Unlike the expense of the TOCA Tour, Vee is part of the 750MC family which aims to provide, cheap, accessible and entertaining racing. The paddock is perhaps the friendliest in motor sport and visitors are always made to feel welcome.

Obviously when the lights go out everything gets serious, but Vee provides exceptionally clean racing, and unnecessary incidents tend to be few and far between.