1984 Swift DB1 · Formula Ford

Swift
DB1#35

A restored Formula Ford with a livery rooted in Swift Race Cars history—and a new chapter on track with Mike Anderson.

The tribute liveryIndianapolis 2026
The car

Lightweight.
Pure. Precise.

The 1984 Swift DB1 is a landmark Formula Ford design: a car built around balance, momentum, and direct feedback. Mike’s #35 carries that character forward through vintage competition and careful preservation.

1984Model year
#35Race number
DB1Swift chassis
01284Chassis number
FFCompetition class
Honoring the beginning

A livery with a lineage.

The white, dark-navy, and teal scheme pays tribute to the first race car built by Swift Race Cars—the car driven by R.K. Smith.

This is the only livery this particular DB1 has worn. Its restrained colors and clean geometry connect the car’s present-day racing life to Swift’s earliest chapter.

The original car carried red highlights. Mike and his dad kept the design’s character, changing those accents to teal to make the tribute their own.

Swift origins

The car that changed Formula Ford.

Designer Dave Bruns set out to bring Formula 1 thinking to racers on a Formula Ford budget. The result was the DB1: low, narrow, stiff, aerodynamically clean, and immediately distinctive.

Swift Engineering’s history credits Alex Cross, R.K. Smith, Paul White, and Dave Bruns with creating Swift Cars to bring that vision to life. The original #35 and its team are the lineage behind Mike’s tribute.

Read the Swift DB1 history ↗
R.K. Smith driving Swift DB1 prototype chassis 001
Prototype chassis 001 · R.K. Smith at the wheel
Historic Swift team gathered with R.K. Smith's original number 35 DB1
The original #35 and the team behind Swift Cars
Historic photograph of R.K. Smith's original Swift DB1 number 35
R.K. Smith’s original DB1 · #35
Original redThe historic #35 supplied the form, layout, and red accent inspiration.
Mike’s tealThe restored car carries the same tribute language with a personal teal signature.
June 2026 · Indianapolis

Racing at
the Speedway.

Mike entered the #35 Swift DB1 in the FF class for the SVRA Racing America event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway—bringing this restored Formula Ford onto one of the most recognizable racing grounds in the world.

Mike Anderson's number 35 Swift DB1 in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway paddock
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Close view of the number 35 Swift DB1 beside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway entrance
The #35 at Indianapolis
Mike Anderson seated in the cockpit of his number 35 Swift DB1 at Indianapolis
Ready for the next session
Mike Anderson on the Indianapolis grid in the Swift DB1 with his dad and his son
Three generations on the grid · Indianapolis
The restoration

From green body
to race-winning #35.

The green bodywork shows how the DB1 looked when Mike and his dad first got it. What followed was a ground-up family project: stripping the car back, inspecting the chassis, rebuilding the mechanical pieces, and returning a landmark Formula Ford to competition.

As received

Start with the green car

The restoration began by documenting the DB1 in its original green bodywork and understanding exactly what the project required.

Rebuild

Take it down to the chassis

Mike and his dad worked through the car piece by piece—frame, suspension, drivetrain, controls, and every small detail needed for a safe return to the track.

Return

Finish the tribute and go racing

The rebuilt DB1 emerged in its white, dark-navy, and turquoise R.K. Smith tribute livery, ready to begin a new competition chapter as the #35.

Swift DB1 with green bodywork in the condition Mike Anderson received it
01As received · green bodywork
Original green Swift DB1 bodywork and cockpit before restoration
02Original cockpit and body
Mike Anderson's Swift DB1 during teardown in the workshop
03Teardown begins
Bare Swift DB1 tubular chassis during restoration
04Back to the bare frame
Close view of the Swift DB1 roll structure during restoration
05Frame and roll structure
Full-length view of the restored Swift DB1 chassis
06Chassis preparation
Front suspension and chassis assembly on the Swift DB1
07Front suspension assembly
Swift DB1 chassis and mechanical components during assembly
08Mechanical assembly
Front suspension and chassis detail on the Swift DB1
09Front suspension detail
Swift DB1 gearbox and drivetrain components during restoration
10Drivetrain preparation
Mike Anderson celebrating a Buttonwillow victory with family, a medal, checkered flag, and the restored Swift DB1 number 35
Buttonwillow Raceway Park

The first outing. The first win.

The freshly restored DB1’s first race weekend ended with a victory—an especially gratifying result after all the work Mike and his dad put into bringing the car back.

Buttonwillow was more than a successful debut. It was the moment the restoration became a race car again, surrounded by the family who shared the work and the journey.

The medal and checkered flag captured the result. The real reward was seeing the #35 return to the track and win on its first outing.

Mike Anderson driving the restored number 35 Swift DB1 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park
On track at Buttonwillow · AeroSport Photography
Checkered flag displayed in Mike Anderson's restored Swift DB1 after winning at Buttonwillow
A winning return
35
Honor the history. Restore the machine. Keep racing.
Mike Anderson Racing