Silverstone ARDS day

[Senna4ever]

Hi, i've got an upcoming ARDS day at Silverstone, its the full day course not the half day one. I was just wanting to hear from other members that have completed this course and would like to know what to expect, what cars there is to drive, the helpfullness of the instructors, what to expect from the written test ect and anything else i may find helpful.

Thanks in advance.

[juliann]

Senna4ever said:

Hi, i've got an upcoming ARDS day at Silverstone, its the full day course not the half day one. I was just wanting to hear from other members that have completed this course and would like to know what to expect, what cars there is to drive, the helpfullness of the instructors, what to expect from the written test ect and anything else i may find helpful. Thanks in advance.

Can't help with the Silverstone course but as far as the written test is concerned -

Know your flags
Watch the video a few times to pick up on some of the safety messages (e.g. what to do if your car catches fire)
Avoid wetting yourself with laughter if you get the "What do you do if you drop your helmet" question.

ref the driving part - concentrate on driving smootly and following the line don't worry about speed, and remember to signal back into the pits and pit lane discipline.

[AndrewD]

Silverstone appear to pride themselves on being quite disciplined when it comes to the ARDS test, when I did mine there the chief instructor made a point of that. They mention that passing isn't a given, and talk of something like a 25% failure rate or thereabouts.

Not sure what cars you'll have on the full day, on the half day I drove an Elise. Somebody else was in an Audi S3/A3. Probably on the National circuit. The one on one tuition is good, they have excellent instructors there, as has been said they are looking for smooth driving and important to make progress but not overcook it and spin. Will you be the sort of driver they'd be "happy" to have alongside them on the grid next weekend.

The test - as has been said remember to learn the flags. You'll fail the test if you get these wrong. It is all in the video, I think even the yellow/black quartered flag. The test shows all the flags, then gives you a description of the flag and asks you to write in which flag it is describing. The rest of the test is multiple choice and most of the answers are fairly obvious. Learn the key aspects of what happens when in a race meeting. Plus basics of weight transfer and car control.

Good luck!

What are you planning to race?