Introducing the Banshee BTF 1600.
The model number BTF 1600 says it all. It stands for back to the future and that’s exactly what we wanted to do. We want to bring the past into the future. The things that brought entry-level formula car racing to America, that created so much fun! This car is safe, affordable, easy-to-maintain and has a lot of features that make sure it stays affordable and easy to run. The car was designed around a set of Racing Slicks that were developed specifically for the Formula Race Car Club of America. The reason we used Slicks instead of radials is that the Slick is more affordable than a radial tire. A radial tire needs to be “shaved” to get the optimum performance out of the tire.
These Racing Slicks actually get faster with age.
The body design is smooth and clean in the air with nothing marring the aerodynamic design.
The tear off tabs, that are made from Aluminum T6, are used to fasten the suspension throughout the car. If a wheel takes an impact, the tear off tabs will break and the suspension will separate from the car. The chassis will not suffer; as the suspension, A arms, etc. are designed to remain intact. With this design, a driver can easily repair the car and continue to race.
Additionally, these tear off tabs makes it easy to maintain the chassis alignment. All the pick-up points, all the pivoting is done within the tear off tab. If any point were to become damaged, you need only to change the tear off tab. The alignment would return to BRAND-NEW.
SPEC ENGINE
The powerful Boxer engine developed for midget auto racing has been de-tuned and has a guarantee for replacement as long as there’s oil in the engine. It is a sealed engine and after the engine seems to be wearing down a replacement can be purchased for only $1,200.00.
The engine has two cooling systems! One forced air and one engine driven fan. This car can idle without overheating; this car can race without overheating.
The“OFFICE”
The cockpit has ample room to accommodate drivers from 5’2” to 6”3”. A manual lock out for the reverse gear of the transmission reduces transmission failures tremendously. This very simple device is very effective. The dashboard is plain and simple, easy to read, easy to get to as well as being mounted on rubber insulators to add to the longevity of the gauges. Additionally, it is equipped with a light that would flash if the oil pressure would drop too low. Most drivers don’t have the opportunity to see the instrument panel during cornering so if the light flashed, it would be an indication that they were having a little oil starvation in the corner.
Steering on this vehicle has very short steering arms. Consequently, the steering wheel can be changed from the standard 12” to 11” or 10” or even 8” but, of course, at that point the driver would have to be very, very precise. This customization option is available to help slow or speed the steering depending on the drivers’ requirements. The goal of the Banshee is have the driver comfortable in the “office”.
SAFETY ;
The master cylinder is not out in front of the bulkhead where it is in many other cars. If for some reason the front end were to get damaged on the vehicle, the master cylinder would remain intact, it would be extremely difficult to destroy the masters on this particular car and consequently, the driver would still have some kind of brakes to stop it from rolling into traffic and or danger. The reverse pendulum pedal was designed for ease of maintenance as well as safety. It also provides a much more comfortable pedal action. A swinging pedal from the top has proven to be much more efficient and effective than a pedal pivoting from the bottom.
CONVENIENCE;
The nose bracket also has a little cross brace in it and just to show the thought that’s been going into the vehicle, this is in case there’s a flat in the front -- instead of having to raise tow and swing the vehicle in on a tow truck; this can be easily lifted up by the driver/tow truck driver and placed on a tow ball. The car can be towed in as you would tow a streetcar and no damage would be incurred. These are the types of things that we’ve tried to think of as we designed the car.
The rear of the car has a push bumper so if the driver were to run out of gasoline or lose a coil or such -- again, instead of being pulled in with a rope he could just be pushed in with a tow truck or a van. This push bumper also acts as good protection for rear crashes, saving the transmission. Both front and back bumpers of the car are energy absorbing.
This kind of engineering has been put into the car because the designers of the car were also drivers and mechanics who’ve been working on formula cars since 1971. All of these improvements were just to make the driver and car owner have a lot less hassle in owning the car. The design also incorporates a unique feature that is based around whichever part you want to work on can be worked on directly. There is no need to remove anything else to work on whatever is the problem. This kind of extra thought is evident throughout the vehicle. From the roll cage that protects the driver to the dashboard that is mounted on rubber to the suspension pieces that are on tear off tabs, to the push and tow bumpers – nothing was left out. This completeness of engineering is due to the caliber of person working on this car. Real drivers and mechanics. To fix this car is relatively easy compared to any other formula car.
Finally, this chassis has been designed to EXPAND with a driver’s experience! With slight modifications -- front/rear wings can be added, rim size can be increased, side pods can be added AND a 200 horsepower engine can be installed on the exact same motor mounts. This combination promises to be an exciting, FAST car, aimed at the experienced driver .
Banshee-BTF-1600
What is a Banshee?.jpg)
The Banshee is a 1600cc Formula Spec Car designed for use as an entry level racecar which can be used for, Road Racing, Ovals, Hill climbs, Time trials or Solo events. The car was designed with safety in mind, plus some unusual features including extreme ease of repair.
- Master cylinders over the footbox instead of in front
- A rear Transmission Guard that doubles as a Push-bar
- Suspension parts that fit the left or right side
- Tear away tabs to secure all suspension components while protecting the main chassis
It has a replacement Program that allows the driver to exchange the engine at a very reasonable cost.
The Banshee is race-ready and available at a cost for less than other cars of its class.
For more information and pricing, contact Banshee Engineering at the FRCCA Headquarters 304-725-4644.
Banshee-BTF 1600 Specifications
Width of Cockpit at chassis-20” Height-39” at top of roll bar Weight Distribution-40% front/ 60% rear Fuel Tank- 5 gallon fuel cell Engine- Air-cooled opposed 4-cylinder Power- 110 HP, 117 ft/lbs. Of torque Starting Power- On board self-starter Clutch-LUK diaphragm spring Transmission-Modified production unit, 4 forward and 1 reverse gears. Chassis-Steel spaced tube frame Bodywork- Fiberglass and aluminum Steering- Rack and pinion Front Suspension-Pullrod, upper and lower wishbones, T-6 aluminum tear-off mountings, inboard coil/shock absorber units Rear Suspension- Direct action, outboard coil/shock absorber unit, T-6 aluminum tear-off mounts. Shock Absorbers and Springs-QA1 Brakes Four wheel discs, (Aluminum Wilwood calipers) Wheels-Steel 5.5” maximum Tires-FRCCA Spec Tires, 20.0x6x13 (front) 22.5x8x13 (rear).
Crash testing
The past racing seasons have found the design of the Banshee designed safety features tested three times during the races; The first test came as the driver was struck from the rear tire and turned over, three corners were torn off BUT the chassis was unhurt and all the preset A-arms, anti-roll bars, etc. were bolted on and the Banshee was ready for the next race. The second damage occurred early on a Saturday ripping off both front suspensions, Nose, etc. the Banshee was ready to race by 2:30 that afternoon. The third accident included the complete right side and again no chassis damage allowed us to simply bolt on the pre-set parts and go racing. While it is more fun to race then repair, you can feel confident that the crash will not end your season!