Budding racers should start here
Silverstone academy offers race scholarship
Silverstone circuit
The Scholar will win a 'free' drive for the full 2007 season - featuring six double-header race weekends - driving a Caterham Superlight C400, with full support from the championship winning team Hyperion Motorsport, in the reputable Caterham Superlight Challenge. All this, plus a programme of pre-season official race tests, adds up to a total prize value of more than £30,000.
Silverstone Motorsport Academy's ability for producing race winners is world-renowned. Its former graduates include drivers such as Alan Van de Merwe, the 2003 British F3 champion and former BAR Honda F1 test driver; Ben Clucas, the 2006 Australian F3 Champion; and Dan Clarke, Champ Car world series front runner.
Silverstone's selects its Scholar by asking participants undergo two days of driving, coaching and assessment, with advice and guidance from the UK's top instructors. This rigorous two-day format allows drivers to become familiar with the cars, circuits and activities, providing them with maximum opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in front of the instructors.
Those same instructors will then invite the drivers who display the most potential to return to Silverstone for a final assessment event, where the ultimate decision will be made as to which driver will win the scholarship.
The circuit's boss Richard Phillips said: "Silverstone is always looking at ways to support young drivers and introduce grass roots opportunities in the sport. Silverstone's Motorsport Academy provides a fantastic opportunity for drivers who want to take their first step towards becoming a racing driver, and we look forward to nurturing the talent of the next big names in motorsport."
So who can sign up? Well, as long as you're aged 16 years or over by 1 March 2007 and between 5ft 4ins and 6ft 3ins tall, you can take advantage of this superb opportunity. No race licence is required.
The price for entering the assessment is £1,250, which includes two days of coaching and assessment across ten activity areas, in a range of vehicles that include the Lotus Exige, a single seater race car, the Caterham 7 and the Audi A4 skid car. There is no additional charge for the drivers who are invited back to the final assessment.
There are three chances to enter, with sessions taking place on 16-17 December, 15-16 February and 10-11 March. The last chance to register is 1 March 2007.
Seems a lot of money for what it is.
Or am I missing something?
Chris
Just what I was thinking, I wonder how many people will fork out £1250 to be told their crap
I wonder how many people will be forking out £30,000 and NOT be told that they are crap... at the end of the day race teams need people with money to make a profit, they only need good drivers to make a name & bring new business.
You use the day(s) as a way of finding those people with the available finances to go racing... if you can afford £1250 then you can probably afford a full season and lo & behold all your potential 'leads' have actually come to your doorstep...
Amongst the 'entrants' there will be a damn good driver that has had to save hard to pay for the entrance fee, this is the kind of person that the race team want to actually race... why... cos they will win, and success breeds success for race teams!! If you want to go racing and are looking for a team, then who would you choose? The one who has the track record of wins... which isn't just down to preparing the car... it is down to talent...
... and someone has to pay for the £30k expenditure? If you enter the lottery then its every other person that is paying for the winners prize...
Not involved with the competition, before anyone thinks so :-)
Seems a lot of money for what it is.
Or am I missing something?
Chris
Just what I was thinking, I wonder how many people will fork out £1250 to be told their crap
In the 10 races and tests I have had at the Academy this year not one of the instructors has been anything but supportive.....they are kind helpful and skilled and helped me to improve no end
Never has any one of them ever said anything derogatory in any way
If I had the £1250 I would not hesitate to do it.
Even if I didnt make the cut, which I didnt in the end of year shootout to try and win a Frenault test, I still came away having learnt valuable insight and I would do it again in a flash.
and no I am not a poor rich kid...I just save out of my £18k a year so I can do these things
Instructors such as Tim Mullen, Rob Barff, Chris Alford, Paul Taft etc etc, the £1250 is worth it in the tuition you will get from these people alone.
Have to admit thinking this. Being 30 would seriously limit one's chances I think.
Very young with experience and rich parents.
Although this type of thing will make the orgainisers a profit, they are also very keen to ensure the winner goes on to bigger and better things (makes selling next years tickets that much easier). Having entered the Tim Sugden scholorship a few years back I was a little disappointed to learn that even though I was quickest on the day I was runner up to Rob Huff (current WTCC driver). Although he has obvious talent, he was also the right age with money and experience - having already won several championships. I was to old with no money and no experience and the bit of raw talent that I showed was not the finished article they were looking for.
My point is that unless you are young and have already had several years racing experience, with good results, then forget about it - or simply think of it as very expensive instruction.
Although I believe Ginetta now run a very similar scholorship that excludes people who have previously held a race licence.
There is an alternative, the Dunlop Race Academy. It is totally free, and so far has produced three promising race drivers and given eight drivers MSA licences after ARDS training and professional coaching. A further 19 drivers have received at least one day's intensive tuition on in the Dunlop Race Academy. See www.driversknow.co.uk
There is an alternative, the Dunlop Race Academy. It is totally free, and so far has produced three promising race drivers and given eight drivers MSA licences after ARDS training and professional coaching. A further 19 drivers have received at least one day's intensive tuition on in the Dunlop Race Academy. See www.driversknow.co.uk
The only problem with the Dunlop Academy is that you only get to do one race meeting. Regardless of how good you may be it is very difficult to prove anything in one meeting in a new car. Although the training and ARDS will no doubt prove useful, I think I would find it frustrating to only be given one meeting.
FYI - Formula Women is not realy a scholorship, the select few who are chosen have to find £10k for the 4 meetings and there is no longer a Max5 Scholorship the orgainisers now run the Ginetta Scholorship.
I quite agree, but isn't Tafty in a bath chair these days! I though he'd retired and was playing with old trials bikes or something similarly muddy.
Crash Alford will teach you all sorts of new words to describe the act of spinning, or generally losing it.
Tim and Rob are brilliant instructors. You forgot to mention Simon Mason too.
Instruction from people of this calibre is worth every penny.
I recall trying to flog one of my previous cars to a guy who was interested in starting racing. The car would have cost him 6K, it was competitive, and ready to go. Running costs were sub £3K per year including entries. I would have given him instruction at a couple of test days so he could learn how to get the best out of it, F.O.C. He decided not to, it was too expensive. And promptly bought a brand new Porsche GT3-RS to do trackdays.
I despair.
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