Formula Two for Zandvoort this Weekend
The success story of Historic Formula 2 in 2018 will continue from today at this weekend’s Zandvoort Historic Grand Prix at the famous Dutch venue (31st August-2nd September).
A spectacular field of 27-cars will contest rounds seven and eight of the Historic Sports Car Club’s Historic Formula 2 FIA International Series as the season resumes after a summer break. The sight and sound of so many Historic F2 cars racing at the seaside track will surely be one of the highlights of this extremely popular historic racing festival.
After qualifying on Friday, the Formula 2 pack has two 25-minute races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. After the Zandvoort races, the F2 season concludes at another former Grand Prix track, the French circuit of Dijon (12-14 October). Drivers from seven countries and seven makes of car will be on the grid at Zandvoort.
The championship is open to cars built to period regulations for Formula 2, Formula Atlantic and Formula B, starting from 1967 and running right through to the end of the 1978 season. Later cars, designed to employ ground effect technology, are not permitted.
Current top scorer from the six races to date this season is Frenchman Robert Simac (March 712M) and he could move closer to a sixth straight title as he heads the Jochen Rindt Trophy for the 1600cc Formula 2 cars. Lining up against Simac will be more Marches for Paul Bason and Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera, quick Brabham BT36s are fielded by Luciano Arnold and Klaus Bergs and Roger Bevan runs his glorious ex-Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus 69.
The fastest cars of all contest the Bruno Giacomelli Trophy for the later 2-litre F2 cars and the consistent pace of Mike Bletsoe-Brown has put his Chevron B27 at the head of the points. However, the absolute pace at Zandvoort could come from series returnee Matthew Watts (March 772P) and the hard-charging Mark Dwyer (March 742), while experienced Belgian racer Marc Devis could be a contender in his March 782.
Paul Tonkin (Chevron B29) is the man to beat in the Vern Schuppan Trophy for the earlier Formula Atlantic cars, but he has a host of challengers including Nick Pancisi (March 712), Mark Goodyear (Lotus 59/69), Max Blees (Brabham BT30) and series newcomer James Hadfield in his father’s Modus M1. In the Gilles Villeneuve Trophy for the later Formula Atlantic cars, Matthew Wrigley (March 79B) and Frazer Gibney (March 76B) have the pace to challenge for the overall podium.
Finally, the Jim Clark Trophy caters for the early non-wing F2 cars and is headed by Australian visitors Stephen Weller (Elfin 600B) and Wayne Wilson (Brabham BT21C) to complete a fabulous entry.
