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Kurt Fischer's 1970 Lola T200 Formula Ford Racecar

Owner: Kurt Fischer
City: Penn Yan, New York
Model: 1970 Lola T200
Engine: Ford Kent 1600cc
Prepared by: GMT Racing

Lola's First Formula Ford

Shortly after a new class called "Formula Ford" was announced, a host of constructors brought forth new designs for it. Aspiring racers could choose between Alexis, Caldwell, Dulon, Lotus, Macon, Merlyn, Royale, Titan and many other marques. Though the technical differences between these cars are fascinating, in truth they're pretty much birds of a feather. For example. as a rule first generation Formula Fords featured round-tube frames with engine coolant piped through upper longitudinal members to forward-mounted radiators. Nearly all these cars featured Triumph Herald front uprights and similar suspension geometry. Wheelbase and track width (i.e. the distance between left and right tires, measured at center of road contact area) weren't specified by the rules, but first generation Formula Fords were pretty similar in these important measurements too.

Lola Cars Limited arrived at the party late, but they brought a distinctively different car design. Introduced for 1970, the Lola T200 model featured a robust frame of square tubing. Coolant was plumbed separately, not through frame tubes. Front uprights were specially fabricated, not off-the-shelf forgings. And most distinctively Lola combined an uncommonly short wheelbase, wider than average track, and a relatively low (layed-down) driver position. For a certain kind of driver on a certain kind of racetrack, Lola provided what driver Mark Donohue might have called "the unfair advantage." (For Mark Donohue's comments on a different short-wheelbase 1970 Lola model, see our write-up on Lola's T190.)


Lola's T200: shorter wheelbase & wider track than other 1970 models

Note: except for the Lola T200 numbers, most of the dimensions above have been excerpted from "Charting the Fords" from the May 1979 edition of Racecar magazine. Elden and Tecno models may have been even shorter than Lola T200, but have been omitted here for lack of complete/accurate dimensions. All the measurements are subject to variation due to suspension adjustment and other service issues. For example, wheel substitutions often cause changes in track measurements. Our Lola T200 measurements are from Lola's original engineering drawings. They were provided to BritishRacecar.com by former Lola Chief Engineer Bob Marston.

The T200's short wheelbase and wide track can be significant competitive advantages on tight and twisty racetracks, in making quick transitions, and in taking high-g turns. As in so many things, there's an implied compromise. Its shorter wheelbase can make the T200 seem a little nervous under heavy braking. Brake bias must be adjusted carefully: the car isn't forgiving if bias is set too far rearward. The T200's wider track slightly increases aerodynamic drag but on the other hand the low driver position somewhat offsets that.

With only modest alterations the Lola Formula Ford model was continued in 1971 as the T202 and then in 1972 as the T204. Specific differences between the T200 and T202/T204 are as follows: (1) location of manufacture, (2) chassis numbering system employed, (3) roll hoop design, and (4) front suspension geometry.

Between production of the T200 and T202 models, Lola Cars Ltd. moved about 85 miles north from Slough (on the western edge of London) to Huntingdon (northwest of Cambridge). Coincidental to the move, the company changed its chassis number system. T200 racecars were stamped with a three-part modular chassis number in the format 200/F3/xx where "xx" was a sequentially allocated number from 1 through 64. (64 T200 racecars were built.) T202 and T204 cars are stamped with a three-part modular chassis number starting with "HU" for Huntingdon followed by model number ("202" or "204" respectively) and then car number (65 through 81 for the 17 T202s or 82 through 116 for the 35 T204s produced). As described in more detail below, the original T200 rollhoop featured two welded-in rearward braces at a steep downward angle, whereas T202/T204 rollhoops featured single detachable braces from the top of their rollhoops to behind their engines. Finally, between T200 and T202 production Lola introduced some anti-dive by altering the position of the front lower wishbone inboard pick-up point.

LOLA CARS LTD.
Yeovil Road, Slough, Bucks., England.
Model 200, Chassis No. 200/F3/43, Engine No. (blank)
Please quote chassis number when ordering spares.
All design rights reserved. No reproduction without prior written permission.

Kurt's Lola T200: chassis number 200/F3/43

Kurt Fischer has just completed his first racing season, and he's delighted with his decision to start with this Lola T200. Kurt bought the T200 from Marc Giroux, who purchased it in late 1997 and has actively raced it since 1998. When I first met these two gentlemen, Kurt was parked just a few feet from Marc's Brabham BT29 Formula B racecar.

Marc bought the T200 from Dave Sharp of Maryland who in turn had purchased it from Jay Galpin of Colorado who restored it in the late eighties or early nineties. Before that, the car's history is largely unknown but it most likely hadn't raced in years.

Features and Specifications

Engine Installation

Ford Kent 1600cc with dry sump, rebuilt by Marcovicci-Wenz Engineering (MWE).


Hytech Headers stainless steel tri-Y headers featuring anti-reversion chambers.


BAT throttle linkage.


Motorcraft distributor. Lucas Sport "gold" ignition coil. Moroso Spiral Core spark plug wires.


Weber 32/36 DGAV carburetor. Earl's fuel filter. RamAir foam air filter.


BAT oil pump.


Fram HP1 oil filter.


Lucas starter motor.


Engine oil reservoir.


Tubular racecar frame designs are usually compromized across the top of the cockpit and
top of the engine bay. In the case of the engine bay, braces can be bolted-in to regain
some of the strength and stiffness lost. The Lola T200 featured two straight braces where
most contemporary Formula Fords featured a single Y-shaped brace.


