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HISTORY
 History of Spedeworth V8 Stock Cars

Spedeworth V8 Stock Cars are purpose built, open wheeled,
5.5 litre engined single seat racing cars.

Above: Spedeworth V8 Stock Car

They are designed and constructed to a strict specification and the
preferred engines are Chevrolet 283, 302, 350 c.i vee eights, although
small block Ford's are favoured by some.
How did they come to be?
In 1976, a group of southern based BriSCA F1 drivers formed their
own association (SCOTA) due to a lack of F1 meetings in the south.
Spedeworth were prepared to give them regular meetings, and for a
few seasons they survived.

 
Above: Spedeworth F1

Due to the high cost of maintaining the bigger, unlimited
power cars, and the fact that car numbers were getting
less, it was decided to introduce a formula that would
reduce costs. The cars were smaller, running on either
13 or 14 inch wheels. In the early days Rovers, Jaguars
and even Ford V6s were used but as time has gone on,
virtually all cars are fitted with small block Chevrolet
engines. A BRISCA promoter tried to introduce team
cars in the late 70s but the idea didn't take off.
The six team cars he had were bought from him and
they were basically the first Formula 80 cars, as this
formula was then known. Cars of all types and
descriptions were appearing, old F1 cars lightened with smaller
axles and engines, Superstox made heavier and Ford V6s
fitted and new cars from the likes of Darkie Wright, had
Jaguar independent rear suspension. Some even had Jaguar
V12s fitted. Over a period of time, the car regulations
were changed to the point that all cars had to run with
regulation tyres as they do today.


One of the team cars


A converted F1
                                          

  As the cars got quicker, the Ford V6s, Rover V8s and Jaguars
disappeared as they were no longer competitive. Today, some
of the cars run independent suspension, others have beam axles.
Car preparation is generally excellent, bar the few, and there are
now a lot of competitive cars virtually on a par with each other
that leads to some excellent, close racing with various different
race winners.

There were two periods over the years when this formula raced
with the 'northern' hotstox, now known as V8 hotstox, but due
to differences between the formulas, they went their separate
ways. The last time they were racing together, the two parties
agreed that the 'new' combined formula should be known as V8
stock cars.
 After a while, the 'northern' drivers decided to go it alone as
their cars proved to be inferior to the Spedeworth V8s -
not surprising as the 'northern' cars were running Rover 3.5
litre engines whilst the Spedeworth V8s were running small
block Chevy's. Having said that, the hotstox were not prepared
to alter their regulations to allow small block Chevy's, instead
they expected the Spedeworth drivers to discard their engines
 and fit Rovers. This resulted in both parties going their separate
ways. Today, there are questions being asked within the hotstox
formula as to whether or not it is time to replace the Rover, due
to availability and the high cost of tuning the 3.5s, but for some
reason the small block Chevy seems to be frowned upon -
probably because it is the engine generally used by the
Spedeworth V8s. For that reason I do not see the two formulas
ever racing as one again, which is a shame.