1988 Van Diemen FF2000

Under the famed Pagoda, the ’88 Van Diemen FF2000 turned heads with its razor‑sharp, formula‑style silhouette slicing through the nine-turn, 1.35‑mile hillclimb course. Built for agility, the tube-frame chassis and fiberglass body—hallmarks of Van Diemen’s championship pedigree in Formula Ford and FF2000—were tuned for precise responses over every camber change and sweeping bend.

Behind the wheel, the car's high-revving 2.0‑liter Ford engine—mated to a sequential gearbox and stickier race tires—delivered explosive acceleration out of each corner. Its cut-and-thrust handling style allowed the driver to maintain momentum uphill, attacking the course’s technical sections with surgical control and minimal wheel spin.

Though geared toward shorter circuits, the Van Diemen translated its sharp-cornering capabilities into hillclimb success—its exhaust note reverberating through the forest as it climbed. While modern prototype cars set the overall pace, this ’88 FF2000 carved a mark in the Formula‑C/Formula‑FF2000 class, reminding everyone that lightweight, purpose-built race cars still own the turns—even on Pagoda Hill’s historic tarmac.

In a weekend filled with big machines, the Van Diemen’s pure, track-bred presence offered a thrilling contrast—proof that focus, finesse, and formula-car agility still make for spectacular hillclimb performance.