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
introduced 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. Ex-Academy 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 Caterhams premier UK race series and
uses a fearsome 175bhp engine with sadev
sequential gear box, 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.
The owners club has its own sprint championship
which is the largest single make series of its kind in
the UK.
The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is responsible
for all forms of motorsport in the UK including all
the above, and in order to compete, a competition
licence must be held. To hold a '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 formed of 20 minute sessions in the
hour (for novice, intermediate and 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 which operates from Silverstone. This
is a perfect opportunity for Caterham and driving
enthusiasts to improve and hone their driving skills.
For more information either visit the Caterham
website on 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.
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