We have found that most people interested in Formula Vee have a heap of questions about the formula and how to get started. With that in mind, we have structured our Formula Vee introduction as a series of questions and answers.
How do I get in contact with the FVASA?
You can find details on contacting the FVASA on the Contact us page
Where do I get a membership form from?
If you are ready to join, you can find the membership form here
What is Formula Vee?
Formula Vee is an open wheel racing class that has been running in Australia for over 40 years now. It has been designated by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) as the “entry level” open wheeler class in Australia.
A Formula Vee is constructed using a space frame chassis combined with a number of Volkswagen mechanical components. The “V” in Formula Vee stands for Volkswagen.
Don’t be fooled by terms like “entry level” and “Volkswagen parts”. Formula Vee is an exhilarating form of motor racing sure to please anybody looking to either take up motor sport as a hobby, or looking to progress from Karts to full circuit racing.
What is it like to drive a Formula Vee?
Thankyou to Tim Hamilton for allowing us to use this video on our site. For more of Tim's videos see www.youtube.com/theracingdriver
What are the age limits for getting involved in Formula Vee?
Drivers are required to obtain a CAMS Provisional Circuit license before they are allowed to race in Formula Vee. You must be at least 16 years of age to obtain this license. There are however provisions to allow drivers younger than this to attend practice days.
There are no upper age limits as such for racing a Formula Vee however, as you get older, the medical requirements to obtain your license each year do become more stringent.
Is it dangerous?
Formula Vee is a serious form of motor sport with drivers reaching speeds of over 200 kmh. As such, this sport is more dangerous than if you were to take up another sport (such as cricket or soccer).
Cars are subject to strict scrutiny by CAMS officials checking specifically for safety related issues. Races are at dedicated race tracks that typically don’t have a lot of things to hit (such as trees). Drivers are required to wear fully compliant racing apparel including helmets, driving suits and gloves.
Every effort is made to minimize the risk involved making Formula Vee a relatively safe form of motor sport. In the 40+ years that Formula Vee has been running in Australia, there has been only one death.
What type of license do you need to have?
To drive a Formula Vee, you require a CAMS Provisional Circuit (PC) license.
How do I get a CAMS license?
There are few “hoops” you need to jump through to obtain a CAMS license but it is fairly straightforward. The staff at CAMS in SA are very helpful and don’t mind talking you through the process.
Members of the Formula Vee club will guide you through the process, but broadly, you need to do the following:
What are the classes in Formula Vee?
When FV originally started, the cars were equipped with a 1200cc motor. Due to a number of reasons including a perceived decline in available spare parts and a desire to increase the performance of the Formula Vee cars, a second class has been introduced that utilizes a 1600cc motor.
With the introduction of the 1600 class, several new regulations were introduced including improved structural safety standards and the requirement to use disk brakes on all 1600 cars.
Many 1600 cars are 1200 cars that have been upgraded but it is possible to buy a new 1600 that was purpose built. In SA, the Formula Vee fields are typically made up of about 50% 1600s and 50% 1200s
Do the classes race together?
Both the 1200 and 1600 cars participate in the same race. Typically the 1600s are faster than the 1200s so qualify faster and start at the front of the grid. Races in SA are usually not long enough to permit the front runner 1600s to overtake the 1200s. The result is essentially two races within the same race.
Both classes race for points in their own class. For example, if you drove a 1200 and finished 6th in the race, if you were the first 1200 across the line, you would receive the points for first place in your class.
How many cars to you get in a field?
In local South Australian races, we see fields of in excess of 20 cars. This is expected to hit 25 cars in 2008. For national races, fields of 40+ can be achieved.
How much does it cost to start Formula Vee?
Formula Vee is probably a lot less expensive than you think.
Let’s start with the initial entry costs. The following break down covers most of the equipment you will need to buy to get started:
Car (1200cc): competitive 1200 cars range from $6000 to $10000 (although there are many on the market less than this if you look hard enough).
Car (1600cc): competitive 1600 cars range from $15000 to $40000. If you plan to upgrade a 1200cc car, then you should budget on $8000 to perform this upgrade.
Trailer: most cars include a trailer in the price. If you do have to buy a trailer, a new open trailer will cost about $1500 with fully enclosed trailers around $4000
Helmet: Motor bike helmets are suitable for Formula Vee and start at around $400. For a serious motor racing helmet, you should budget between $800 and $1200.
Driving clothes: you will need a fireproof driving suit, gloves, underwear and boots. Companies like Revolution Race Gear can fit you out with this equipment for under $1500.
Tools: You will need a number of tools including spanners and screwdrivers. Assuming that you have none of these required tools, you should budget on about $500
Bits and pieces: There are a number of other “Bits and pieces” you will need like, fuel containers, battery chargers, funnels and jacks. Often a car comes with many of these things, but assuming that you have nothing, you should budget on about $500
So, in summary, to get started in a 1200cc car, you should expect to spend somewhere between $8900 and $13700. For a 1600cc car, this figure is $18900 to $43700
How much should I expect to spend every year in running costs?
