The class uses a collection of stock parts from the pre-1963 Volkswagen Beetle to form a competitive race car around a purpose-built tube frame and racing tires. The VW engine, transmission, front suspension, brakes, and wheels are stock or modified stock parts. The body is made of fiberglass or carbon fiber. The intention of this class is for the average person to be able to build and maintain the car.
Over the years, the rules have evolved to improve performance, lower cost, and allow the replacement of discontinued parts. In 2003, Grassroots Motorsports presented Formula Vee with the Editors' Choice Award. Unlike many open-wheel formulas, Formula Vee cars are not permitted to use wings or ground effect to produce aerodynamic downforce. The lack of these features, limited engine power, and similar car performance make slipstreaming a key tactic.
The engines are based on either the 1200cc or 1600cc variants of the Volkswagen Beetle engine. Competitors are permitted to build and tune their engines themselves, within strict limitations on modifications from stock. The 1600cc engines used in the Australian Formula Vee series produce approximately "70-75hp". A top-running Formula Vee car will reach 190 km/h (120 mph) and corner at about 1.6 g. It weighs a minimum of 465 kg (1,025 lb) with driver or 500 kg (1,100 lb) with driver as raced in the Australian 1,600 cc specification.
Purchasing and running a Formula Vee car is relatively affordable. In 2022, a brand-new race car for the Australian Formula Vee series was estimated to cost approximately AU$50,000 to AU$55,000. Competitive second-hand cars cost much less. Renting a car for a race meeting was estimated at $A1000. In the US, Formula Vee is one of the classes at the SCCA Runoffs, which awards a national championship. While primarily a class in the Sports Car Club of America, many other organizations have adopted Formula Vee as a class.
On the international stage, Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and Keke Rosberg, all Formula 1 champions, raced Formula Vees in Europe, New Zealand, or America at the beginning of their careers. Scott Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion, also raced Formula Vees. In Australia, V8 Supercar drivers Larry Perkins, Colin Bond, John Blanchard, John Bowe, Jason Bargwanna, and Paul Stokell were also racers in Formula Vee.
Variants of the Formula Vee rules exist in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK & Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand. Particularly notable is Formula First, racing in the US and New Zealand, which employs the same chassis as Formula Vee. However, Formula First uses later model Beetle parts, a larger 1,600 cc motor (though New Zealand uses the 1,200 cc variant), and other upgraded components such as disc brakes and rack and pinion steering. Australia's modern Formula Vee car rules are the definition for Formula First in these countries.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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