F1000: A SOLID formula...finally.
So this is my first post to the forum, but after reading so many great threads over the last few months I felt compelled to offer my own two cents. As a former racer who's been out of the driver's seat for more than 10 years, F1000 has finally convinced me that the time to get back in is quickly approaching.
Over the years I've looked at just about every open wheel class out there save for F500 (no offense to anyone, I just like stiring my own gears), but until F1000 came along I wasn't compelled. Formula Atlantic is way too cost prohibitive for most of us "normal" nine-to-fivers and a bit too engineering-intensive for my tastes (having said that, I do crew for an Atlantic driver running an early-nineties Reynard so any improvements in performance are solely in our hands). Formula C offers decent speed but miniscule field sizes, and as an outsider looking in there seems to be way too much disagreement on the engine front. Formula Mazda offers decent speed, relatively low cost, and good sized fields (at least in the SF region/NorPac division), but is a bit dated for my tastes (looks too much like the Barber Saabs I drove in the early nineties). Pro Mazdas offer great speed and a modern looking chassis but are still too expensive. Formula SCCA seems to offer relatively low costs but there've been problems getting the class off the ground. I also briefly raced a Renault-powered Spec Racer just prior to the switch to Ford motors and wasn't always crazy about the politics involved in a "spec" category (though I suppose every class has its politics). Formula V is very cost effective but doesn't offer the outright speed that many of us look for, plus the cars look like throwbacks to the '50s.
Formula 1000 appears to offer a solid performance-per-dollar argument, and I've always been a proponent of motorcycle power in cars as long as the rebuild dollars could be kept in check, which appears to be the case with the F1000 regs.
I'm also VERY excited about the people and manufacturers involved in the initiative. When I see names like Lee Stohr, Matt Conrad, Stan and Rennie Clayton, etc. etc., it gives me confidence that there's real momentum behind the class. These folks have all earned the respect they enjoy today, and while not everyone will always agree on every issue, having them involved with the class can do nothing but help its chances for success.
Anyway, sorry for the long and rather rambling post but I thought it was important to squeeze a non-racer view in there somewhere. I really think that new, and most importantly, AFFORDABLE classes that look and sound like up-to-date race cars are extremely important to the sport. FSCCA was a start, but F1000 does a better job all around. Hope to be out on the track soon, and thank you to EVERYONE who's been involved with the inception of this new class.
Thanks,
Eric Boucher
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