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CTJ Photography
CTJ Photography
Clive Steeper John Iley
Tim Tudor
Simple and Effective
The original idea for Sports 2000 was simple. An evolution of Formula Ford 2000, it added closed-wheel bodywork and used the reliable 2-litre Ford Pinto engine to create a robust rear-engine sports prototype weighing in at 600kg, including the driver. The series was highly competitive, with extremely close racing, and it attracted some very capable drivers – including some who ended up competing in non- Championship F1.
“ It became a proving ground for young drivers,” says Steeper.“ That included Chris Alford and two prominent women drivers of the 1970s, Davina Galica and Desire Wilson, and as time moved on, the champions roster added several future Touring Car stars including Frank Sytner( 1978), James Thompson( 1984) and Ian Flux( 1986). More recently, our alumni include Porsche IMSA driver Nick Tandy and Aston Martin Racer David Pittard.”
The current champion is Michael Gibbins, a secondgeneration driver who followed in his father’ s footsteps straight out of karting. He chose Sports 2000 over the more‘ usual’ route up the ladder and explains:“ When it comes to competitive Club racing, I don’ t think you can go much higher in terms of performance. You might look at British GT if you want to further your career, but it would not actually necessarily be a step up in terms of performance.”
Since its post-pandemic rejuvenation, Sports 2000 has become popular with drivers seeking cost-effective racing, and with some young drivers looking to nurture and
Revolution- September 2025
showcase their sportscar racing talent. That was the original plan for Gibbins, who joined the championship as soon as he could get a race licence at the age of 16, yet Sports 2000 ended up being the perfect place to stay.
“ When I was in karting and at school, it was always racing in the background with education in the foreground,” he recalls.“ I did an engineering degree but instead of going straight into work, I started doing a lot of instructing and had a big push to try and round up some more money for racing. I did my ARDS test at Thruxton and I was an instructor at lots of the tracks in the UK, working with manufacturers and some private clients.
“ When I joined Sports 2000, there was a view on extending beyond that but that was never realised. Once I realised someone else wasn’ t going to pay me to race, I did a bit of work in engineering, but my interest was always from a motorsport angle. If I was going to build a career in that area, it would have had to be in a race team and that would have stopped me racing, so I had to decide whether I wanted to work in motorsport or compete myself.
“ I decided on the latter, so I got a job that allowed me to do that around it. Sports 2000 was the ideal formula because is something you can do yourself, without the need for team involvement to run. We have managed to get some sponsorship from local businesses, who gain publicity from get articles we get in local papers and get tickets for employees to come along to the events.
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