Formula Vee (Formula Fau Vee in Germany) or Formula Volkswagen is a popular open wheel, single-seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford.
On the international stage, Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg, all Formula 1 champions, and Scott Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion, raced Formula Vees in Europe, New Zealand, or America at the beginning of their careers. In Australia, V8 Supercar drivers Larry Perkins, Colin Bond, John Blanchard, John Bowe, Jason Bargwanna and Paul Stokell were also racers in Formula Vee.
Formula First, raced in the US and New Zealand, employs the same chassis, but with upgraded motor, brakes and steering. Australia’s modern Formula Vee car rules are the definition for Formula First in these countries
The class is based on the pre-1963 Volkswagen Beetle, utilizing a collection of stock parts 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 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 to allow the replacement of discontinued parts. In 2003, Grassroots Motorsports presented Formula Vee with the Editors' Choice Award.[1]
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, the limited engine power, and the similar performance of the cars makes taking advantage of slipstreaming a key tactic.
A top-running Formula Vee car will go and corner at about 1.6 g. It weighs a minimum of with driver or with driver as raced in the Australian specification.[2] [3]
Purchasing and running a Formula Vee car is relatively affordable compared to most motorsport categories. 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 (approximately $US37,000), with competitive second-hand cars costing much less. Renting a car for a race meeting was estimated at $A1000 (approximately $US700).[4]
Each year, Formula Vee is one of the classes at the SCCA Runoffs, which awards a national championship. While it is primarily a class in the Sports Car Club of America, many other organizations have adopted Formula Vee as a class.
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, but with later model Beetle parts, a larger motor (New Zealand uses the variant) and other upgraded components such as disc brakes rack and pinion steering.
(Formula Super Vee, although initially similar, soon moved to water-cooled 1.6L VW four-cylinder engines for higher-tech and faster cars).
See main article: Formula Vee at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.
| Year | Driver | Car | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 |  Lewis Kerr | Formcar | |
| 1965 | Dan Fowler | Beach 5 | |
| 1966 | Bill Campbell | Zink | |
| 1967 | Bill Campbell | Zink | |
| 1968 | Bill Scott | Zink | |
| 1969 | Bill Scott | Zink | |
| 1970 | Harry Ingle | Zink | |
| 1971 | Garret Van Camp | Lynx | |
| 1972 | Dave Weitzenhof | Autodynamics | |
| 1973 | Rollin Butler | Zink | |
| 1974 | Lynx | ||
| 1975 | Mike Frangkiser | Lynx B | |
| 1976 | James Brookshire | Agitator | |
| 1977 | Mike Frangkiser | Lynx B | |
| 1978 | Don Courtney | Vista Bushwaker | |
| 1979 | Wayne Moore | Zink | |
| 1980 | Wayne Moore † | Zink Z12.5 | |
| 1981 | Don Courtney | Vista Bushwaker | |
| 1982 | Bill Noble | Caracal | |
| 1983 | George Fizell | Zink Z12 | |
| 1984 | George Fizell † | Zink Z12 | |
| 1985 | Scott Rubenzer | Citation 85V | |
| 1986 | George Fizell | Caracal D | |
| 1987 | Stevan Davis † | Racer's Wedge | |
| 1988 | George Fizell | Caracal D | |
| 1989 | Bill Noble | Caracal C | |
| 1990 | Bill Noble | Caracal C | |
| 1991 | Skip Streets | Mysterian | |
| 1992 | Stevan Davis | Racer's Wage | |
| 1993 | Bill Noble | Caracal C | |
| 1994 | Bill Noble | Caracal C | |
| 1995 | Jon Adams | Adams Aero | |
| 1996 | Mysterian M2 | ||
| 1997 | Jonathan Rufener | Caracal D | |
| 1998 | Brad Stout † | Protoform | |
| 1999 | Roger Siebenaler | Mysterian M2 | |
| 2000 | Roger Siebenaler | Mysterian M2 | |
| 2001 | Brad Stout | Vortech | |
| 2002 | Brad Stout | Vortech | |
| 2003 | Stephen Oseth | Vortech | |
| 2004 | Jeff Loughead † | Vortech | |
| 2005 | Brad Stout | Vortech | |
| 2006 | Stephen Oseth | Vortech | |
| 2007 | Stephen Oseth | Vortech | |
| 2008 | Brad Stout | Vortech | |
| 2009 | Michael Varacins | Speed Sport AM-5 | |
| 2010 | Rick Shields | VDF | |
| 2011 | Roger Siebenaler | Mysterian M2 | |
| 2012 | Michael Varacins | Speed Sport AM-5 | |
| 2013 | Michael Varacins | Speed Sport AM-5 | |
| 2014 | Rick Shields | VDF | |
| 2015 | Michael Varacins | Speed Sport AM-5 | |
| 2016 | Michael Varacins | Speed Sport AM-5 | |
| 2017 | Michael Varacins | Speed Sport AM-5 | |
| 2018 | Michael Varacins † | Speed Sport AM- | |
| 2019 | Andrew Whitston | Protoform P2 | |
| 2020 | Chris Jennerjahn | Vortech | |
| 2021 | Andrew Whitston | Protoform P2 | |
| 2022 | Brian Farnham | Silver Bullet FR-S | |
| 2023 | Andrew Whitston | Protoform P3 |
Michael Varacins has the most titles with seven.
† Denotes President's Cup Winner
| Country | Series/Event Name | Active Years | Additional Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | Formula Vee Australia Series | 1965–present | ||
| Formula 1200 Championship Series | 1965–present | |||
| 2015–present | Also competes in the United States of America. | |||
| 2013–2014 | Also competed in the United States of America. This series became the Challenge Cup Series. | |||
| 2022-Present | Also competes in the United States of America. This series is held on the West Coast of Canada and the USA | |||
 Ireland | Selco.ie National Championship Series | Unknown-present | ||
 Brazil | Campeonato Paulista de Formula Vee | 2011-present | ||
| Copa ECPA | Unknown-present | |||
| Fórmula Vee Open | 2021-present | Exclusively for beginners | ||
 New Zealand | Formula First New Zealand Championship Series | 1967-present | ||
| South Africa | Formula Vee Championship | 1966–present | Longest running motor racing championship in South Africa | |
| Formula Vee Championship Series | 1967–present | |||
| 1979–present | ||||
| Formula Vee at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs | 1964–present | Oldest Formula Vee event in the world. | ||
| 2015–present | Also competes in Canada. | |||
| Northeast Formula Vee Championship Series | Unknown-present | |||
| 2013–2014 | Also competed in Canada. This series became the Challenge Cup Series. |