The collaborative efforts and deep-flowing passions of family-run Team Hadfield Motorsport have turned this feisty modified Ford Puma into proper race royalty.
Collaboration and cooperation. They’re the linchpins here, the essential ingredients in this recipe for success, and they’ve been coursing through the very bedrock of the Puma from the start. You may recall that when this perky little Fiesta-based coupe launched back in 1997 it was available with a variety of engines, and the one everyone really wanted was the 1.7.
Why? Because that particular variant of the Zetec-SE was a little bit special. Unlike the 1.4 and 1.6 in the range, the 1.7 started life as a rough-machined bare block in Ford’s Valencia plant before being shipped over to Yamaha’s HQ in Iwata where it was kitted out with Nikasil liners and a sprinkling of Japanese tuning magic, then returning to Europe – this time ending up in Cologne for final assembly.
Yamaha motor
There’s a reason why every Mk4/5 Fiesta owner through the 2000s wanted to drop a Yamaha-tweaked Ford Puma motor under their bonne. In the absence of a rapid factory Fiesta of that generation, the feisty 1.7 could create the hot hatch that Ford never did. And it wasn’t just about the 123bhp headline figure – there was something about the way these things rev that made them peculiarly addictive.
Of course, not all of these engines found themselves pillaged and rehomed. Some of them stayed just where the good Ford intended, between the inner wings of slinky and sylph-like Pumas. Tuning options abounded, not least in-house (and with the help of Tickford) for the brutal wide-bodied Racing Puma model. And speaking of racing… well, the evidence is before you right here that a narrow-body 1.7 Puma can be turned into a formidable and nigh-on unbeatable race car, even after all these years have passed.
Building the modified Ford Puma race car
Returning to the notions of collaboration and cooperation, that’s precisely what we find underpinning the genesis and evolution of this vivid red rocket. It’s a family affair, born as much of love and passion as a keenness to scoop plentiful silverware and stand proudly atop the podium.
All of this has been building up for some time for Kevan Hadfield. “Having started racing years ago in classic rear-wheel-drive Triumphs, moving to the front-wheel-drive Puma was unknown territory,” he admits. “But having two car-mad sons, Mark and Shaun, who do all the work on the car made things easier – especially as Mark had already been racing his own Puma, and now knows them inside-out.”
These circuit-centric hijinks are no frivolous endeavour for the Hadfields; indeed, this is very serious business for the family. Team Hadfield Motorsport has been competing in racing for nigh-on a quarter of a century, and as well as prepping and campaigning their own race cars, the outfit also offers services to the general populace including restoration, race and road car prep, corporate track days, branding (including logo and web design) and much more besides – with a particular specialism in the Puma, which makes the acquisition of this car all the more logical. Team Hadfield Motorsport bought this car around eight years ago as a Puma Cup-spec machine. That particular set of race regs allowed only minor deviations from factory specifications, with the lion’s share of the mods being the logical and necessary safety upgrades required for racing.
Upping the ante
“After a couple of seasons with the Puma, we decided to move to a different series that allowed us to modify the car,” Kevan explains. “As a family we have been racing cars for so many years that the urge to make the Puma faster was always going to be there. We made mild modifications to it at first, before it evolved to become the car you see today; a move to the Modified Fords racing series allowed us to really push the development of it due to their rules and class structure.
We are a family team, with my son Shaun doing the bodywork and modifications, and my other son Mark doing the mechanical side, building the engine and gearbox. It’s a full family affair at race weekends too, with Shaun’s daughter Imogen joining us to help out where she can. My wife Liz and Shaun’s wife Vic make most race weekends, and Mark also races with me in his Pumas and Fiesta. In 2023 Shaun took the step from mechanic to driver by buying his very own race car, so all three of us will be on track at the same time in 2024, which will be a very special moment for me.”
Performance upgrades on the modified Ford Puma
Naturally, while it’s all infused with familial camaraderie, there’s a competitive edge underpinning it all, as is the wont and remit of any seasoned racer… so while it will undoubtedly be special and thrilling for Kevan to have his boys on the grid beside him, he’s not going to be letting them win, is he? And with the hardcore manner in which this Puma has been prepped, he’ll be in a very strong position to leave them in his dust – after all, there are very few narrow-bodied and VCT-engined Pumas with quite the potency and agility of this one.
Under the bonnet, the hot 1.7 has been amped up to a raucous 180bhp thanks to Team Hadfield Motorsport’s own spec of Newman PH4 cam, along with a whole bunch of head work and a fully balanced bottom end. The Jenvey 42mm direct-to-head throttle bodies and custom exhaust system ensure that efficiency is maximised (and there are pleasing noises emanating from both ends), and the transmission is a custom Team Hadfield job too, working with a Quaife LSD. The restored shell has been substantially lightened and treated to some effective aero tweaks, while the chassis is ineffably balletic thanks to the conversion to GAZ Gold coilovers, Hi-Spec front brakes and an ST150 rear disc conversion, and all sorts of adjustability throughout to ensure suitability to any given track.
On track incidents
“We enjoyed great success in the 2022 season with the Modified Fords by claiming the overall series win, and Mark claiming second-in-class behind me and third overall in the series,” says Kevan. “We had great results and reliability, which was testament to my sons’ tireless work providing me with a great car to race. In that season the Puma had nineteen races and finished all but one, which leads us to the current spec of car.
Unfortunately in the last race at Brands Hatch I was caught up in an accident that heavily damaged the front end and rear quarter; I thought my weekend was over, but thanks to a massive effort by the team they managed to straighten the car overnight and allow me to finish the season on track and take the overall series win. Over the course of the following ten months, Shaun worked tirelessly in his spare time to rebuild the car better than ever and do a whole host of improvements ready for the 2024 season. I can’t thank him enough for his herculean efforts and the car is everything I wanted it to be and more! We are very much looking forward to this year’s racing, and I’m so excited to have both sons on track with me.”
Conclusion
Indeed, it all comes back to those crucial elements of collaboration and cooperation. It’s the inherent competitiveness that keeps it spicy, but what makes all of this work so effectively is the all-in-it-together camaraderie of a family keenly focused on shared goals and ambitions. It’s certainly going to be a lot of fun watching them out on track this year.
Photos Ade Brannan.
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