56 New Racers on the Grid with Caterham Academy

04 March 2007

A motorsport component designer, a gardener, an outdoor pursuits teacher and a legal counsellor are among the drivers who joined the ranks of Britain's racing drivers this week thanks to the Circuit Driver Caterham Academy.

In all, 56 motorsport novices successfully completed their Association of Racing Drivers Schools (ARDS) tests at Castle Combe in preparation for a season of competitive action in the Academy.

All passed their track tests with flying colours and will begin their motorsport careers at a sprint event at Aintree in April.

"The examiners from Castle Combe Racing School were, as always, impressed by our new Academy drivers," said Caterham director of motorsport Magnus Laird. "I'm sure that this season is going to be a vintage one and that we are in for some great entertainment."

This year's crop of 56 join an ever-expanding club. Since its inception in 1995, the Academy has introduced more than 500 drivers to the sport, many of whom have gone on to successful careers at international level. Richard Hay won the championship in 1997 and progressed through Roadsports to the Caterham Superlight Challenge and on to Le Mans, while 2004 Academy champion Guy Harrington went on to win the Caterham Roadsport crown and taste Superlight success; this season he will race an Aston Martin in British GTs.

One of the early season favourites for top Academy honours is 22-year-old Philip Broad, a motorsport engineering student at Bristol University. A karter since the age of nine, Phil has also competed in MiniCross racing. The youngest Academy competitor is 18-year-old Tommy Keet, a gardener.

Another Academy man, Michael van der Sande, is meanwhile swapping from two wheels to four - he's the European MD of American motorcycle giant Harley Davidson.

The Circuit Driver Caterham Academy is the ideal starting point for any budding motor sport career, combining superb competition training and experience with unrivalled value.

For an outlay of just £16,995 including VAT, entrants get not only a road-legal Caterham 1.6 sports car - theirs to keep - but also full ARDS tuition for their MSA National B racing licence, club membership, technical seminars, track and handling days, championship registration and paid-for entries into two speed events and five circuit races.

The Academy, which is organised by the British Automobile Racing Club, has become so popular that the grid for the forthcoming season is usually filled by early summer. Bookings are now being taken for 2008, when the Academy car will adopt an exciting all-new Ford Sigma 1600cc powerplant.

Backers for Caterham Motorsport's UK and European race series include Bilstein, Brian James Trailers, Cheesman Products, Circuit Driver, Cooper-Avon Tyres, Demon Tweeks, evo, HSBC Insurance Brokers, Mitchell Cotts, Motorsport News, Stack and Steel Fabrications.

See series calendars for all 2007 Caterham Championships

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