Welcome to Cadwell Park where, on a varied programme, the annual HSCC Wolds Trophy meeting celebrates 50 years since the introduction of Formula Ford 2000 in 1975 at the scene of Historic FF2000’s debut race in April 2007. Cadwell Park hosted its first FF2000 championship race on September 26, 1976, won by Tiff Needell in MacMcKinstry’s Hawke DL14. Subsequent race winners in the Pre-1981 timeframe embraced by HFF2000 were Rad Dougall, the late David Leslie and Richard Trott, who still races a 1000cc F3 car with the HSCC.
With a fantastic field of more than 40 cars, the event will consist of a series of qualifying races and knock-out heats leading to a grand final. Snetterton race winner Ben Glasswell should be very much to the fore with Graham Fennymore and Michael Moyers hot on his heels. Among the competitors enjoying the FF2000 action on the Lincolnshire switchback is chassis designer/constructor [and urban spaceman] Adrian Reynard, who won the 1979 European championship, then hung up his helmet to develop Reynard Racing Cars. It’s proudest moment was winning the 1995 Indianapolis 500.
70s Road Sports have another fine grid where we expect to see the nimble Lotus Europa of reigning champion Howard Payne and Elan of Mark Leverett hoping to fend off the challenge from a strong TVR contingent, John William’s Porsche 911, Nic Strong Marcos 3000GT and George Daws, Datsun 240Z are all expected to be in the chase for overall honours. The smaller capacity classes are also well represented by both Alfa Romeo and Porsche. Expect entertaining racing from this rainbow hued grid.
Based on his dominant form at Snetterton, Frazer Gibney clearly know how to hustle a Lotus Elan along quite effectively in the Historic Roadsport category, whilst the quick and nimble Lotus 7s of Jonathan Stringer and Mark Godfrey will certainly be working hard to keep Frazer on his toes. Grid sharing with Historic Roadsports will be an interesting and eclectic selection of Historic Saloons, leading if only by cubic capacity will be the entertainingly driven Mustang of Mark Watts, however he should also be kept busy by the equally entertaining Anglia’s of Neil Wood and Brian Webb. An interesting supporting class includes a Fiat 600 Abarth, Austin A40 and of course the Lotus Cortina, an essential member of any saloon car grid
The charismatic One-Litre Historic Formula 3 Championship will be at Cadwell Park competing for the Justin Haler Trophy in the next two rounds in their Championship. We expect Jason Timms, Brabham BT21, Peter De La Roche, Alexis Mk17 and Ross Dryborough, Merlyn Mk14A to continue the close competition they enjoyed at Snetterton. The ‘Screamers’ will also be joined by a number of their European counterparts at Cadwell, as this weekend marks the first round of the 2025 European Championship.
Historic Formula Ford 1600 has started the season strongly and a near capacity field of pre ‘72 Formula Fords, expect wheel to wheel action throughout the grid. Based on his recent form Ben Simms will be difficult to beat around the twists and turns of this three-dimensional circuit. His pursuers will include Sam Mitchell, Ben Powney, Neil Hose, Matt Wrigley and Callum Grant.
Two fabulous grids of Formula Juniors will continue the UK championship for the single-seaters of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The field will be split, into front and rear-engined divisions. Finally the Alfa Romeo Intermarque Championship will be bringing another entertaining grid to the event, the pair of stunning Alfa Romeo 4Cs of Jack Berry and Jamie Porter are expected to head a large grid of evocative models from this legendary Italian manufacturer.
IMAGE WITH THANKS: CHARLIE WOODING