By Lee Sibley
2 years ago
How to get your UK racing licence
9WERKS is going racing this year with Rindt Vehicle Design, but before we roll a tire in competition, first we need to get a licence. Here’s how it’s done
As drivers of Porsche sports cars, most of us are invariably fascinated by motorsport. Hell, some are obsessed with it. Racing is entrenched in Porsche’s DNA, and that’s why our road cars are the product of the company’s notable exploits in competition over the years. Inspired by a legion of heroes, I’m sure we’ve all dreamed of swapping shoes with the likes of Derek Bell, Jackie Ickx and Walter Röhrl from time to time. But they’re just dreams, right?
While the talents of Bell, Ickx, Röhrl et al are unlikely to be matched by us mere mortals, the idea of going racing in a Porsche isn’t as far fetched as you might think. New championships such as the Boxster Cup offer a brilliant first foray into motorsport, while the Classic Sports Car Club boasts a realm of race series for all types of cars and budgets, and all levels of drivers.
My own dream took a step closer to reality when Brian Richardson, owner of Rindt Vehicle Design, called and asked if 9WERKS would like to share a seat with him in a Porsche 986 Boxster S this season. To do this though – and to go racing at any level in the UK – we’d need to attain a race licence. Here’s what it entails.
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To get your competition licence, you need to complete a Novice Drivers Training Course at an ARDS member school (ARDS stands for Association of Racing Driver Schools). Before you book your course though, you’ll need to purchase a ‘Go Racing’ starter pack from an ARDS school or Motorsport UK, at a cost of around £100 including delivery, VAT and your first licence fee.
The pack includes a Competitors Yearbook (otherwise known as the ‘Blue Book’), which contains UK motorsport regulations and other useful information including flags and what they mean, a USB with a safety video, and a novice licence application form. The idea is to learn the flags and the various safety elements involved with racing, before booking your Novice Drivers Training Course at a school of your choice.
The course itself is split into two: a short written exam and a practical test. Both are far less daunting than they sound. My course was at Thruxton, the nearest circuit to me, but ironically a track I’d not driven before because my Porsches have always been too loud to pass its track day noise tests.
I was joined at Thruxton by Brian and his 986 Boxster race car. Brian already has his race licence but was out testing the Boxster, a fully stripped and caged racer putting out 300bhp in a car weighing just 1,100kg. The Boxster is one of three race cars Rindt are building (two Boxsters and a 964) for its new turn-key racing support programme for people like me who want to give racing a go but don’t want the hassle of prepping and then lugging a race car around the country. Rindt handles absolutely everything for you, including support on race day, and if you don’t have a licence, they’ll put you on a course, too.
I sat the ‘ARDS test’ alongside Brian’s son, Ross, as well as Rindt colleagues Bubs and Andrea, who will all try a hand at racing this year. And so to stage one of our test: the written exam.
The written element of the exam tests your knowledge of the various flags, as well as your attentiveness to safety procedures. It’s worth mentioning I’ve done numerous track days over the years so was familiar with the aforementioned flags and their meanings, but still spent time revising them – you MUST answer all flag questions correctly to pass the test. Learn them from the book, and you’ll pass. The rest of the questions are multiple choice and are designed not to catch you out but to ensure you are safety conscious. Some of the multiple choice answers are quite comical, so as long as you’ve got a degree of common sense, these shouldn’t be an issue.
After the short exam, it’s on to the practical test. You’ll have a few sighting laps from an examiner, before you swap seats for around four laps. Believe it or not, speed is not the aim here: you shouldn’t drive like you’re part of a cavalcade of course, but the examiner is checking for your attentiveness in regards to the safety of yourself and others. The examiners ask themselves: would I feel comfortable sharing a circuit with this person, or are they a danger?
Serendipitously, my practical test was carried out in a 987 Cayman. On arrival back at the pits I was given good news by my examiner, Richard. I’d passed. With my application form stamped, I just needed to get a mandatory eye test in my own time, then send the completed application form off to Motorsport UK, who will post back my race licence for the year (the licence is then renewed annually).
Happily, all four in our Rindt party passed, which means we can look forward to the big challenge of going racing later this year. Before the ARDS test, I got my first taste of the Boxster I’ll be sharing with Brian for a race or two. I’ve said before the 986 is a brilliant platform for a race car, and Rindt’s is very well set-up: wonderfully balanced and with a real punchy flat six, it’s a quick and capable racer but one you feel at ease in right away thanks to the predictability of its chassis.
I’m excited to share some driving with Brian, who has got the appetite for racing back after spending a good few years away from the track. If you’re interested in Rindt’s racing support packages, give Brian a call on 01628 825067 or email info@rindtvehicledesign.com.
If you’re considering doing your ARDS test, my advice is simply to do it: the written exam is straightforward so long as you spend a little time revising the flags and some safety elements explained on the USB video, and the practical part is similarly uncomplicated, so long as you follow your instructor’s advice. In fact the whole course, lasting a couple of hours, is conducted in a relaxed and friendly environment – the instructors and examiners are excited to welcome new, safety-conscious recruits to the motorsport family.
We'll bring you further updates on 9WERKS as to how I go this year, but in the meantime I'm looking forward to getting started, and going racing with a brilliant 986 Boxster!
Pictures by Simon Jessop
We'll bring you further updates on 9WERKS as to how I go this year, but in the meantime I'm looking forward to getting started, and going racing with a brilliant 986 Boxster!
Pictures by Simon Jessop