View source for Formula Vee

{{Short description|Race car class}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Formula First|Formula One (disambiguation){{!}}Formula One}}
[[Image:WernerHannelore-OlympicFormelV19690801-1.jpg|thumb|right|Olympic Formula Vee racing at [[Nürburgring]] in 1969]]
[[Image:Picture of the 2008 Formula V 45th Anniversary Reunion.jpg|thumb|right|2008 Formula Vee 45th Birthday Party at [[Roebling Road Raceway]]]]
'''Formula Vee''' ('''Formula Fau Vee''' in [[Germany]]) or '''Formula Volkswagen''' is a [[Open-wheel car|open wheel, single-seater]] junior [[Auto racing|motor racing]] [[Formula racing|formula]], with relatively low costs in comparison to [[Formula Ford]].

On the international stage,  [[Niki Lauda]], [[Emerson Fittipaldi]], [[Nelson Piquet]] and [[Keke Rosberg]], all [[Formula 1]] champions, and [[Scott Dixon]], a six-time [[IndyCar Series|IndyCar]] champion, raced Formula Vees in Europe, New Zealand, or America at the beginning of their careers.  In Australia, [[V8 Supercar]] drivers [[Larry Perkins]], [[Colin Bond]], [[John Blanchard]], [[John Bowe (racing driver)|John Bowe]], [[Jason Bargwanna]] and [[Paul Stokell]] were also racers in Formula Vee.

'''Formula First''', raced in the US and New Zealand, employs the same chassis, but with upgraded motor, brakes and steering. Australia's modern Formula Vee car rules are the definition for Formula First in these countries

==Description==

The class is based on the pre-1963 [[Volkswagen Beetle]], utilizing a collection of stock parts to form a competitive race car around a purpose-built tube frame and racing tires. The VW engine, transmission, front suspension, brakes, and wheels are stock or modified stock parts. The body is fiberglass or carbon fiber. The intention of this class is for the average person to be able to build and maintain the car.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
[[File:Jeff Loughead FV.jpg|thumb|left|2004 SCCA National Championships Runoffs Winner Jeff Loughead]]
Over the years, the rules have evolved to improve performance, lower cost, and to allow the replacement of discontinued parts. In 2003, ''[[Grassroots Motorsports]]'' presented Formula Vee with the Editors' Choice Award.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grassrootsmotorsports.com |title = Grassroots Motorsports {{!}} Sports Car Magazine}}</ref>

Unlike many open-wheel formulas, Formula Vee cars are not permitted to use wings or [[Ground effect (cars)|ground effect]] to produce aerodynamic downforce. The lack of these features, the limited engine power, and the similar performance of the cars makes taking advantage of [[Drafting (aerodynamics)|slipstreaming]] a key tactic.<ref name="underskin">{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Bruce |date=6 February 2018 |title=Under the skin: Formula Vee |url=https://autoaction.com.au/2018/02/06/skin-formula-vee |access-date=2 November 2024 |website=[[Auto Action]]}}</ref>

The engines are based on either the 1200cc or 1600cc variants of the Volkswagen Beetle engine. Unlike many amateur categories, competitors are permitted to build and tune their engines themselves, within strict limitations on the extent of modifications from stock permitted. The 1600cc engines used in the Australian Formula Vee series produce approximately "70-75hp";<ref name="underskin"/> the original 1200cc engine produces considerably less. This makes Formula Vee cars among the least powerful vehicles used in circuit racing (for comparison, the contemporary [[Formula 4]] category uses 160 hp engines).

A top-running Formula Vee car will go {{cvt|120|mph|km/h|order=flip}} and corner at about 1.6 g. It weighs a minimum of {{cvt|1025|lb|kg|order=flip}} with driver or {{cvt|500|kg|lb}} with driver as raced in the Australian {{cvt|1600|cc}} specification.<ref>[https://cdn.connectsites.net/user_files/scca/downloads/000/061/570/GCR%20-%20April%20Updated.pdf?1648665222 (SCCA GCR 2022 specs)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531000641/http://scca.org/contentpage.aspx?content=44|date=2008-05-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://docs.cams.com.au/Manual/Race/RA15_Formula_Vee.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-07-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428173111/http://docs.cams.com.au/Manual/Race/RA15_Formula_Vee.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-28 }}</ref>

Purchasing and running a Formula Vee car is relatively affordable compared to most motorsport categories.  In 2022, a brand-new race car for the Australian Formula Vee series was estimated to cost approximately AU$50,000 to AU$55,000 (approximately $US37,000), with competitive second-hand cars costing much less.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}  Renting a car for a race meeting was estimated at $A1000 (approximately $US700).<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Dan |date=2022-01-02 |title=The Cost of Racing: Formula Vee |url=https://autoaction.com.au/2022/01/02/the-cost-of-racing-formula-vee |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530095852/https://autoaction.com.au/2022/01/02/the-cost-of-racing-formula-vee |archive-date=2022-05-30 |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=Auto Action}}</ref>

Each year, Formula Vee is one of the classes at the [[SCCA National Championship Runoffs|SCCA Runoffs]], which awards a national championship. While it is primarily a class in the [[Sports Car Club of America]], many other organizations have adopted Formula Vee as a class.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

==Variants==
Variants of the Formula Vee rules exist in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK & Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand.

