Ford Rides In To Rescue Vintage Racers, Will Restart Production of Formula Ford Kent Engine

Reported by Car and Driver on Friday, 16 October 2009 (on October 16, 2009)

Ford has decided to restart the manufacture of the so-called “Kent” cylinder block, which formed the basis of the engine that was the lifeblood of Formula Ford racing in Europe from its inception in 1967 to 1993. With thousands of vintage Formula Ford racers still competing around the world, parts have started to become scarce—how many Kent blocks have been bisected in the heat of battle, we wonder?—and Ford says that “the majority of owners of these historic machines will want to retain the originality of their car by using a genuine Ford engine.”
Although Formula Fords now use a development of Ford’s Duratec powerplant, old FF race cars are still seen on grids around the world. The cars are still a very cost-effective way of going racing because they are simple and reliable. And they’re still a great training ground because the cars are evenly matched and the racing is generally frenetic. Old FFs are the cheapest point of entry for vintage racing, another reason for their enduring popularity.
The engine blocks are being cast in the U.S. by Ford’s Racing Performance Parts. The Kent engine is an overhead-valve, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that was reliable and torquey, although the rules limited maximum horsepower to around 115. Ford promises that the new block will be more robust than the old one.

Related posts:Ford Debuts Four-Cylinder EcoBoost Engine Family in FrankfurtBMW Quits Formula 1Lotus Returns to Formula 1 for 2010

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Ford Rides In To Rescue Vintage Racers, Will Restart Production of Formula Ford Kent Engine

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