Formula 4 1971

Formula 4 looked like it might die in 1971. At two races in March, just a single Imp-engined Vixen turned up to run alongside Formula Fords, and when the formula was granted its own race at Cadwell Park in April, half the four-car field retired on the first lap. Limping round to second place with a misfiring Lucas engine was the one car that gave hope to the formula, Mike Greenwood's ex-David Cole 1968 ex-Formula 3 1-litre Alexis Mk 12. For ex-F3 cars, the only changes needed to bring the car up (down?) to F4 specification was replacing the down-draft engine with one of the late-1960s side-draft units. While this was thought to be a money-saver, the side-draft engines were harder to find and the measure was actually counter-productive. If an owner of an old F3 car was being forced to change engine, then why not fit a 1500cc push-rod Ford and go Monoposto racing instead?

The next ex-F3 car to appear was Peter Colman's ex-Alan Fraser Brabham BT21 which won at Lydden in May but he did not persevere with the formula. John Cavill took the championship lead with a good run of results during May and June with his white Vixen VB5 with Carter Imp engine, until the ex-F3 cars finally got their act together at Castle Combe at the end of June. Running with a Formula Ford field as usual, a record ten F4s took part, and the better of these were Greenwood who took 3rd overall, and the ex-John Dillamore Brabham BT15 of Howard Rose, a six-year-old ex-F3 car. The next day, the ten F4s moved to Brands Hatch but only five started the race. Paul Wilkins won this one in the ex-Piers Courage ex-F3 Lotus 41, a car that had made its race debut on Boxing Day 1965, with Greenwood second. A week later, F4 was again granted its own race and nine started. After an unusually exciting race, Greenwood won from Rose, Cavill and Wilkins. This result put Greenwood up into second place in the points standing, with Wilkins displaced to third and Cavill's championship lead down to just four points.

The Imps fought back at Mallory Park in July when Martin Howse's Vixen VB4 led from start to finish with Cavill second and Greenwood only third. But the comeback was shortlived as Greenwood won from Wilkins at Lydden, and then Rose from Greenwood at Snetterton. After Greenwood's two wins at Snetterton in August and second to Howse at Silverstone, his championship lead was unassailable. Martin Howse had by now emerged as Greenwood's greatest threat and the pair had a great race at Lydden in September, the Alexis driver nipping past the Vixen VB4 at the hairpin on the final lap to win by just 0.4s.

Greenwood was a deserved champion and the success of the few 1-litre ex-F3 cars that appeared marked the end of the Vixens' reign. John Cavill's Vixen VB5 went to David Franklin for 1972 and began a long and immensely successful career in hillclimbs, with Franklin for two years and then with Terry Smith and Chris Bigwood.

The races

17 Jan 1971 > Brands Hatch

20 Mar 1971 > Silverstone

28 Mar 1971 > Lydden

25 Apr 1971 > Cadwell Park

01 May 1971 > Silverstone

16 May 1971 > Silverstone

23 May 1971 > Lydden

23 May 1971 > Mallory Park

30 May 1971 > Thruxton

31 May 1971 > Silverstone

12 Jun 1971 > Silverstone

13 Jun 1971 > Thruxton

20 Jun 1971 > Snetterton

26 Jun 1971 > Castle Combe

27 Jun 1971 > Brands Hatch

04 Jul 1971 > Brands Hatch

11 Jul 1971 > Mallory Park

18 Jul 1971 > Lydden

01 Aug 1971 > Snetterton

22 Aug 1971 > Snetterton

28 Aug 1971 > Scratch race for Club Specials and Formula 4 at Kirkistown

30 Aug 1971 > Snetterton

11 Sep 1971 > Silverstone

19 Sep 1971 > Lydden

25 Sep 1971 > Scratch race for Club Specials and Formula 4 at Kirkistown

26 Sep 1971 > Llandow

09 Oct 1971 > Silverstone

17 Oct 1971 > Lydden

14 Nov 1971 > Brands Hatch

28 Nov 1971 > Brands Hatch

Championship Table unavailable