RJ Wiggins MotoSport

08/29/2026

A day of learning at Carolina Motorsports Park. 🏁

I made the trip to CMP today for the Formula Race Promotions weekend with a pretty simple goal: learn.

We’re focused heavily on vintage Formula Ford right now, but I wanted to see firsthand what the next generations of formula racing look like—F1600, F2000 and Atlantic—and today certainly delivered.

Everything about it felt next level.

Faster cars. More sophisticated equipment. Larger crews. Huge mechanical differences. And some absolutely fascinating engineering. Walking through the paddock and getting a close look at these later-generation formula cars really shows how much the technology evolved while still retaining that basic open-wheel racing DNA.

One of the best parts of the day, though, was the people.

I had the opportunity to meet and spend some time talking with a race team from Canada, another from New Jersey, and one of the FRP officials who lives near Carolina Motorsports Park. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and willing to answer questions and share some of their experience.

I also had an unexpected opportunity when one of the crew chiefs invited me to be involved while his team replaced the clutch on a Honda-powered F1600.

That was an education all by itself.

At one point they ran into a little difficulty and I thought about offering a hand, but quickly realized they had a solid crew and knew exactly what they were doing. My best contribution at that point was to stay out of their way, watch and learn.

About 45 minutes later, the clutch was changed and the car was going back together. Very impressive.

That’s really why I came down here.

I’m learning that if we’re serious about building RJ Wiggins MotoSport, sometimes the most valuable thing I can do is put myself around people who know more than I do, ask questions, watch how successful teams operate and keep an open mind.

And interestingly, seeing all of this modern engineering gave me an even greater appreciation for the simplicity of the vintage Formula Fords we’re working with. You can almost see the evolution right in front of you—from the simple, mechanical Formula Ford concept to F1600, then into the increasingly sophisticated F2000 and Atlantic cars.

Lots of photos and video from today because there was simply too much interesting stuff not to share.

Thanks to everyone who took a few minutes to talk with me today. You never know what one conversation in a paddock might teach you—or where it might lead.

We came to learn. Mission accomplished.

08/28/2026

Another piece of the RJ Wiggins MotoSport program coming together. 🏁

We’re adding an AiM Solo 2 DL data logging system to the Formula Ford program, giving us the ability to start collecting real track data and better understand both the car and driver as we develop the program.

A big thank you to Justin Jang at Veracity Racing Data for taking the extra time to work through the options with me and getting our initial order together before heading out on vacation. I’m still learning the data acquisition side of racing, and Justin took the time to answer questions, explain the different options, and help us put together a system we can build on as our needs grow.

That kind of customer service is greatly appreciated.

If you’re looking for racing data acquisition equipment or technical guidance, check out Veracity Racing Data at the link below.

https://veracitydata.com

One more step toward getting RJ Wiggins MotoSport on track and gathering some real-world data. 🏎️📊

08/28/2026

Heading to Kershaw tomorrow morning! 🏁

I’m making the trip down to Carolina Motorsports Park for the Formula Race Promotions weekend, but this trip is as much about learning as it is watching racing.

We’ve spent a lot of time learning Formula Ford and building the foundation of RJ Wiggins MotoSport. Now I want to start understanding what comes next.

This weekend gives me an opportunity to see F1600, F2000 and Atlantic all running at the same event — to look at the differences in the cars, performance, costs, team operations and what it takes to move up through the open-wheel ranks.

I’m especially interested in seeing where F1600 fits between the Formula Ford world we’re entering and the faster, more advanced F2000 and Atlantic cars.

No plans to skip any steps. I just believe that if we’re serious about building something for the future, we need to understand where the different paths can lead.

Tomorrow is another learning day. 🏁

08/22/2026

From a bag of beads and resin to a custom-molded Formula Ford seat. 🏁

A few hours ago, this was just a BSCI seat kit. Now it’s a seat molded specifically to Jet and the cockpit of our 1978 Van Diemen.

Jet mixed and formed the seat in his air-conditioned shop, allowing the material to conform around his body and establish the driving position we’ll use in the car. Once everything cured, the entire seat came out as one piece.

Next comes the final fitting and trimming, checking pedal reach, steering clearance, harness routing and helmet/roll-hoop clearance before we call it finished.

It may not be the most glamorous part of preparing a race car, but driver fit and safety are every bit as important as horsepower.

Another item coming off the preparation list as we get closer to Carolina Motorsports Park in September.

Restore. Race. Preserve.

08/22/2026

The Van Diemen is headed home with Jet today — but not for a joyride. 🏁

Next project: fitting Jet’s custom seat.

With these vintage Formula Fords, sometimes there isn’t exactly a seat you slide forward and backward. We’re using a BSCI bead-and-resin seat kit that will be mixed and formed directly around Jet in the cockpit, giving him a properly fitted driving position and support.

Since temperature matters during the mixing and curing process, Jet is taking the car to his air-conditioned shop so we can control the conditions and take his time getting the fit right.

We’re getting down to the final preparation for our September race weekend at Carolina Motorsports Park. At this point it’s all about working through the details — driver fit, safety equipment, reliability and the dozens of little things that need to be right before the car rolls onto the track.

Another important box getting checked. CMP is getting close.

Restore. Race. Preserve.

08/22/2026

A little damp this morning, but the rain wasn’t enough to slow down a great Cars & Coffee in Lillington!

Really enjoyed getting the Porsche out, checking out some incredible cars, and spending the morning with people who share the same appreciation for all things automotive. A big thank you to for hosting and putting together a great event. We’ll definitely be back!

🏁 RJ Wiggins MotoSport

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

Expired… but definitely not empty. 🧯💨

The old fire bottle from the Van Diemen was expired and due for replacement, so before retiring it, we safely discharged it.

Pull the pin… and about 20 feet later, we got a pretty good reminder of just how much punch these little bottles have.

Five seconds of video. Twenty feet of spray. One expired fire bottle officially retired. 🏁

08/18/2026

New shoes for the Van Diemen! 🏁

Another big step toward getting our 1978 Van Diemen Formula Ford back on track — a brand-new set of Hoosier racing tires, professionally mounted, balanced and fitted with new valve stems.

We learned something along the way, too. With vintage racing wheels, every wheel/tire assembly can behave a little differently. Some required more balancing weight than others, so we’re paying attention to which assemblies are best suited for the front and rear and establishing a baseline for the car going forward.

That’s becoming a big part of this project: don’t just replace parts — understand the car.

Fresh Hoosiers mounted. Wheels balanced. New valve stems. Installed and ready.

One more step closer to putting this piece of Formula Ford history back where it belongs. 🏎️💨