Track Use; Enjoying Track Days And Competing In Your Caterham Seven; Motorsport; Track Days - Caterham Seven Owner's Handbook Manual

Track use

Enjoying track days and competing in your
Caterham Seven.
Due to the difficulty - and illegality - of using the
Caterham Seven's full performance on the public
roads, many owners choose to use their cars in
competition events, such as circuit racing, sprints
and hill climbs, as well as non-competitive track
days.

Motorsport

As an introduction to Motorsport, Caterham Cars
launched the UK Academy series in 1995; a race
series exclusively for novice drivers in identical
Caterham machinery. The Academy package
comprises of the car and a complete multi-
discipline season taking the driver from total
novice, through the licence process and training,
on to becoming a bona fide race driver. It has
become the most successful programme of its
type in Europe, turning out more than 50 new
racers each year.
The success of the Academy has led to a
complete 'ladder' of Caterham Motorsport forming
in the UK to accommodate all.
drivers typically continue into the Roadsport
championship, a full race series tailored for the
newly experienced drivers, in the same car with
minor modifications. Tracksport follows with yet
further modifications and then Supersport with
further upgrades and modifications to the same
Academy vehicle. The Championships have been
designed to promote close and cost-effective
racing by virtue of the strict regulations and the
use of sealed engines.
Beyond Roadsport, Tracksport and Supersport,
which use the same Academy based cars, is the
Superlight R300 championship which uses its own
dedicated Superlight R300 model. The Superlight
R300 is Caterham's premier UK race series and
uses a fearsome 175bhp engine with a Sadev
sequential gearbox, coupled to a limited-slip
differential. It also has bespoke race suspension
and Avon ZZR tyres developed specifically for the
car to deliver phenomenal performance.
Caterham Sevens are also highly popular for
hillclimb and sprint events, from club to national
level. These events are run solely against the
clock, with one car on the course at a time divided
into a range of classes.
Ex-Academy
25
The owners club has its own sprint championship
which is the largest single make series of its kind
in the UK.
The Motor Sports
responsible for all forms of motorsport in the UK
including all the above, and in order to compete, a
competition licence must be held.
'speed' licence for hillclimb and sprint events you
only need to pay the relevant fee. For a race
licence however a one-day ARDS driving course
must be completed and you will need to pass a
medical examination with a doctor. Full details
can be obtained from the MSA or Caterham.

Track days

Track driving days give owners the opportunity to
experience all the performance and handling that
their car can deliver, in a safe and legal
environment. Days are generally operated by
Track Day Organisers (TDO's), companies that
specialise in hiring a circuit for a day, then selling
spaces to the general public. TDO's can be found
by contacting the circuits, or an internet search.
As the quality of service and time varies, word of
mouth recommendation is a valuable medium. A
day will either be formed of 20 minute sessions in
the hour (for novice,
experienced), or 'open-pit lane' which allows the
owner to take as much track time as they want. In
the latter case, we would recommend no more
than 20 minutes at a time as personal fatigue can
set in and concentration wander. Remember to
drink plenty of fluids.
If you would like to partake in a track or
experience day in a Caterham other than you own
then we have just the solution. We offer a factory
Caterham Experience
Silverstone. This is a perfect opportunity for
Caterham and driving enthusiasts to improve and
hone their driving skills. For more information
either visit the
www.caterhamcars.com or speak to your local
Caterham representative.
The Caterham Seven is ideally suited to track
days and it can be almost guaranteed that there
will be a Caterham at every single day! The light
weight and race bred design means that the car
can be driven to the circuit, used all day and
driven home with complete confidence. These
same qualities mean that Caterhams are typically
quicker than most cars on circuit, including much
more powerful exotica.
Association (MSA)
To hold a
intermediate
which operates from
Caterham website
is
and
on