Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Fast Ford

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! I know we’re just about to head into winter but if you feel yourself starting to lose faith in the coming weeks, remember this issue is on your shelf and go grab it. Why? Because the December issue is packed full of fantastic stories that can’t help but inspire and reignite your love for a fast Ford. We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Mk1 Focus RS this issue, and the fact that car even exists is an inspiring story in itself. The fact it resurrected the mighty Rallye Sport brand and spawned three of the best fast Ford models ever built just further cements its place in Blue Oval folklore. Talking of the Mk1 Focus RS, Tim Butcher’s example on the cover is another inspirational build.…

Chris Rose gazes at his bright white Series Two Escort RS Turbo and says proudly, “You know, this car really is a part of the family.” Having owned the Escort for 16 years and coming from a proud line of Ford Dagenham workers, it’s not surprising that coachbuilder Chris has a strong emotional attachment to the Blue Oval. “I was born and bred in Dagenham. My grandad worked there for 45 years, and my uncle too,” he says. Chris’s first car was a Ford Orion, followed by an Escort cabriolet, but of course it wasn’t long before he developed an obsession to own the ultimate Mk4 Escort: the RS Turbo. Chris explains, “I love the shape, the lines, I just think they’re a great little car. I bought this in…

When it comes to anniversary meets, the Mk1 Focus RS crew sure know how to put on a show. Having attended their 10th and 15th year meets – both of which were absolutely rammed – we had a good feeling about the 20th anniversary event. And we weren’t disappointed. These guys, led by Clayton Borg, are fastidious to the core when it comes to their favourite fast Ford. Even the date of the meet – 4 September – had specific sentiment: it had been chosen to coincide with the build date of the first numbered Mk1 Focus RS, the very car still owned by the Ford Heritage Fleet. Rolling into the British Motor Museum at 9am, the car park was already filled with RSs, the majority of them being carefully…

QUICK SPEC ■ Mondeo 2.5T ■ Titanium X ■ 19in Rotiform BUC-M alloys ■ Toyo R888R tyres ■ Scorpion Red Power turbo-back exhaust including sports cat ■ custom wrap by 3M ■ PB coilovers ■ Airtec intercooler ■ EBC front callipers with two-piece discs and Bluestuff pads ■ Ramair filter and crossover We can start this update with a brilliant bit of news: our Rep to Race Car project Mondeo could be yours. Yep, that’s right, we’re giving it away! Not just the car, but a load of tools and equipment from the project’s main sponsor Teng Tools too. You will be able to enter our ‘Win A Car’ competition at the 2023 Kelsey events (JapFest, Ford Fair and TRAX), and this time next year you could be tanking around…

April seems so long ago, but after six months of intense competition spread across 30 races held at nine different circuits, the 2022 BTCC ended at Brands Hatch in early October. And we weren’t disappointed. ROUNDS 25, 26, & 27 -SILVERSTONE In the lead up to the finale, the penultimate round of the championship was held at Silverstone at the end of September. The home of the British GP proved to be a good hunting ground for the Motorbase squad, and in particular the NAPA Racing Focus STs of Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish, with the pair playing the perfect team game to elevate Ash to the top of the driver’s standings by the end of the weekend. Running nose-to-tail for the latter part of the opening race, Dan moved…

NAME DALE GENT CAR FORD RANGER PICKUP RACE SERIES BARC PICKUP TRUCK RACING CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY OF THE CAR “We were competing in a round of Classic Thunder at Rockingham with my Subaru Impreza and the trucks were on the same billing, but they were running the full oval. Seeing the trucks so close together and going flat out was a real adrenaline rush. It was at this point that I decided to look for a truck to compete with myself. “Our first season in the truck was in 2018. It was a huge learning curve, but we secured Rookie of the Year recognition that season, despite having a huge fire at Brands Hatch. “All trucks that race in the championship are purpose-built by SHP (Sonny Howard Preparations in Ely –…

WHY YOU WANT ONE… ■ If you don’t like Cossies, you’re reading the wrong mag. The Escort Cosworth was the culmination of legendary motorsport experience, and the Small Turbo was the final road-going evolution of the breed. ■ It’s not exactly an ideal everyday car, but the Small Turbo Escort is the one Cosworth that can still be used and enjoyed like a modern motor – albeit with iconic jaw-dropping looks. ■ Spend big on tuning, and the EsCos is as good as ever at scaring supercars on road or track, meanwhile turning more heads at shows. It’s the poster car for an entire generation. WHY YOU DON’T… ■ You might well be disappointed… Step out of a new Fiesta or Focus ST, and the Escort will feel like a…

