Formula Junior
Cooper T56 Mk II

1961

price on request
now also listed on racecarsdirect.com

This Cooper Formula Junior was bought and raced new by the very successful Finnish racing driver Curt Lincoln. It was actively raced in both Formula Junior and Formula 3 classes in 1961-1967, first with the original BMC based Cooper engine and later with a Ford based one which it still has, also retaining the original ERSA Citroën based gearbox.

Recommissioned in the 1990’s by then owner Yrjö Amberla and last driven on display purposes by the last owner Robert Paulig in 2015 for a short video clip for Kauppalehti financial magazine, can be found in this article.

Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI (International Sporting Commission, the part of the FIA that then regulated motorsports). The class was intended to provide an entry level class where drivers could use inexpensive mechanical components from ordinary automobiles. The idea to form the new class came from Count Giovanni “Johnny” Lurani who saw the need of a class for single-seater racing cars where younger drivers could take their first steps.

The rules for the class required the cars to be powered by production-based engines with a maximum volume of 1,000 cc with a 360 kg car or 1,100 cc with a 400 kg car – in practice the latter was used in almost all successful FJs. Parts like engine block, head and cylinders had to come from a production car; single or twin overhead camshafts, limited slip differentials and modifications to the number of main bearings were all forbidden. The brakes and transmission also had to be production-based.

In Italy the popular Fiat 1100 engine was the obvious choice and in 1958 there were few other suitable engines in Italy. It was not long before Cooper started to produce a car similar to their contemporary F1/F2 thinking, later F3s and “bobtail” sports car fitted with BMC A-series engines. Also on the engine side, Keith Duckworth of Cosworth Engineering took an interest in Formula Junior and managed to get hold of two of the new engines to be used in the 1959 Ford Anglia. Lotus also came into the game with their Lotus 18, a simplified derivative of their Formula One and Formula Two chassis fitted with a 997 cc (60.8 cu in) Ford Anglia engine. Cooper and Lotus, with close links to their Grand Prix teams, soon came to dominate Formula Junior on an international level.

Because many cars and engines are still readily available, Formula Junior is now a popular category in historic racing.

The first season of Formula Junior was 1959, and already on the following year the class debuted in Finland in the Helsinki Eläintarha Races.
The following Finnish drivers had managed to get one; Carl-Otto Bremer, Seppo Rikkilä, Rauno Aaltonen, Leo I Mattila and Curt Lincoln, who won the race by some margin with his Cooper-BMC, the predecessor to the Cooper T56 offered here.

Lincoln was known for the latest and best gear, and for the 1961 season he acquired this Cooper T56. After a fierce battle with Carl-Otto Bremer he spun to a lawn and had to settle for seventh position in the Eläintarha Race in May.
Later in the season Lincoln raced in Falkenberg Sweden, and Leningrad USSR, as well as other international and domestic races, including some on winter ice tracks.
For the 1962 season Lincoln rented the car to Sweden, but it returned to Finland for the 1963 season. 1963-1967 it was raced by Panu Ignatius, Max Johanson, Seppo Nieminen and Juhani Elovaara.
By 1966 the car was modified for Formula 3 class.

Curt Lincoln (1918-2005) was born in Stockholm Sweden but represented Finland throughout his racing career.
His first race was Djurgårdsloppet in Stockholm in 1950, where his name cannot be found in the list of participants due to him driving under the name of his mechanic Erik Lindqvist -keeping the participation secret from his parents, until the following day at least!
Lincoln quickly became very successful in track events both in Finland and Sweden all through the 1950’s.
Among the “heroic stunts” was driving his Formula F3 in the Helsinki Eläintarhanajot for the whole last lap totally without brakes, and finishing third…
Arguably his main achievement was finishing fifth in Monaco with his Formula Junior in 1960. He was leading the race for five laps until passed by four drivers of factory teams.
Curt Lincoln finished his racing career after the 1963 season after a fatal accident that ended the Eläintarhanajot races forever.
He was actively involved in developing Finnish motorsports activities, and one of his main achievements was part leading and investing in building the Keimola race track in the greater Helsinki area.
From 1966 on the track was used for many important international races. Curt’s daughter Nina was later married with Jochen Rindt who was one of the many famous drivers to race in Keimola.
Lincoln couldn’t resist wearing the driver overalls a few more times, and even won the F3 Keimola race in 1967 at 49 years of age.
In total he drove in about 400 races, winning roughly half of them. In the Eläintarha races Lincoln took victories 14 times.
In addition to motor sports, Curt Lincoln represented Finland in tennis at the Davis Cup and achieved three national tennis championships.

VÄSTKUSTLOPPET (SKREABANAN) Sweden 5-6.8.1961
Curt Lincoln -did not finish

KANONLOPPET (GELLERÅSBANAN) KARLSKOGA Sweden 19-20.8.1961
Curt Lincoln 3rd

LENINGRAD GRAND PRIX USSR 8/1961
Curt Lincoln

AUTOBAHNSPINNERENNEN DRESDEN Germany 10.9.1961
Curt Lincoln  -did not qualify

ITÄHARJUNAJO TURKU Finland 10.9.1961
Curt Lincoln 1st

YYTERIN JÄÄRATA PORI Finland 4.2.1962
Curt Lincoln 1st

LOIMAAN JÄÄRATA Finland 18.2.1962
Curt Lincoln 1st

BUDAPEST (FERIHEGY AIRPORT) Hungary 6.5.1962
Curt Lincoln 1st

ELÄINTARHANAJO HELSINKI 13.5.1962
Olle Nygren (S) 1st

here the car is believed to have been fitted with the Ford based engine that it still has

JOKAMIEHEN JÄÄRATA HELSINKI 27.1.1963
Panu Ignatius

ELÄINTARHANAJO 19.5.1963
Panu Ignatius 9th

HIPPOKSEN MAARATA TAMPERE 20.10.1963
Panu Ignatius 3rd

RAUHANIEMEN SM-JÄÄRATA TAMPERE 2.2.1964
Panu Ignatius 1st

LOHJAN JÄÄRATA 15.3.1964
Panu Ignatius

MÄNTÄN MAARATA 26.9.1965
Seppo Nieminen 9th

SÄÄKSJÄRVEN JÄÄRATA 16.1.1966
Seppo Nieminen

HULAUSJÄRVEN JÄÄRATA LEMPÄÄLÄ 23.1.1966
Seppo Nieminen 5th

RAUHANIEMEN JÄÄRATA TAMPERE 30.1.1966
Seppo Nieminen 3rd

VANHANKAUPUNGINLAHDEN JÄÄRATA HELSINKI 6.2.1966
Seppo Nieminen 2nd

HAMINAN JÄÄRATA 13.2.1966
Seppo Nieminen 3rd

KOKEMÄENJOEN JÄÄRATA HARJAVALTA 20.2.1966
Seppo Nieminen 3rd

LAPINJÄRVEN JÄÄRATA LOVIISA 27.2.1966
Seppo Nieminen 2nd

KATUMAJÄRVEN JÄÄRATA HÄMEENLINNA 27.3.1966
Seppo Nieminen 1st

SADAN AUTON AJOT ARTUKAINEN TURKU 4-5.6.1966
Seppo Nieminen

latest at this point converted to comply with Formula 3 rules

HELSINGIN VAUHTIKISAT KEIMOLA 11-12.6.1966
Seppo Nieminen

OUNASVAARAN VAUHTIKISAT ROVANIEMI 26.6.1966
Seppo Nieminen 3rd

KEIMOLA 9.10.1966
Seppo Nieminen

HELSINGIN SUURAJOT KEIMOLA 28.5.1967
Juhani Elovaara

HÄMEENLINNAN AJOT 6.8.1967
Juhani Elovaara -did not finish

Located in Porvoo Finland, 30 mins from Helsinki Airport.
All viewings flexibly by appointment.

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