“As a winnowing-out battleground from which only a few dreams ever survived, FF racing [in the 1970s and ’80s] was harshly demanding of individuals. There was always a lot of pushing and leaning and blocking, much of it with serious consequences. Which makes the number of enduring friendships that began here quite astounding.”

Indeed, the intensity of the racing in those decades where FF peaked in a frenzy is very difficult to capture in words as are the “friendships which began here.” Seventy car FF fields at the June Sprints and Riverside Nationals were not unusual, and FF grids were packed at Regionals and Nationals elsewhere, even though stalwarts like four-time SCCA National Champ Dave Weitzenhof, East Coast star Bruce MacInnes, double-champ Eddie Miller, Jackson Yonge, and many other “area specialists” were incredibly tough to beat.

At stake in the 1970s and ’80s, though, were not only a driver’s future but also the survival of a burgeoning number of chassis manufacturers able to build semi-stable businesses around the FF class. It’s fair to say that the whole idea of a “production race car” emerged from the FF concept, Motor Racing Stable’s original order for 50 Lotus 51 Formula Fords in 1967 for its school and race series was one of Lotus Components’ largest single orders ever.

Then, in 1983, the Swift DB-1 happened: The third Formula Ford chassis design by ex-McDonnell Douglas aerospace engineer David Bruns was a huge leap forward. A National Championship winner first time out in 1983, it soon laid waste to the FF market, proving virtually unbeatable on many tracks for the next decade.

At almost the same time, the SCCA – determined to keep a handle on costs at the entry level – unveiled the Sports Renault: Spec chassis, spec engine, spec tires, ruthless control of the parts inventory, and incredibly attractive pricing. Oh, and a pro series to go along with it.

In intensity and numbers, Formula Ford never truly recovered. Then in the 2000s with declining entry counts and Ford engine sourcing issues, the SCCA in conjunction with Honda introduced a second powerplant, renaming the class to Formula F – the “F” now noting the Ford-powered cars and cars with the 1,496cc Honda motor sourced from the Fit. With the neat Honda engine package slipping surprisingly easily into several existing FF chassis, Formula F was soon established in SCCA and as an entry level pro series in both the U.S. and Canada.Happily, for its fans of old, FF refused to die. Almost simultaneously with the announcement of the new Formula F came word that production of the Kent Ford engine block had been resumed, potentially spurred by Honda’s announcement of entering the class. In a way, Honda’s entry, although changing the direction of the class, also saved it in the U.S.

With engines and other critical components newly available, and an abundance of chassis parked in the back corners of garages all over the U.S. (some put estimates of surviving FF chassis near the 1,000 mark), most of the major vintage racing groups took a fresh look at Formula Ford, warmly inviting them, and splitting them up into three sensible sub-classes (loosely Pre-1973; 1973-’81; and 1982-’0.

Last year saw FF fields of more than 40 cars at vintage events in several areas of the country, an entry boon for SCCA Regionals in those same locations as older FFs showed up to “re-stock” the Club Ford class.

There are also new “all-comer” series like the prototypical six-event Right Coast FF Series hosted by two long-time SCCA movers and shakers Mike Rand and Joe Marcinski, where Kent Fords (Historic, Club, and Modern) line up alongside Hondas in a three-races-per-weekend format.

Only a few of the more than 200 FF manufacturers remain, as sales volume of new cars is nothing like it was in the 1970s and ’80s. Still, the market for new Kent FFs for the UK as well as Honda-powered FFs for North America and Duratec Fords for Australia have kept nearly a dozen manufacturers afloat, and the wide-track, dart-shaped 21st century FFs are so spectacular.

It’s the older cars, the pre-2009 chassis, though, that have our attention heading into this anniversary year. For a reasonable price, there’s a fantastic amount of track time on offer for SCCA Regional regulars; for teenagers looking for an affordable first step in a real racing car; and for oldsters like Yours Truly, who hear the echoes of Formula Ford’s rich past and can’t wait to get back out there.