Caterham Academy

[MichaelC]

I've just seen some advertising for this in a mag, and it looks like quite a good way into motor racing. At UKP 14000 for the car (A Caterham Roadsports) and the season, all entry fees and everything - and you get to keep the car at the end of the season - it looks like very good value, and that's cheaper than I could buy a new Caterham for on it's own!

Has anyone ever been in this, or even raced a Caterham at all? I'm tempted to do it just to get the car, but once I was there I'd doubtless be hooked and keep on racing anyway...

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by MichaelC
Has anyone ever been in this, or even raced a Caterham at all? I'm tempted to do it just to get the car, but once I was there I'd doubtless be hooked and keep on racing anyway...

Not me but your point about being hooked is valid. You won't want to stop and running the car on the road just won't be the same.

Go for it!!!

[AndyF]

This sounds to me as a great way to get involved. I believe that you get to run at Sprints, Hillclimbs and Race Meetings, giving you a chance to see which you prefer.

[MichaelC]

I believe you're right. I'm going to have to start training in order to make the weight limit though!!

[AndyF]

: Go for it!!

[RickP:Clio51]

Hate to be the note of caution but I have raced Caterhams...
(K Series, 1996 Championship)
I don't consider the racing to be safe enough although in the Academy (ie without big TV coverage) the racing might be less desperate.
Of the 4 of us in my team for 1996, 2 stopped racing after coming very close to dying at Castle Coombe (in the same accident, one of them spent 6 months recuperating. I gave up racing Caterhams at the start of the next season when someone broke their pelvis in a low speed shunt at Silverstone (exiting Woodcote). The fourth guy raced on and was sadly killed at Oulton Park last year.
I would buy a Super Coupe cup car: £3,000
Go to Race School (weeks course): £1,500
Entries for season (12 races): £2,400
Tyres (4 sets): £1,600
Bit of fuel etc, all numbers above approximate
Total Spend: £8,500 + damage
but car will still be worth £3,000.

Cars MUCH cheaper to repair than a Caterham (again you have to trust me on that, but easy to tweak a Caterham chassis and it has to be stripped, shipped, straightened, rebuilt)

IMHO

RickP:Clio51

[MichaelC]

Rick, thanks for that - I was hoping you'd have an opinion on this one. Perhaps I'll just buy a Caterham for road use instead.

[AndyF]

It seems as though the Caterham series and cars have a history of big accidents, two of which have, most unfortunately, been fatal, within the last two years. Saloons seem a much safer alternative - the Caterhams seems to fill a difficult void between Saloons and Single Seaters.

[Craig]

But if you look at the statistics, Mini Miglias must currently be one of the most dangerous formulae out there - and they have roofs...

Caterhams are huge fun to watch and, no doubt, huge fun to drive too. They remind me of Minis or Clios... I'd not let the sad loss of these two drivers put you off entering as it, like the Mini Miglias, seems to be just a freak statistical blip (and, no i'm not being disrespectful - I knew one of those who died...)

However, I WOULD listen to someone who's raced them - and knows a little bit about them... You may also like to take a look back through the archives of Rick's column on Parc Ferme with regard to the costs...!

If you do really want to take up racing, then the Super Coupe Cup, Stock Hatches, or Mighty Minis are an excellent place to start. If you're just looking for a cheap way to get your hands on a Caterham, buy a second hand one...!

[jonboyG]

Echoing what Rick said, I spoke to a friend of the family who races what he thought of the caterham series as a starting point and he also siad that the racing is dangerous - everyone thinks they're going to be the next WDC and drive like lunatics.

[RickP:Clio51]

The fundamental problem with Caterhams is that they give you the impression of being sat in a car, but the wheels are exposed like a single seater.
Also the chassis design (like that of the Minis) is very very old so you don't have the survivability that you do in a stock hatch or SuperCoupe car which have 30 years of crumple zone expertise added in...
Buy a Caterham for the road, go get a licence and rent a SuperCoupe car for the last couple of rounds to see if you like it! (My team Mark Fish always can source a SuperCoupe for rent on 01279 431628)
Regards
Rick

[AndyF]

Super Coupe's are a great way to get into racing, but it depends if you want to go along the saloon car route - there are plenty of other Sports and Single Seater classes out there which are good for the novice. The 750MC Classes offer great value too, but the saloon championships have a bit of a reputation for dodgy driving! Try the various schools around the circuits!

[Andy Roberts]

I did Super Coupe last year as my starting point into Cars. It cost me about £5k for half the season to hire the car from another team but make sure you have insurance! I don't think I came away from any race without at least one panel damaged!
It got to the point at one stage where I was rammed going in to Russel at Snetterton, spun sideways, drove into the passenger door and pushed sideway up the track to past the pitlane entrance!! Then 3 laps later as I was turning into the bomb hole the same driver who had overshot at the esses t-boned me in the drivers door that badly it bruised my arm and I couldn't turn the wheel properly because the door was in the way!!! I protested in and nothing was done despite the car being totalled!! Then at Silverstone my team mate had a Rover 216 go sideways, UPSIDE DOWN accross his bonet on the first lap exiting Copse!

Not pleasent memorys and I'm glad to be out of it. Good fun though if you don't mind a bit of rough driving at most races.

Not sure what its like this year though as I'm driving Formula Honda t the mo. Car was £8k to buy second hand and so far its only cost me £4k to run for the whole season and I'm second in the champs behind a guy who has spent £25k and is going to Manor FRenault 2000 next year! (

AndyR

[Stephen Green]

Andy and Rick make some very valid points. I marshalled at Brands for the Caterhams last weekend in which the Scholarship cars ran in the wet. Thankfully very few accidents, mostly spun and continued, but you should take their points about safety and costs.

My understanding is that this was the one and only 'track' race of the year, the others were hill climbs and sprints. I believe the costs also include a race suit and all entry fees, but you still have the other things to fund like helmet, gloves, underwear, balaclava, shoes etc etc.

I would have thought some of the 'tin top' series would be cheaper to run?