The following is a breakdown of how much you should expect to pay per year assuming about 8 race meets and 5 practice sessions:
License: A CAMS license will cost $350 per year. If you have to do a medical, this will set you back about $80
Tyres: A set of tyres will last you the year. There are currently two sets of tyres that you are permitted to run. American Racers are currently $730 a set while Dunlops are about $1300. You need to add about $60 to have these fitted and balanced. This is therefore $790 to $1360 depending on which tyre you choose.
Race entry fees: these vary from $250 to $350 typically dependant on the track and the number of days the meet is over. Averaging this out, for 8 races this is $2400
Practice fees: A practice day at Mallala cost $90 per day in 2007. Assuming this continues, 5 practice days will cost $450
Fuel: There is a variety of fuels that drivers run in there cars. Picking a mid point (AVGAS), this is about $2.40/litre. On average, you will use 10 litres per race or practice session. If on average you do 4 races on race days and 5 practice sessions on practice days, this means you will use about 570 litres of fuel per year. Fuel cost for the year is therefore $1368
Repairs: It is difficult to estimate the amount of repairs you will need to do to your car. Some people get through a year without any repairs, and others require major repairs following an accident. The average driver seems to spend about $500 per year on repairs
Engine rebuild: Most drivers will get there engine rebuilt every 2 years. The cost of an engine rebuild depends on which builder you get to do it (or if you choose to do it yourself). On average, if you use a builder, you should expect to spend about $2000 every two years on your engine therefore $1000 per year.
So, in summary, assuming that you use American Racer tyres and you need to have a medical examination, a season of racing Formula Vee will cost you about $6938.
Why are there two different types of tyres?
Formula Vee run a controlled tyre. The theory behind this is that every driver is running the same tyres and therefore will not have an advantage because they could afford to experiment with different tyres.
Up until recently, the control tyre was manufactured by Dunlop. A new tyre was commissioned to be produced by a company called American Racer. Although the American Racer tyre has been available in Australia for a while now, there have been some people who are not happy with the tyre.
Whilst the perceived issues are being resolved, the national body has determined that the Dunlop tyres are still acceptable to race on. This gives drivers the choice between Dunlops and American Racers.
Although some people have a strong preference for the Dunlop tyres, it is worthy to note that some of the best drivers in the country are using American Racer tyres. You will need to talk to people and decide for yourself what you would like to run.
Do I need a powerful car to tow a formula Vee?
An empty car weighs about 400kg. With an open trailer, all up, the towing weight is just over 700kg. Most 4 cylinder cars will tow this configuration without much difficulty.
Who can work on the car?
Anybody can work on your car. However, if you disassemble your engine or gearbox, you will need a CAMS certified engine sealer to be present when you reassemble them (to confirm that you have not put any “illegal” parts in there).
Many people do all their own work on their cars. A number of people choose to do the simple stuff such as adjustments, oil changes and minor repairs but leave the major tasks like engine and gearbox rebuilding to the experts.
If you have a mechanical background, you will find working on these cars to be quite easy. If you don’t have a mechanical background, the members of the club are always willing to teach you how to do things.
Do I need a pit crew?
There are no pit stops in Formula Vee as the races generally are not long enough. While it is handy to have a friend help you on a race day, it is not necessary. You can usually manage all inter race tasks yourself.
Can you race interstate?
As a member of the FVASA, you are permitted to race anywhere in Australia.
Where do you do driver training?
In SA, there is no formal driver training, but FVASA members are more than happy to talk to you about driving techniques.
Where can I try out a formula vee?
For a number of reasons, we do not run “come and try” days in SA. If you would like to drive a Formula Vee to see what the experience is like, we highly recommend you contacting Eric Irvine of Lifetime racing. Eric is heavily involved in Formula Vee in Victoria and will hire you his car for the day to drive at Winton or Calder raceway.
You can find out more at www.classicsportscars.com.au
With the cheap airfares that are readily available today, a flight to Melbourne for the day is not that much of a big deal. Even if you don’t get into Formula Vee, it is a day you will never forget.
What tracks to you race on?
In South Australia, we currently race only at Mallala Raceway. There is some talk of introducing races at Adelaide International Raceway again, but this has not as yet been confirmed.
If you are happy to travel, you can race Formula Vee at other tracks around Australia such as Phillip Island, Sandown, Calder Park, Winton and Oran Park to name a few.
What sort of fuel do they use?
Formula Vee drivers typically run their cars on premium unleaded or Racing 100 (aka AVGAS). Some drivers use expensive racing fuel, but this is not necessary to be competitive.
How long does a set of tyres last?
A set of tyres will typically last a season.
Can you share a car?
It is possible to purchase a car together with a friend and share the driving. To do this, you would simply alternate each race meet. If in a typical season you expected to do 8 race meets, this would mean that each of you got 4 race meetings. This can be a great way to reduce the costs particularly for the initial purchase of the car and equipment,
How much work do you need to do in between races?
You will normally spend 2-4 hours between race meetings working on your car (assuming no major repairs are required). This includes tasks such as brake adjustment, oil changes and tappet adjustment.
What do you do at the monthly club meetings?
Each month, the FVASA members get together to discuss things related to the club and Formula Vee in general. This is a great way to get to know people in the club, learn about the ins and outs of Formula Vee and also provides a valuable opportunity for you to ask people questions.
Check out the events section of the web site to see when the next meeting is.
How do I find out more or get started?
You should give us a call. We are more than happy to answer any questions you have. We recommend: