UCLan wins trophy at world’s biggest Formula Ford motorsport event

17 November 2017

Students crowned champions of pre-1993 engine category

Motorsports students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have beaten off competition from teams all over the world to win a Formula Ford trophy.

The eight-strong team of motorsport engineering students won the Formula Ford Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone in the pre-1993 category with their Dutch driver Jaap Blijleven, beating 23 other teams to the title.

Senior workshop technician Nick Johnson who works with the student team said: “It’s a prestigious achievement as the UCLan team is racing against professional Formula Ford teams, not just universities.  The students do everything to make sure the car is mechanically safe and the best it can be going onto the grid.  Formula Ford is essentially the beginner’s category of racing so gives them a very solid grounding of working in the motorsports industry.”

"Being part of this team at university allows us to immerse ourselves in the motorsports industry and throughout the season we learn so much."

The win comes after the UCLan team was crowned the overall winner of the Pre 90 Avon Tyres Northern Formula Ford 1600 Championship, which runs from March to October.  The students build and prepare the team’s cars in their spare time as part of UCLan’s motorsports club.

Final year student Luciano Carvalho, who also raced in another category of the Walter Hayes Trophy as well as being a member of the team, said: “It was a big thing to win and a great way to finish the season.  From the very beginning we learn how the car works and how to build it to maximise performance.  Being part of this team at university allows us to immerse ourselves in the motorsports industry and throughout the season we learn so much.”