RE: Caterham Academy: Handling Day
Thursday 8th April 2010
The unnervingly long list of crosses says it all, really - this racing lark is just beginning to look a little bit serious. I'm in a car park on the edge of Silverstone waiting nervously as my little Seven undergoes a mock scrutineering, one of several activities that form the Caterham Academy's Handling Day.
It's also an alarming wake-up call - for me at least - as my abject failure in the scrutineering tests proves I have a long way to go before my car is race-ready. Of the long list of checks that Caterham Midlands boss Nick Potter (the man playing the role of chief scrutineer for the day) has to go through, only 'roll cage security' and 'taped handbrake' have a tick by them.
But the biggest issue of all is setting up the handling. As somebody who is, shall we say, not the most slight of fellows, the effect my ample behind has on the weight distribution of such a small car is quite alarming. Basically, the right rear corner of the car needs to be jacked up on its suspension quite dramatically in order to tip my weight forward towards the front wheels.
And so it proves - around the tighter turns of the cone courses that the Caterham guys have set up, the Seven simply wants to push wide, particularly around right-hand turns.
As for where I come in the pecking order for group two (the Academy is split into two mini series), There's a little work to do there, too - I'm sixth or seventh fastest after our timed runs on the 'big slalom' course at the end of the day, but still more than a second off the pace of fastest man (and keen PHer) Kurt Brady. At least that's a better performance than I managed in the scrutineering test...
Caterham Academy: Handling Day
A car park near Silverstone and some cones show how far Riggers still has to go
As well as going through the pain of the faux scrutineering, Handling Day gives us all a chance to do timed practice starts, and get a feel for the car over several different timed slalom courses. It's a chance for Academy participants (like myself) to gauge the strength of the competition.
I still need to sort out a bespoke race seat (the standard unit makes me sit too high), fit the crotch strap and arm restraints, the rain light, and the roll-cage padding. I also need to seal the boot floor, tape up the headlights and get my belts properly adjusted. Not much to do, then...
As it is, there is less weight over the nose, and that is going to lead to one thing that I'm already learning a Caterham Academy car is prone to do anyway: understeer.
It can be mitigated with judicious use of the brakes, or even with dab-of-oppo powerslides that would make Troy Queef proud, but my suspicion is that it will feel so much sharper when properly set up.
The Academy track day at Castle Combe less than a week from now will prove me right or wrong - it'll be the first time I get to try the car in 'race' trim.
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 A Seven with the rare cone attachment |
Discussion
Takes me back to my Academy year in 2003!
Flat flooring is absolutely essential, not least because it will allow you to brake as hard as possible without locking up one front wheel before the other.
Caterhams are also more sensitive to geometry than almost any other car and have their own peculiarities re what works.
I ended up with some toe-out on the front to help turn-in and overcome the inherent understeer caused by the Academy cars running no front anti-roll bar and the Avon Enviro ditchfinder tyres (I assume they still use those?).
Have fun; no experience on the planet matches being on the starting grid and seeing the 10 second board going up! (And say hi to Nick Potter from me, I kept his team very busy fixing my car...)
Flat flooring is absolutely essential, not least because it will allow you to brake as hard as possible without locking up one front wheel before the other.
Caterhams are also more sensitive to geometry than almost any other car and have their own peculiarities re what works.
I ended up with some toe-out on the front to help turn-in and overcome the inherent understeer caused by the Academy cars running no front anti-roll bar and the Avon Enviro ditchfinder tyres (I assume they still use those?).
Have fun; no experience on the planet matches being on the starting grid and seeing the 10 second board going up! (And say hi to Nick Potter from me, I kept his team very busy fixing my car...)
Godzilla said:
I ended up with some toe-out on the front to help turn-in and overcome the inherent understeer caused by the Academy cars running no front anti-roll bar and the Avon Enviro ditchfinder tyres (I assume they still use those?).
surely running no front anti roll bar is not going to cause understeer - if you added a front anti roll bar to an understeering car with no anti roll bar then you would just get more understeer.To cure understeer, use a stiffer rear anti roll bar or soften the front springs...
Edited by DangerousMike on Thursday 8th April 11:43
Riggers - you'll never get the car to feel "sharp" with CR322 tyres. What you might get is some balance.
Trying the red and orange roll bars will change the feel too. Almost everyone settles on the red, so if you don't have one of those yet, get Nick to sort you out with one at Castle Combe.
The trick is then to "hang on" in every corner using the fact that the car will slide to scrub some of the entry speed in fast corners. It's not purist track racing, but it looks good for the crowd (of friends and family).
And don't get too excited going over Avon Rise as it's not that far to the scene of the accident there!
Jez (Academy 2009)
Trying the red and orange roll bars will change the feel too. Almost everyone settles on the red, so if you don't have one of those yet, get Nick to sort you out with one at Castle Combe.
The trick is then to "hang on" in every corner using the fact that the car will slide to scrub some of the entry speed in fast corners. It's not purist track racing, but it looks good for the crowd (of friends and family).
And don't get too excited going over Avon Rise as it's not that far to the scene of the accident there!
Jez (Academy 2009)
DangerousMike said:
Godzilla said:
I ended up with some toe-out on the front to help turn-in and overcome the inherent understeer caused by the Academy cars running no front anti-roll bar and the Avon Enviro ditchfinder tyres (I assume they still use those?).
surely running no front anti roll bar is not going to cause understeer - if you added a front anti roll bar to an understeering car with no anti roll bar then you would just get more understeer.To cure understeer, use a stiffer rear anti roll bar or soften the front springs...
Edited by DangerousMike on Thursday 8th April 11:43
Roadsport B was a lot more fun the next year!
Thanks for all the advice, folks! 
Flat-flooring happens up at Caterham Midlands for me just before Combe, so we shall see if that makes any diference to the balance (i've no doubt it will...), although I'm sure there's much more time to be had from honing the driver rather than the car...
Flat-flooring happens up at Caterham Midlands for me just before Combe, so we shall see if that makes any diference to the balance (i've no doubt it will...), although I'm sure there's much more time to be had from honing the driver rather than the car...
Hi guys,
Are there any good driver experience days in the caterham's that allow you to get the cars sideways? I am not too bothered about getting a certificate or actually racing against either the clock or other drivers.
I have never drifted a car before and would benefit from the experience greatly I'm sure.
Are there any good driver experience days in the caterham's that allow you to get the cars sideways? I am not too bothered about getting a certificate or actually racing against either the clock or other drivers.
I have never drifted a car before and would benefit from the experience greatly I'm sure.
turbo-ww said:
turbo-ww said:
Have volunteered to assist with scrutineering tomorrow at Silverstone - Is that round 1 for you Riggers??
Answer, no - On parade were Roadsports A & B and the new supersports.Good job chaps!
First round is a sprint at Aintree this coming Saturday. We don't actually get to go racing until July. Before then it's sprints only.
Riggers said:
turbo-ww said:
turbo-ww said:
Have volunteered to assist with scrutineering tomorrow at Silverstone - Is that round 1 for you Riggers??
Answer, no - On parade were Roadsports A & B and the new supersports.Good job chaps!
First round is a sprint at Aintree this coming Saturday. We don't actually get to go racing until July. Before then it's sprints only.
Especially to the winner of the second supersports race who won it by a country mile - Spent a long time looking for the nitrous attachement but we never found it.
I'll be a Post Chief at Brands in August - Hope not to see you!!
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