Particularly notable is Formula First, racing in the US and New Zealand, which employs the same chassis, but with later model Beetle parts, a larger {{cvt|1600|cc}} motor (New Zealand uses the {{cvt|1200|cc|disp=sqbr}} variant) and other upgraded components such as disc brakes rack and pinion steering.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}

([[Formula Super Vee]], although initially similar, soon moved to water-cooled {{convert|1.6|L|cuin|adj=on}} VW four-cylinder engines for higher-tech and faster cars).

==List of Formula Vee championships and Events==
{|class="wikitable"
!Country
!Series/Event Name
!Active Years
!Additional Information
|-
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia]]
|Multiple state-based championships, see [[Formula Vee in Australia]]
|1965–present
|
|-
|rowspan=4|{{CAN}}
|[[Formula 1200 Championship Series]]
|1965–present
|
|-
|[[Challenge Cup Series]] 
|2015–present
| Also competes in the United States of America.
|-
|[[Autumn Challenge Cup Series]] 
|2013–2014
| Also competed in the United States of America. This series became the Challenge Cup Series.
|-
|[[Pacific Challenge Cup Series]] 
|2022–Present
| Also competes in the United States of America. This series is held on the West Coast of Canada and the USA
|-
|{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Ireland]]
|[[Selco.ie National Championship Series]]
|Unknown-present
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Brazil]]
|[[Campeonato Paulista de Formula Vee]]
|2011–present
| 
|
|-
|Copa ECPA
|Unknown-present
|
|
|-
|Fórmula Vee Open
|2021–present
|Exclusively for beginners
|
|-
|{{flagicon|NZ}} [[New Zealand]]
|[[New Zealand Formula First Championship|Formula First New Zealand Championship Series]]
|1967–present
|
|-
|{{flagicon|RSA}} [[South Africa]]
|[[Formula Vee Championship]]
|1966–present
|Longest running motor racing championship in South Africa
|-
|rowspan=2|{{GBR}}
|[[Formula Vee Championship Series]]
|1967–present
|
|-
|[[750 Motor Club Formula Vee Championship]] 
|1979–present
|
|-
|rowspan=4|{{USA}}
|[[Formula Vee at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs]]
|1964–present
| Oldest Formula Vee event in the world.
|-
|[[Challenge Cup Series]] 
|2015–present
| Also competes in Canada.
|-
|[[Northeast Formula Vee Championship Series]]
|Unknown-present
|
|-
|[[Autumn Challenge Cup Series]] 
|2013–2014
| Also competed in Canada. This series became the Challenge Cup Series.
|
|}

==See also==
*[[Formula Vee at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs]]
* [[Formula Super Vee|Super Vee]]

==External links==
{{commons category|Formula Vee}}
*[https://pacificchallengecup.com/ Pacific Challenge Cup CANADA/USA]
*http://www.nefv.org/ Northeast Formula Vee USA https://www.facebook.com/groups/nefv.org
*[https://challengecupseries.com/ Challenge Cup Series (US, South Africa & Brazil collaboration)]
*[http://www.formulafirst.org/ Formula First USA]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090531153556/http://www.formulaveeracing.org/ formulaveeracing.org (US)]
*[http://www.formulavee.us formulavee.us (US)]
*[http://www.apexspeed.com ApexSpeed.com (US)]
*[http://www.formulavee.ie Formula Vee (Ireland)]
*[http://www.fvee.org.au Australian Formula Vee Website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130428173111/http://docs.cams.com.au/Manual/Race/RA15_Formula_Vee.pdf Australian Formula Vee Specifications]
*[http://www.formulafirst.co.nz New Zealand Formula First (née Formula Vee)]
*[http://www.veecentre.com Formula Vee (UK)]
*[http://www.750mc.co.uk 750 Motor Club (UK organising club)]
*[http://www.formula1200.com Formula 1200 – Canada]
*[https://www.formulavee.co.za Formula Vee South Africa]
*[http://www.historicveeaustralia.com Historic Formula Vee in Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302142651/http://www.historicveeaustralia.com/ |date=2009-03-02 }}
*[http://www.formel-vau.eu Historische Formel Vau Europa]
*[https://www.fvee.com.br/ Formula Vee Brazil]
*[https://pacificchallengecup.com/ Pacific Challenge Cup CANADA/USA]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Formula Vee years}}
{{Class of Auto racing}}

[[Category:Formula racing|Vee]]
[[Category:Sports Car Club of America]]
[[Category:Motorsport categories in Australia]]
[[Category:Volkswagen Beetle modifications]]
[[Category:Volkswagen in motorsport]]