Caterham's crack team of instructors
Perhaps there's a masochistic streak in me of which I wasn't previously aware, or perhaps the PH fleet Caterham has just got properly under my skin, but last week I subjected myself to the sort of ordeal that sane, grown-up people simply shouldn't. And I rather enjoyed it.
I decided, in my infinite (lack of) wisdom, that it would be a fine idea to head to the recent PistonHeads Caterham drift school in the Caterham Academy car. After all, I was off to represent the PH editorial team at a Caterham-run reader event, so what better way to show solidarity to all concerned than to arrive at a PH/Caterham activity in a Caterham that's been raced in a series sponsored by the PH smiley itself?
'The reason Riggers was so rubbish was...'
It was a fine idea in theory. In practise, it also involved setting off for Silverstone in the dark on the first genuinely cold morning of the autumn, in a car with no heater (thank race regulations for that) and with cockpit noise levels on the painful side of unrefined (thank the whining differential for that). A fine winter motorway car the Caterham is not.
Still, with a warm coat, a scarf, a pair of gloves stuffed between the leading edge of the door and the roll cage (gets rid of an annoying draught to your face), and an iPod to drown out some of the worst excesses of mechanical noise, the little Academy Seven does keep you acceptably warm and comfortable. And amuses on slip roads and the roundaobuts of the A43.
The PH smiley, feeling a little left out
But I digress. I arrived at the PH drift school to greet PHers rather more sensible than myself, who had come in a variety of cars with roofs and heaters.
With the help of boiling caffeine-based drinks, we all kept warm while Caterham's instructors went over the finer points of the day, before splitting the paying PHers into two 'teams' to run parallel on a series of cone-based courses. As a 'blagging' PHer, I hung about until everybody else had had their fill, before sneaking a quick go.
Despite the cars being set up to drift without much provocation (they are fitted with a limited-slip diff, the rear end is jacked up and the front is made as soft as possible by the complete removal of the anti-roll bar), the skidding game is initially truly counter-intuitive - especially after a season spent trying to do the exact opposite on tracks around the country - but you soon get confidence in hanging the tail out.
The real trick is not in getting a slide going but in maintaining it, something that, with the help of Caterham's team of friendly instructors, the more flamboyant among the group were beginning to manage even before the lunch break.
The afternoon was spent on one 'giant slalom' course, invloving tight corners, wide corners and two donuts, with a 'scored' run at the end of the event. Points would be deducted for every cone hit and for every spin. Needless to say, having watched everybody else make a decent fist of things, yours truly got over ambitious when it came to my turn and, in attempting to flick gracefully from one armful of opposite lock to another, managed to spin, hit a cone and stall the engine. Perhaps I should stick to the racing...
A fine bunch of drifters (not that sort)
My incompetence notwithstanding, learning to smoke the tyres on a Caterham is a pretty addicitve experience. Sadly, my own Caterham's stiffer nose and open differential make it rather inappropriate for sliding about in - and there's a distinct lack of empty car parks round my way, so I can't attempt to improve my dubious skills.
It needn't be the same for you, however, as we've added another date with Caterham and Silverstone for your drifting enjoyment on Sunday 21st November (wrap up warm).
The day costs £225 per person and additional spectators can be added at the time of booking @ £10 (including lunch).
To book, call up the Caterham team on 01883 333700 and quote “PistonHeads drift school”. All customers who book on for the day will receive an information pack giving specific times, directions and additional information.