cheapest way to go racing in a catreham

[david500]

Guys,

can you please help.

I want to go racing in 2007 in a caterham. I have never been racing before. Is my only option to sign up to the Caterham Academy and pay for a new car (about £20k I think)? or are there other options where I can use a secondhand and therefore cheaper car?

I live in south london and have a double garage to keep my car/trailer. If that makes any difference.

thanks in advance for the advice.

cheers

David

[casbar]

I think you'll find the Accademy is already booked up for 2007, you could try 2008

[James.S]

I would be surprised if they turned you down for the academy, speak to Nick Potter at Caterham Midlands.

If you are desperate to go racing you can go to the Grads, www.graduates.org

Academy drivers are quicker though

[Mikeww]

Caterham Graduates is the way to go for friendly, close, cost effective racing. Follow the link from James posting. Oh and Academy drivers are only ever quicker when they are on CR500's in the wet and Grads are on A048's

[peter-2006]

The academy is the best place to start. All licences and entry fees paid for you so all you have to think about is getting to the events and booking testing. Also if you can get into the '07 academy(which you will) you get 1 sprint, 1 Hillclimb and then 5 races including the Donnington Festival in June. Probably will be the only year that gets this many races.

Ring up Nick Potter at Caterham Midlands and sign up you won't regret it.

[James.S]

Sorry

I should have made it clear that in the dry I was only quicker than some of the megas, where as in the wet I was the fastest.

Arnt the megas the ones with 30more horses

Academy& Raodsports is definatly quicker and closer......

Seriously though doesnt matter where you go as there is very little racing as competative as Caterhams. If you are quick in Roadsports you will be quick in Grads and viceversa.

Our cars do look nicer though

[tortoise]

Roadsport B - secondhand academy car plus a couple of mods or even just a second hand Roadsports car and you're away. Probably not a whole lot cheaper than Academy by the time you add all the entry fees though! Call Nick Potter at Caterham Midlands and he'll tell you what's available or check out the graduates site for secondhand bargains.

Graduates do several decent series as well, probably just depends on which series timetable suits you better.

Edited by tortoise on Thursday 14th December 13:13

Edited by tortoise on Thursday 14th December 13:14

[darth_pies]

One thing to remember is that Caterham effectively include the race entry fees and license test free with an Academy car to get you into the sport.....plus the car is actually cheaper than just buying a brand new Roadsport of equivalent spec. They subsidise it because they know you will love it and probably keep racing 7's! The only way it doesn't work is if you sell the car at the end of the first season which gives you the biggest hit on depreciation.

[mechsympathy]

tortoise said:

Graduates do several decent series as well, probably just depends on which series timetable suits you better.

Classic grads (in a 90s Vauxhall powered car) is probably the cheapest way in. They should go for £7/8k. You then have ARDS, clothing and race fees to sort.

[Simon Mason]

Personaly I would suggest, either Grads as James says or Roadsport B as the best starting point if you can. Plenty of decent second hand cars around and frankly theres nothing like just getting stuck straight into racing. Both series have their strengths.

Slightly controversial considering what I do, but the only advantage I can see with starting in the Academy is that you have a nice new car (which I have to say is a good thing) but by 2008 you will have to spend extra wedge on it to race again, so might as well start in the above with a car thats had the money spent already.

Which ever route you take you will have a laugh. Caterham race series seem to attract some very interesting people.

[h_____]

Again - if you are after the cheapest then Classic Grads is the way to go. Joining fees for the club are waived this year. check on the website, and ask on the forum. You can pick up a classic grad for around 7k, racing is probably one of the cheapest. Its a club atmosphere which makes it. The social side of grads makes it a real community. The club is run by drivers, which helps keep costs down. For example we run on cheaper tyres, cheaper exhausts, and regs dont enforce the latest gizmo out from Caterham.

As for who is faster? Plenty of decent drivers been through both series, I guess the guys of the moment will always claim their series is faster. There isnt much in it either way. Grads calendar is just out if you want to know where we are going.

[SimonY]

Personally I would go for either Supergrads or Roadsport B with a second hand K-series car (if you have decided against the Academy). Costs are broadly similar so your best bet is to choose based on the calendars, Grads is more suitable if you want real 'club' racing. Even though the cars are cheaper in Classic Grads I would have serious concerns about the size of the grids and therefore the longevity of the series (although there is a commitment to at least run it until 2009). A K-series car would give you more scope for future progression to the faster Mega-Grads or Roadsports Inter etc.

[SimonY]

And as it can appear quite confusing, the series are structured as follows:

*Official Caterham series*

> Academy (120bhp K-series, hard tyres)

> Roadsport B (+ stickier Avon CR500 tyres)

> Roadsport Inter (+ widetrack suspension, - screen and lights)

> Roadsports new series 2008 (+ engine & maybe gearbox upgrade)

> Superlights, Eurocup & CSR masters (if you're particularly rich)


*Graduates series*

> Classic Grads (100bhp Ford & Vauxhall, ex pre-2001 Academy)

> Supergrads (120bhp K-series, Academy + stickier Yoko tyres)

> Megagrads (+ '150'bhp engine upgrade, + widetrack suspension, + gearbox upgrade)


Roadsport B can be considered equivalent to Supergrads, Roadsport Inter to Megagrads. The 'Inter' name has been dropped from Roadsports but it does help avoid confusion.

[fcat]

Hi,

Academy & graduates are both excellent. Also don't ignore clubs like SEMSEC who run at Lydden & Brands. Some good mixed class racing and geographically good for South London - i.e. one day racing, no over-night stay required. www.semsec.org.uk

Also if you want to get/have got a caterham, then join the Lotus & Caterham club (L7C) and get access to the BlatChat forum - very active and full of good tech advice www.blatchat.com

Whatever you do, you will love racing, it is great fun and hugely addictive !

regards
Nigel

[fcat]

SimonY said:

> Superlights, Eurocup & CSR masters (if you're particularly rich)

Nah, I did the CSR Masters last year and I can assure you that I'm very poor [now].

[kinetic]

FCAT

So out of curiosity what could I expect to spend on a season in Caterham Masters / Eurocup?

I've been racing a motorsport elise in Mid engined sports cars series but looking for something with more of a 'level playing field' but I don't want to bankrupt myself!

[andy97]

Don't forget that the 750mc also run a series for 7s on a multiple class basis.

[fcat]

kinetic,

there are two golden rules in motorsport:
1 - Never, ever add up the cost, it won't improve your life.
2 - If you break rule 1, never give that figure to 'er indoors as that would probably end your life


On that basis I don't have an accurate breakdown in my head, but order of magnitude £25k-£30k for Masters and a bit less for Eurocup. The CSR's run on slicks in the Masters which adds up, the Eurocup boys & girls use CR500's which last quite well. Alot depends on the extent to which you support yourself or rely on a team to do all the work. This coming season, both series are sort of combined and the intention is to encourage teams of two drivers in both which spreads the costs.

Happy to talk details if you want more info but I'm probably too lazy to type it all here ! email me on njb at pipex dot dial dot com

[Dan Friel]

Info on the 750MC series can be found here: www.750mc.co.uk/

I believe that the regs are being altered so to be able to accommodate as many difference types of caterham as possible.

[sfaulds]

[quote]I believe that the regs are being altered so to be able to accommodate as many difference types of caterham as possible.[/quote]

That just about sums up the 750 series - you just need the proviso "unless you're an 'outsider', in which case the regs will be altered to make sure you go away and stay away."