DAVE BARTHOLOMEW TAKES THE 2024 750 FORMULA CHAMPIONSHIP

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It's a real honour to be crowned 750 Formula Champion in 2024 for the second time, particularly special as it's also the 75th year of this fantastic and unique championship. Here’s how the season unfolded.

I run the PRS1B (car #17 this year) with Ed Pither and Richard Rothery as part of a team, and we share seat time in the car.  It's a great way to share time, costs and ideas and I'd recommend it to anyone that needs to balance work, family, and provide a team to support the driver over a race weekend.  This year the plan was that I would do the first few races, Donington Park followed by Thruxton - two tracks that I really enjoy.

I qualified on pole at Donington for Race 1, run very close by Dave Hodkin, Bill Cowley, Peter Bove (pole for Race 2) and others on a damp day in the Midlands. Thinking hard about how best to launch on a wet track (and also a little rusty on race starts!) I didn't select first gear fully and found myself back down in 11th by the very first corner.  With James Jefferies and Peter Bove going very well, and Dave Hodkin and Bill Cowley looking seriously quick on some wet lines when I eventually got them in sight in the last few laps, I fought back to a second place finish.  I made things easier for myself in Race 2 with a better start converted to a win, and the season was underway with a good haul of points.

Weekend 2 was Thruxton.  I held the lap record there in F750 from our last outing back in 2017, and we focussed some time beforehand on getting the setup right – as little drag as possible and plenty of attention to heat management - a learning from last time!!  And we were rewarded with a very strong start. One pole, and one second in qualifying – Dave Hodkin again showing very strong pace.  We converted a strong qualifying to maximum points, taking a new lap record in the process - quick track!!  Dave Reid took both wins in Class B.

Leading the championship at this stage, we decided I would keep the drive and invest in a more serious campaign at the next round.... Snetterton.  In both races Dave Hodkin (and almost Pete Bove) and then Bill Cowley beat me off the start.  Dave was having some car problems that he carried over from Thruxton race 2, and with a great tow down the back straight in both rounds I was back in the lead. They kept me honest but it was another two wins chalked up.  On a roll and it was on to the next one.

A beautiful weekend at Cadwell Park - very different to the other tracks so far and a truly epic circuit.  Bill Cowley super quick as always, Jake Doherty very close behind. Race 1 was neck and neck off the line with Bill, and I just got my nose ahead heading up the left hander at Coppice and into Charlie's. Bill was very close all the way down to Park corner, but I just managed to keep ahead and spent the next 10 mins trying to build a small gap.  But with just a few laps to go a fuel pump failure had me waving Bill past and retiring to the pit lane at the last lap board.... DNF.  Race 2, a new fuel pump courtesy of Dan Welsh, and another chance from pole. This time unfortunately Bill had problems on the green flag lap, heading to the pitlane with broken suspension at the start.

It was now possible to tie things up (!!) at the penultimate round at Silverstone in August, and we had several cars joining us from the Sports 2000 championship.  Tom Muirhead proved to be very quick, and we split the Poles between the PRS1B and his Mallock Mk18.  The Sports 2000 cars didn't count for positions or points and the expectation was that they would be faster, so my intention was to leave Tom well alone. But off the line in Race 1, whilst he out dragged me through Abbey and up the hill, he braked earlier than I expected into Village, so I headed up the inside.  Tucking in behind me he spun and all I could see behind me was smoke - I got my head down expecting him to be back before the end, but it wasn’t to be.  Race 2 had Tom sporting a fresh set of Avon slicks, and there was no beating him into Village this time, and Bill was also pushing very hard just behind me.  I spent the race within a few tenths of Tom - exactly where I needed to be to seal the championship.  A proud moment nine years after my last successful F750 campaign with plenty of family and friends able to join us in the F1 garages at Silverstone.

Thanks to Ed and Richard for all their support, along with all the F750 competitors and supporters this year. Thanks to the Club, marshals and scrutineers for running the best club in UK motorsport. And thanks also Steve Boother for a great job as the 750 Formula representative.  750 Formula is a fantastic championship with unreal performance and value with Slicks and Wings, impressive lap times, close racing along with plenty of engineering and tuning opportunities.  Watching the final round at Mallory (check out the video!) it was some of the closest and most competitive racing of the day!  If you are thinking of joining us, DO IT.  We will see you there with the PRS1B in the 76th year.