Caterham Racing

[RichW155]

Hi there all you Caterham owners.

First proper post on the forum.

I’m interested to find out a bit more on the various race classes available to Caterham owners.

I’ve been racing superkarts for around 10 years, love them to bits, although for various reasons have never yet managed to complete a full season!
I’m finding it harder to make the required weight to remain competitive and if I’m honest I just fancy a go at something a bit different.
So, I’m looking at Caterhams. My Dad had a L7 S4 when I was a kid and that keeps a special place in my heart.
I’d really like something I could potentially use on the road if I wanted, have the freedom to disappear off to a few midweek track days and generally have something that I can get more use out of than my finicky and needy garage full of superkarts.

I have a good trailer, so transport wouldn’t be an issue

[Kenty in Weardale]

Caterham Academy series?

You get a road legal car, race series etc for around £30k IIRC

[andy97]

CSCC Magnificent 7s - the class structure suits a wide range of power options and there is generally very good driving standards and good paddock camaraderie.

[justleanitupabit]

The Main Caterham specific choices are;

Caterham Motorsport - Starting with Academy - Official Manufacturer supported series.
Caterham Graduates
Toyo 7 Series

Seven 'style' Series
Mag 7s (CSCC Magnificent 7s)

I've possibly missed a couple but these are the ones that spring to mind

[HustleRussell]

I’ve only done Caterhams in Graduates but would recommend. You can get an eligible used car from a lower price point than Caterham motorsport and obviously much much cheaper than a new car (Academy) and run in a decent grid of technically identical cars. Driving standards are widely held to be better and it tends to attract down to earth people with sensible budgets.

[handyman 1417]

andy97 said:

CSCC Magnificent 7s - the class structure suits a wide range of power options and there is generally very good driving standards and good paddock camaraderie.

Good paddock camaraderie? A CSCC paddock is the only place I’ve ever had a car deliberately damaged and tampered with overnight. The officials couldn’t care less when presented with the evidence. Plus drivers briefings are like being at a school assembly!

[HustleRussell]

handyman 1417 said:

andy97 said:

CSCC Magnificent 7s - the class structure suits a wide range of power options and there is generally very good driving standards and good paddock camaraderie.

Good paddock camaraderie? A CSCC paddock is the only place I’ve ever had a car deliberately damaged and tampered with overnight. The officials couldn’t care less when presented with the evidence. Plus drivers briefings are like being at a school assembly!

Do you have reason to believe that it was someone associated with the CSCC who did it? Seems important to clarify.

Edited by HustleRussell on Thursday 30th September 12:59

[andy97]

handyman 1417 said:

andy97 said:

CSCC Magnificent 7s - the class structure suits a wide range of power options and there is generally very good driving standards and good paddock camaraderie.

Good paddock camaraderie? A CSCC paddock is the only place I’ve ever had a car deliberately damaged and tampered with overnight. The officials couldn’t care less when presented with the evidence. Plus drivers briefings are like being at a school assembly!

I am genuinely astonished by this and would be grateful for details of places, times and the people you spoke to so that I can pass this on. This is a very serious allegation and if you pass evidence on to me I will take it up with the committee as I have good links with several of them, along with the office staff. Thanks.
I can only say that I have raced with CSCC over about 15 years and have only have very good things to say about the club, as do many, many others.

[Fishy Dave]

handyman 1417 said:

andy97 said:

CSCC Magnificent 7s - the class structure suits a wide range of power options and there is generally very good driving standards and good paddock camaraderie.

Good paddock camaraderie? A CSCC paddock is the only place I’ve ever had a car deliberately damaged and tampered with overnight. The officials couldn’t care less when presented with the evidence. Plus drivers briefings are like being at a school assembly!

Hi,

It's David, CSCC Director, would you mind getting in touch please, either on 01225 810655 or [e-mail]. We are not aware of this in the CSCC office, it's a serious allegation that we would like to get to the bottom of. I have never heard of any kind of car tampering in the paddock in history of the club.
As for the drivers briefings, they have been reviewed and have changed post-Covid, however, the briefings are run by the Motorsport UK Clerks.

Best regards, David Smitheram

[RichW155]

Hi guys.
Thanks to one and all for the responses.
I appreciate your thoughts.

[handyman 1417]

Fishy Dave said:

Hi,

It's David, CSCC Director, would you mind getting in touch please, either on 01225 810655 or [e-mail]. We are not aware of this in the CSCC office, it's a serious allegation that we would like to get to the bottom of. I have never heard of any kind of car tampering in the paddock in history of the club.
As for the drivers briefings, they have been reviewed and have changed post-Covid, however, the briefings are run by the Motorsport UK Clerks.

Best regards, David Smitheram

It was at Thruxton on the 13th/14th August 2016. My car had been prepared for the Mag 7s race on Sunday by Leo’s Motorsport on the Saturday and parked outside my friends motor home overnight. It was immediately apparent on seeing the car first thing Sunday morning that the bonnet had been loosened, the air box fixings removed and taken away, leaving it to fall off when removing the bonnet, plus the clutch and brake master cylinder tops had been loosened, leaving the blue paper and tie wraps on the floor under the car. I reported the incident to the club director and was greeted with little more than a shrug of his shoulders words to the effect of “ I can’t imagine anyone would do that here”.

[Fishy Dave]

handyman 1417 said:

It was at Thruxton on the 13th/14th August 2016. My car had been prepared for the Mag 7s race on Sunday by Leo’s Motorsport on the Saturday and parked outside my friends motor home overnight. It was immediately apparent on seeing the car first thing Sunday morning that the bonnet had been loosened, the air box fixings removed and taken away, leaving it to fall off when removing the bonnet, plus the clutch and brake master cylinder tops had been loosened, leaving the blue paper and tie wraps on the floor under the car. I reported the incident to the club director and was greeted with little more than a shrug of his shoulders words to the effect of “ I can’t imagine anyone would do that here”.

Sorry for the delay in replying. That is bizarre, I'd not heard of this before and my co-Director (Hugo) can't recall it either, it should have been reported to an MSUK official on the day (either yourself or by whoever you spoke to). I can only apologise this happened, I've never heard of anything like this before. It almost sounds like someone was short of a spare part or two rather than sabotage? There are easier ways to nobble a car I'd have thought and to do so in such a way that it wouldn't be detected until later, when you'd reached assembly or the track?! Unless you'd made an enemy in the past I can't think why anyone would want to do this to a newish member.
I've personally been with the club for 9 seasons, in that time have seen tens of thousands of entries, aside from this have never encountered any kind of tampering.