Classic Ford: So when and why did you get into the classic Ford scene?
Kevin Jenkins: “I started with an Anglia 105E in 1982. This was followed by a MkII Cortina which had a hurried auto ‘box conversion so that Ali, who’s now my wife, could learn to drive after I picked up a ban.
“The first classic Ford I drag raced was ‘Mr Six’, an Essex V6-powered MkI Escort that I built in 1984 and which ran 13-second quarters with the help of slicks and a bit of gas. At the time, choosing Fords was obvious as they just seemed so available and I never really considered anything else.”

CF: You’ve been into classic Fords for over 25 years, what’s the appeal?
KJ: “I’ve found them easy to work on, but what’s appealing is the support that the cars enjoy. “So many people appreciate them and it’s hard to imagine a more friendly or enthusiastic bunch, especially when you’re racing. In the past I’ve done karting and sprinting, but everyone pretty much kept themselves to themselves and the atmosphere was a bit odd, it just didn’t feel like there was much camaraderie.”

CF: How has the scene changed over the years?
KJ: “The quarter-mile times have got a whole lot quicker! I was out of it for eight years before I built my current Escort and the cars are now so much faster. “There’s a much bigger following too and classic Fords now have a really high profile thanks to the dedicated magazines. The advent of the Internet has also been a major factor, highlighting the availability of cars and spares and the rise of dedicated classic Ford websites like Old Skool Ford.

CF: What are its best and worst aspects?
KJ: “The people make the scene, in the main being friendly and quick to offer advice. We have made a lot of new friends through owning a classic Ford that we wouldn’t normally have associated with!
“On the downside, theft is always a risk, and like quite a few classic Ford owners down my way, I’ve recently had a knock on the door from a chap who’s thought to be up to no good. It’s always been a problem though, it’s just that when anything does go missing it’s now a lot easier to spread the word.”

CF: Out of all the memories, what’s the highlight of your time with classic Fords?
KJ: “I’ve raced quicker Fords but I’ve had the most fun with this Escort. Most of the others have had Powerglide transmissions but this one’s running a five-speed manual and you really have to drive it — when you’re out of shape and trying to shift it’s a bit of a handful. “Competing in the Rover V8 Challenge was really good, both in terms of racing and the banter and startline wind ups. I’ll always remember going head-to-head with Steve Green’s Cortina, Ian Hampstead’s Escort and Paula Atkin’s 100E. One race with Ian was a particularly good laugh. “Budweiser was sponsoring the Round and we’d been given a crate of beer when we signed on. The night before the main event we’d all had a couple and started talking about racing. Ian mentioned that he got quite nervous when it came to staging and his leg would start shaking
if it went on too long. The next day, I left him in stage for as long as I could...
“On the road, Chelsea was always fun and it was good to get along to the recent reunion on the bridge.”

CF: And your lowest point?
KJ: “Wrapping my MkI Mexico round a tree! “Back in the day, getting invited to race by a promoter and then being stuck in some shoddy pits was pretty grim. Although I took a break when my son Kieran was born, I’ve never considered selling up and calling it a day, or swapping to another marque .”