Formula 5000 boom predicted
The F5000 revival movement is confidently predicting strong grids for an eight-race programme across Europe in 2002. Having had 23 cars take part in the 2001 programme, the FORCE team believes that up to 45 cars are due to compete next season.
Former champion Bob Evans is one of the drivers looking to contest the series, having had his F5000 enthusiasm rekindled by the Motor Sport track test earlier this year. His former entrant Alan McKechnie is planning to help him get back into racing.
Definitely due to return to the circuits is the Chevron B24 Peter Gethin took to victory in the 1973 Race of Champions. Anthony Taylor has acquired the car and is converting it from Can-Am trim to original specification.
The FORCE F5000 season kicks off at Nogaro, France, on April 21, and will include races at Mondello Park, Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
Obituary
One of the leading privateer racers of the 1950s, Bruce Halford, has died after a long illness. He was 70.
The Torquay-based driver made his competition debut in 1954 at the wheel of a Riley TT Sprite. Just two years later, he started his first GP, at Silverstone, in a Maserati 250F. By which time his converted Royal Blue coach was a familiar sight in European paddocks. With a top speed of 38mph, it required a great force of will to get this over the Alps: Torquay to Syracuse was three days of hard slog!
Halford raced the ex-Bira Maserati for two seasons, tackling six world championship grands prix, before successfully switching to the Mo Gomm bodied ‘Flat iron’ Lister-Jaguar in 1958.
The following season, he was back in single-seaters, having persuaded Colin Chapman to part with a year-old Lotus 16. He loved the look of it, and preferred its handling to that of the 250F, but it proved unreliable. He tackled 17 races with it in 1959. And finished just one.
In 1960, he contested his final two GPs, failing to qualify a Cooper at Monaco, but recording his best finish, (eighth) at Reims, even though his Cooper was not running at the finish.
That same season he drove the last D-type town at Le Mans. He and Ron Flockhart were third at one point, but eventually retired with engine problems.
His ‘first’ career came to a halt at the same race the following year. He crashed the Ecurie Ecosse Cooper Monaco at Dunlop Curve and was thrown out. His injuries might have been worse, but they were enough to make up his mind.
He returned to the sport in the late 1970s, and enjoyed a very successful ‘historic’ career in a Lotus 16 until the mid-80s.