It’s hard to believe the Mk3 Focus RS has been with us for six years – yet was an instant hit on the show scene. But while many owners are still, even today, reluctant to make any dramatic changes – which, considering the RS’s rarity is totally understandable – Howard Smith strayed away from convention and decided to take his Mk3 RS to the next level. Complete with a custom bodykit, unique wheels, air ride and an array of other trick mods, this Mk3 RS is unlike any we’ve ever seen. Howard says, “My grandparents always bought performance cars. This sparked my interest in fast cars at a very early age.” Even in his school years, Howard was dreaming about owning a Focus RS. Remember, the original Focus RS is…

Can you imagine a world without the Focus RS? A dull and insipid world, where economy and environmentalism matter more than making progress or having fun. A world where fast cars are frivolous and antisocial; where our favourite brand is too afraid of causing offence by selling an apparently irresponsible machine. It’s now knocking on for five years since the great Blue Oval stopped building the last-generation Focus RS, and it’s looking likely there will never be another Rallye Sport Ford. Yet we’ve heard that story before. Indeed, when Ford cancelled the Escort Cosworth in the mid-1990s, it looked like we’d never see another Blue Oval-badged hot hatch, let alone a full-blown RS. To make matters worse, the first fresh attempt at a sporty Ford – the Racing Puma of…

Deep in the heart of Essex, there’s a school with a difference. A school where hands-on creativity is nurtured, skills learned and honed, kinships bonded and futures forged. And from this remarkable institute of learning, and its equally remarkable students, comes the forthright Focus you see here – acar that started life as a humble TDCi, but now finds itself comprehensively reimagined by a troop of budding mechanics who won’t take ‘that sounds a bit tricky’ for an answer. Seasoned Ford enthusiast Ade Maddock is the man behind the scenes, and he takes us through the story: “I work at Rallysport Engineering Academy, which is an alternative education establishment dealing with students who struggle at school. “This can be for various reasons such as autism, ADHD and behavioural issues; we…

M-Sport initially planned to take four Puma Rally1 cars to New Zealand but in the weeks leading up to event, the team announced that Adrien Fourmaux would no longer be fielding an entry. That would leave regulars Gus Greensmith and Craig Breen flying the flag for Ford, alongside Lorenzo Bertelli in a privateerentry M-Sport Puma Hybrid Rally1 machine. Things got off to a fantastic start; Breen was second-fastest on Thursday’s opening special stage, and Greensmith was fastest on Friday’s opening stage, leaving the M-Sport drivers sitting in a perfect 1-2 in the rally on Friday morning. A fight back from Ott Tänak saw the Hyundai and Breen’s Ford trading places at the top of standings, but that all ended abruptly on stage five when Breen ran off the road. Heading…

Donington Park is one of the most exciting circuits to drive in the UK. It combines a blend of technical sections, flowing corners and fast straights, making it perfect for many fast Fords. Topflight motorsport formulae such as the BTCC and British GT series, as well as countless motorsport clubs, all feature the picturesque track on their calendars. Plus, for Ford fans, the RSOC holds its National Day event there each year, so use our guide to learn to your way around before venturing out on track with fellow Blue Oval enthusiasts next year. 1 - REDGATE The first corner is Redgate, a challenging but rewarding start to the lap. You approach it on the left-hand side of the track and use the pit exit as a reference for your…

The Classic at Silverstone was the subject of several changes and enhancements for 2022. The move to a new date over the end-of-summer August bank holiday weekend proved to be a success, with record ticket sales, packed grids and more fun-fuelled, off-track displays and activities than ever before. In total, more than 100,000 people attended over the three days, with more families taking advantage of a long weekend at the event. A Best of British bill featured no fewer than 20 splendid retro races spanning 100 years of motorsport history. The track action was supplemented by interactive driving experiences, extreme sports demos, crowdpulling Formula One displays, race sims, stunt shows and the newly-introduced Foodie Fest with celebrity chefs. Even petrolhead-turnedfarmer Jeremy Clarkson was among the famous faces visiting The Classic. Ford…