13-row oil cooler.


Hewland Engineering Limited, Maidenhead. (Serial number H8-971.)


Rotoflex couplings.


The original T200 design featured a one piece cowl/nose. This specially modified bodywork
provides better service access to hydraulics. Here, we see a copper and brass crossflow radiator.
(This is a replica of the original. It was crafted by Englewood Auto of Denver Colorado).

Front Suspension / Etc.

Unequal length wide-based dual wishbone front suspension.


KONI double adjustable, steel bodied shock absorbers and Hyperco springs.


Lola originally shipped the car with SPAX shock absorbers.


Lola proprietary fabricated steel front uprights featuring live stub axles.


In an accident it's possible for the round ball of a spherical bearing to tear out of its socket.
Oversize washers ensure the upright won't part company from the control arm.


Anti-sway bar with three selectable stiffness settings.


Girling 14LF brake calipers and Girling-supplied solid rotors. (Note: so far we've been unable
to determine exactly which small road car these particular brake rotors were originally made
for. Please contact BritishRacecar.com if you can supply this information.)


Girling identifies the bore diameters of their master cylinders right on the casting.
(Here we see 3/4" bore rear and 5/8" bore front, respectively.)

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Rear Suspension

Inverted lower wishbones, single top links, and twin adjustable trailing links.


Both body and frame feature tough PPG two part epoxy enamel paint jobs.


All suspension links, control arms, and even axle halfshafts have been nickel plated.


Square section tubing (instead of round) reflected a very pragmatic design philosophy.
There are many advantages, including simpler attachment of brackets and skins. Generally,
fabrication is cheaper because it's easier to fit, jig, and to weld joints. Theoretically, round
tube frames can be made much more efficiently in terms of strength to weight ratio.


Lola proprietary cast magnesium rear uprights.


Anti-sway bar with five selectable stiffness settings.


It costs very little more to do this smartly: double-shear joints for suspension pick-ups!


Lola provided two alternative connection points on the frame for each T200 lower trailing link.

Interior

OMP six point safety harness.


Mountney of Britain steering wheel.


AutoMeter water temperature gauge (110-240F) and Stack Quartz tachometer (0-8000rpm).


AutoMeter oil pressure gauge (0-100psi).


This is an original Lola T200 fiberglass seat, but with a new padded vinyl cover.


SPA Design quick release steering wheel hub.


Gear selector. Tilton remote brake bias adjuster knob.


T200 brake pedals, clutch pedals, and pedal bracketry bear a strong family resemblance to larger
Lola racecars of their era such as the T190 and T192 Formula 5000 racecars.


Extensively re-worked left-hand drive Ford Escort Mk1 steering racks were used on most
small Lola racecars from the T200 Formula Ford onward for about a decade.


Since about 1986, SCCA has required forward rollhoop braces plus a second rollhoop at the instrument
panel. Before that, SCCA required (rearward) main hoop braces approach at an angle of no more than
thirty degrees from the ground plane. As shown here, the original T200 design featured two rearward
braces. (The T202 and T204 models featured a single detachable rearward brace from the top of their
rollhoop to the center of the frame crossmember, behind their engine.) That Kurt's car has never been
updated indicates a long period of inactivity in its racing history.


Bodywork by Specialized Mouldings Ltd., England.
British Racing & Sports Car Club


Marc Giroux relocated the shoulder harness connection points both higher and closer together.
If connection points are too low, in the event of a high speed impact the driver will be
pressed downward by the belts and there's a greater danger of spine compression injury.
Narrow spacing is required for compatibility with HANS (Head and Neck Support) devices.


Auto Pro Racing Systems five pound centralized fire suppression system.

Exterior

At the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association's 2011 US Vintage Grand Prix of Watkins Glen,
Kurt Fischer circled the challenging 3.4 mile circuit with a smoking hot best lap time of
2:14.114, which averages out to 91.266mph. Kurt's second-in-class finish is even more
impressive considering that he's new to the sport. No one was having more fun than Kurt!


Neatly bridging the gap between the classic "cigar" styling of the sixties and the "chisel"
styling of the early seventies, Lolas T200 is certainly among the best looking Formula Fords.


Compared to its contemporaries, the Lola T200 featured an uncommonly short wheelbase,
uncommonly wide wheel spacing (i.e. "track"), uncommonly low driver position, and
an uncommonly robust frame. T200's are at their best on tight and twisty racetracks.


Vitaloni mirrors on fabricated aluminum brackets.


The battery master switch is a critical safety feature. Since the car has no charging sytem,
this switch shuts off the engine's ignition system. Depowering other circuits eliminates the
possibility of an electrical fire starting from a short circuit (e.g. from a pinched wire).


A great idea: incorporated make and model info into racecar livery. This is just one of many small
ways to make vintage racing more friendly and welcoming to new generations of enthusiasts.


Diamond Racing Wheels 13x5.5 steel disc wheels. (Rolled-rim version.)


Dunlop Racing "Formula Ford" tires (135/545-13 CR82 front, 165/580-13 CR82 rear).

All other photos are from September 2011 when the car appeared at The US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Photos by Curtis Jacobson for BritishRaceCar.com. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

If you liked this article, you'll probably also enjoy these:
	Eric Haga '70 Lola T190		Kyle Kaulback '70 Lotus 61MX		Jim Johnson '72 March 729
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