Caterham Drivers Opt for Cosworth Power

10 December 2005

At least nine drivers who began their racing careers with Caterham are preparing to move up the Caterham racing ladder and drive one of the new C400 models in 2006.

They include the 2004 Caterham Roadsport Inter Class champion Doug Clark and several frontrunners from this year's Roadsport Inter grid, including Tony Poole, Bill Addison, Andrew Beaumont and Howard Pessall.

"We have received an encouraging number of orders for new chassis and there is also healthy interest in kits to upgrade existing R400s to the new engine specification," said Caterham director of motorsport Magnus Laird.

Eighteen-year-old Guy Harrington, this year's Roadsport Inter champion, and series runner-up Tony Poole were the first to confirm their intentions to race a C400. Now comes the news that they are to be joined by Doug Clark, who has bought an R400 and plans to upgrade it. "It's a '99 car and required some work, including a new engine, so it's an ideal candidate for conversion to C400 specification," said Doug, who plans a full UK season and also to contest selected Eurocup rounds.

Derbyshire-based Clark, 38, started racing in the Caterham Academy in 2003 and moved up to Roadsport Inters in '04, winning the championship. This year he concentrated on the Caterham Challenge with a Roadsport A.

Roadsport Inter race winners Bill Addison and Andrew Beaumont are planning C400 careers also; both men started out in the 2003 Academy and have progressed through Roadsport B and Roadsport Inter. Others moving up from the Roadsport grid include Howard Pessall, Stuart Dixon, and 18-year-old Charles Bateman.

Said Laird: "We are greatly encouraged by the number of drivers who, having started their racing careers with Caterham, are planning to stick with us and support our vision of an exciting motorsport future. Quite a large number of existing R400 drivers are planning to continue in 2006, some of them with cars upgraded to C400 spec, so the prospects are good for a large grid both in the UK and in Europe."

The C400, with its Cosworth-developed 2-litre engine developing 220bhp, will next season share UK Caterham Challenge and Eurocup grids with the outgoing R400 model. British GT/F3 Championship-supporting dates are due to be announced soon.

Backers for Caterham Motorsport's UK and European race series include Arch Motors, Autosport, Bilstein, Brian James Trailers, Comma, Cosworth, Cooper-Avon Tyres, evo, HSBC Insurance Brokers, Mitchell Cotts, Motorsport News, PTP and Stack.

See series calendars for all 2006 Caterham Championships

Related Story 04.12.2005 - Caterham C400 Hits the Track