In an exclusive extract from his new book “The Legend of the Formula Ford Festival”, Ben Evans digs into the astonishing races and many controversies which surrounded the 1988 event, which was contested by the likes of Michael Schumacher, Mika Salo and Vincenzo Sospiri.
It is now set in motorsport folklore that 1988 is one of, if not, the best Festivals. Beyond doubt it was the most exciting and dramatic final since 1982, with quality racing, high drama and controversy all going hand in hand. The whole weekend had a rough and tumble feel to it, with multiple sizable accidents, many races punctuated by abandoned cars left on or immediately adjacent to the circuit, and a couple of highly fortunate near-misses. After a couple of close escapes circuit and event safety would be reviewed ahead of the following year.
The grandstands were absolutely packed for the weekend, this representing a high watermark for the event as a spectator draw, as the Festival reaped the benefits of being firmly as set as one of the highlights of the British motorsport calendar. The circuit had experienced a turbulent twenty months since John Foulston acquired the track, along with Snetterton and Oulton Park for £5.25m in May 1986 from Eagle Star Holdings (the latter having subsumed Grovewood Securities), offsetting concerns that the site may become a supermarket or housing. A side effect of the deal was that Brands Hatch ended up losing the British Grand Prix from 1986, Silverstone securing an exclusive five-year deal. This forced the track to focus on other events and non-motorsport ventures to retain a decent level of profitability.
A further shock came when Foulston was killed in late-September 1987 testing his McLaren Can-Am car at Silverstone. This once more caused behind the scenes disruption, with Foulston’s widow Mary inheriting the venue. For the remainder of the 1980’s John Webb still controlled the much of the strategic direction and day-to-day operation of the venue, although this would change going into the 1990s – the atmosphere and clubhouse feel evaporating.
A closely contested and well-supported British championship had gone to Derek Higgins, one of several winners propelled by the Van Diemen RF88. The Norfolk marque enjoyed another marquee year, claiming all but two rounds of the national series, leaving Richard Dean in the Swift and the Jose Cordova piloted Reynard to pick up the crumbs. Of the other…
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