Getting a race licence

[Chris71]

Hi,

What's involved in getting a National B race licence? Is much preparation needed or can you just turn up for a one-day ARDS course and walk away with the application form?

Chris

[snailpace85]

You need to purchase a starter pack from the MSA

http://www.msauk.org/site/cms/contentviewarticle.a...

Watch the enclosed DVD - more than once! And proceed from there.

Scott

[andye30m3]

If I remember correctly

- Buy starter pack
- have a medical done by your GP
- recover from the shock of the price of 10minutes of you GP's time
- Attend ARDS test having watched DVD a few times, make sure you know the flags, If you've not spent a great deal of time on track it might be worth booking some time with an instructor before the ARDS. when I did mine at Goodwood you could either attend just the test or have an hour or so learning the track first.

[superkartracer]

Chris71 said:

Hi,

What's involved in getting a National B race licence? Is much preparation needed or can you just turn up for a one-day ARDS course and walk away with the application form?

Chris

About £400 then £££££ after this

HTH

[xr287]

When i did my test what was involved was.

- Having basic common sense to answer some multiple choice style questions
- Knowing all the flags
- Being able to drive a hatchback round the track at about 6/10s without crashing in to anything

Someone did actually fail when I did mine because they turned up without bothering to have learnt the flags! Obviously not that interested in motorsport!

[Chris71]

How much tuition is included in an ARDS course? Is it typically just a pass or fail test or do you get a certain amount of coaching bundled in?

[andye30m3]

Chris71 said:

How much tuition is included in an ARDS course? Is it typically just a pass or fail test or do you get a certain amount of coaching bundled in?

When I did mine at goodwood very little, 2 or 3 laps with the instructor giving you some pointers and the same again for the test, but more could be booked, which in hindsight would have been a good idea.

I expect this varies depending on where you do the test

[Gwagon111]

Chris71 said:

How much tuition is included in an ARDS course? Is it typically just a pass or fail test or do you get a certain amount of coaching bundled in?

There is rarely any coaching involved. You can do what's known as an ARDS plus, this costs a bit more but does include some track time with an instructor before the test. If you go for the ARDS plus, make sure you ask some pertinent questions of your instructor, for example "what do you do if your throttle jams wide open", just in case you're asked that question in the test . Like the others have said, make sure you know your flags and lights procedures, drive round without crashing, and make sure you have your medical done before you turn up for the test, and you'll be fine.

[The Wookie]

From another point of view, if my old man can pass one, then I suspect a colour blind mule would be able to

My ARDS (about 2005) was very, very easy, and everyone on the day passed... although it was with the Caterham Academy done in a batch at Combe, and when Dad did his at Goodwood he mentioned that a few had failed, so I suspect mine might have been more lenient than usual

[Jerry Can]

also remember the key thing about your ARDS is that it is a test of your talent! They are making sure you are talented enough to race other people. You must drive the training car as hard as possible. Extra points are awarded for best emergency start out of the pitlane, best locked up and running out of road moments, and also for muttering rude thoughts about the scantily clad totty that just hangs around the startline everyday.

[Chris71]

Jerry Can said:

also remember the key thing about your ARDS is that it is a test of your talent! They are making sure you are talented enough to race other people. You must drive the training car as hard as possible. Extra points are awarded for best emergency start out of the pitlane, best locked up and running out of road moments, and also for muttering rude thoughts about the scantily clad totty that just hangs around the startline everyday.

For sure... You always must blame the tyres, no?

Edited by Chris71 on Monday 17th January 13:17

[JMC1]

I took mine at Thruxton about thirteen years ago. I got my starter pack did my medical, my MSA video and book. Then I took some tuition a week before the test at Thruxton with Paul Coombes who was a great guy, he really was helpful as he understood that I was not there for a jolly day out but to actually learn something. Paul taught me a lot that day including showing me that I was not as brilliant as I thought I was and that I had still a lot to learn to race properly.

When I went back to Thruxton a week later for the ARDS test I had no problems really friendly bunch of guys running the course plus they appreciated that I had been out the week before with Paul Coombes and that I had learnt the track a little bit. I believe that I had an easier time that day than some of the others because I had been the week before and some of the others on the test had a hard time from the instructors / examiner including a few who failed. I was treated better than the others on the course including one of the instructors saying that I should not fail as I was one of Paul's pupils.

Hence I got my pass easy but then the learning began. So I recommend some instruction prior to the test at the same track that you are going to take the ARDS test. You must let them know that you are going to take the ARDS test otherwise you will be treated the same as those that are there for a jolly day out who go home believing that they are the next Senna. After your instruction day you may feel a little less confident in your skills but they are only trying to help you progress as a racer not just a track day jolly specialist.

I would not have missed it for the world so go and enjoy the process and I wish you a long and happy time racing in the future.

P.S. Once you have your National B licence you will need to collect your signatures to have it upgraded and one of these signatures can be gained by volunteering to be a track marshal just for one day. Again I did this on a cold Winters day at Silverstone which I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it from another perspective and would recommend it.

[Chris71]

Thanks. So is it usual to hire a car for both days or would you look to do the instruction (or even both parts) in your own track car?

Also, do you need a certain number of signatures a year to maintain the licence?

[Motorground]

[quote=Chris71]Thanks. So is it usual to hire a car for both days or would you look to do the instruction (or even both parts) in your own track car?

Also, do you need a certain number of signatures a year to maintain the licence?

Hi Chris,

Ards licensing has been clamped down over the years and the time of the instructor signing you off regardless has long gone. all A grade instructors are monitored to make sure they are correctly 'passing' or 'failing' clients.

I'm an 'A' grade instructor, if you've got any further questions I'd be happy to help