FOCUS ST GETS TRACK PACK The hottest Mk4 Focus can now be optioned with upgraded running gear and subtle styling enhancements, thanks to the new Focus ST Track Pack. Targeted at the keenest of drivers, Ford has announced the Focus ST Track Pack, which is effectively a handful of extra addons designed to enhance the way the car looks and drives. Under the bonnet you’ll find the same 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-pot that’s in the regular car, but the Ford Focus ST Track Pack equips it with better underpinnings to make use of the 276bhp. The suspension, for example, is now composed of a fully-adjustable set of KW coilovers. Within that setup, the dampers come with 12 steps of adjustment for compression, and 16 increments to control rebound, opening up a…

MOUNTUNE MK4 FOCUS ST CARBON FIBRE REAR INTAKE KIT £289 Mountune’s carbon fibre rear crossover kit replaces the stock plastic piece with a highflowing, heat-resistant pipe that boosts airflow and enhances the look of your engine bay at the same time. The crossover kit can be used with either the stock airbox, or for maximum performance gains, not to mention impressive underbonnet aesthetics, it can also be used in conjunction with Mountune’s carbon fibre induction kit. The full kit includes the carbon fibre crossover pipe with billet fittings, mounting bracket, three silicone hoses in a black-andyellow, and all the clips you need for installation. For more information, head to the website or speak to Mountune. www.mountunestore.com DEI HI-TEMP SPRAY ADHESIVE £17.18 DEI’s Hi-Temp Spray Adhesive is a very aggressive, high-build,…

Although we’ve never had it easier when it comes to off-theshelf modifications, in a world of bolt-on bits it’s refreshing to come across a truly well-engineered build. Tim Butcher has been around the Ford scene long enough to know the score, as he’s a bit of a veteran when it comes to fast Fords. His Series Two Escort RS Turbo was the stuff of legends thanks to its 340bhp CVH engine and 12-second quarter mile times. It was featured in Fast Ford around 15 years ago, but now Tim is back with his Focus RS, complete with 2.2-litre stroker Zetec turbo. Built by the guys at Norris Motorsport (NMS), it’s one of the most innovative and interesting Zetec builds we’ve seen – although Tim bought the car back in 2009…

p58 FAST FORD REP TO RACE CAR MONDEO The heavy cruiser seats are gone, and have been replaced with some much more fitting, lightweight and supportive Corbeau buckets. p60 JASON FIESTA ST MK8 Jason’s not wasted any time in getting to shows and meets in the ST. And he’s now started a shoppting list of upgrades to come too. ADE SAPPHIRE COSWORTH Full update on the Cossie next month, as Ade reflects on the last five years of ups and downs, and tells us the future plans for the Saph. JAMIE FOCUS RS MK3 Nothing to report on the RS this month, sadly. Jamie’s still considering selling up, but can’t bring himself to do it just yet. DAN FOCUS ST250 The Focus’s tailpipes have been repaired and the ST is…

Brands Hatch is the perfect venue for fans to fully appreciate the on- and off-track dramas that come with endurance racing. The GT4 class, for fully road-derived race cars, is also incredibly competitive across the field, a point underlined by as many different manufacturers filling the top six grid slots. Saturday’s qualifying had been unpredictable when a red flag stoppage reduced the fight for pole to a two-lap sprint. Once its tyres are warmed up, the Mustang is a car to be reckoned with, but after the red flag there was not enough time left in the session to get the tyres back up to optimal temperature again, with the Academy crew having to settle for P5 on the grid. In the race, Marco Signoretti was up to third place…

The original. The icon. The legend. The Sierra Cosworth arrived in a fanfare of media hype, complete with massive rear wing, motorsport success, and notorious tag as the most stolen car in the UK. And that was before the tuners and enthusiasts got hold of it. Few cars have the road presence of the three-door Cossie, and those classic looks, combined with the tail-happy rear-wheeldrive layout and easy-to-tune YB motor, soon saw the Cosworth develop a cult following – to be crowned king of the cruise scene during the Nineties and Noughties. Things have come full circle since, and – sadly for those of us who love driving – many Cossies have been returned to standard specification to increase their value, and the very best examples seldom see daylight. And…

MUSTAN GIMSA For many, the Fox-body is one of coolest shape Mustangs money can buy. And this, the IMSA, is the coolest of the lot! Unfortunately, money can’t buy it though. Nothing can. That’s because it was purely designed as a concept car. Built in 1979, its main job was to draw crowds to the Ford stand at various motoring shows and events throughout 1980. The brief was to design and build a unique concept that looked like one of the ultra-high-performance racers competing in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) series. However, there was never any intention to use the Mustang in competition. That’s not to say it wasn’t anything special, because it was. Like all IMSA cars, the Mustang concept took aerodynamics seriously: the windows were all recessed…