The latest in the long line of Crosslé Formula Ford 1600 cars, the 60F, rolled out of the factory, appropriately for an Irish built car just in time to take part in the St. Patricks day race meeting at Mondello Park. The works run car for Alan McGarrity (exactly similar to the other two models that were being raced that day), certainly had a baptism of fire.
After a misfire in practice due to a faulty coil, McGarrity was lucky to qualify from the back row of the '8' heat. Within six laps of the ten lap heat however, "Irelands 1984 Driver of the Year" had passed the other fifteen runners in the packed field of Formula Fords, to hit the front and easily win the '8' heat. This qualified young McGarrity for the sixth row in the final. His fraught day was far from over however, as in an effort to carve his way through the front runners he tangled with the veteran Tommy Reid. The new 60F mounted the back of Tommy's 55F and Reid was lucky to escape without injury when this years model ended up perched on top of last years.
The red flags were out immediately, and when the "mating" Crosslés were separated it was discovered that there was little damage to the 60F and McGarrity was allowed to start from the pit lane in the re-started final. After a titanic struggle he fought his way through the field again to finish third and gain important points in the Irish Motovox Championship.

THE 60F IN DETAIL
The 60F is the first model entirely designed by John Crosslé, for a number of years. It incorporates all the latest high technology Formula Ford features. As always however, there is no compromise to the traditional Crosslé standards of strength and safety.
The 60F has a forward driving position; pull rod suspension at the front; rocking lever arm suspension at the rear; and the engine and gearbox are used as stressed members. The prototype was extensively tested in England and Ireland before the 60F was put into final production. The new car has proved to be a considerable advance on the highly successful 55F model which won championships on both sides of the Irish Sea in 1984.

EASY TO MAINTAIN
Great attention has been paid to ease of maintenance in the design. Where achievable the solution to a design requirement is as simple as possible. This not only benefits the Club driver but also the general running costs for professional teams.
Accidents are inevitable in motor racing, therefore, it is important to design "crashability" into the car from the outset. The 60F has been built so that the less expensive parts break off on impact, usually without damage to the chassis. The most expensive part of all, the driver, however, is given prime consideration in the design, hence the Crosslé slogan -STRONG WINNERS.

BODYWORK
The body work has been designed in eight sections to provide first and foremost a sleek low frontal area of aerodynamic shape, strength of construction throughout, and easy access to all mechanical parts. The front nose cone (the most vulnerable part) is small and easy to replace. The rear "hood" section is a particular feature of the new design which allows quick access to the engine, should there be a problem. The fuel, oil, water and electrics are available to the engineer at the flick of two over-centre spring clips. The 60F's cleaner lines have given it considerable straight line advantage over the previous models.