It's been an ARDS day's night...

Last Wednesday, the 17th February, I woke up thinking I was ready to face the day.


Then I saw the face of fellow Pistonheads.com Caterham Academy 2010 racer, Wesley Fox. We'd shared a room at Alexandra House Hotel near Swindon (a part of my wife's group of hotels - they're not hers admittedly but she works for them...) the night before our ARDS course at Castle Combe circuit.


I'd been told that the ARDS test (a pre-requisite to gaining my National B racing License) was straightforward enough but when the weather couldn't make it's mind up whether to snow, rain or both, the nerves started to build ever so slightly.


We arrived at the circuit early and met some of the other competitors. It was snowing.


When we'd been addressed by Ansar Ali (Chief Head Honcho of Caterham Cars), and split into two groups, our bunch went to watch the first part of our video. Some of the questions in the test would be based on this part of the video - including the flags. It was raining.


When the video ended, we went out to get our first look of the circuit with an instructor. Three to a car (a standard Ford Focus with the ABS switched off), the instructor took us on some sighting laps. Two bits of information stand out...


'Quarry accounts for a third of all accidents in British Motorsport...'


'Come off during your driving assessment and you fail...'


It was raining and snowing...


I got second go in the car and after a few steady laps with some instruction, the instructor kept quiet and the assessment was underway - hardly a lap later and we're chatting away again. By the time I'd done five or six laps (including one lock-up and an overtake), I was being encouraged to drive faster. Thankfully, having stayed on the black part of the venue, I'd passed... It had stopped raining.


Next was the skid pan - an opportunity to drive an old Rover and BMW on a super-slippy figure-of-eight and see what to do in the event of oversteer and understeer. The rear-drive BMW was a great deal of fun and the three of us who shared the cars had a hoot managing a couple of Scandinavian flicks.



After lunch (chilli and chips), we had our medical - nothing more intrusive than a blood pressure check, an eye test (including colour-blindness), a heart/breathing check and a urine check. Then on to the second part of the video and the written test.


You get 15 minutes to correctly identify the flags, a couple of safety questions and a few event etiquette questions. You find out almost straight away if you pass and during the chat with Nick Potter (Caterham Midlands gaffer) about race preparation, we were all given the good news.


It later turned out that everyone passed their ARDS tests and our National-B Race Licenses will be on their way.


The drive home added to the 'fun' of the day - a two hour delay by Oxford meaning an already long day turned even longer...



In all, though - the fun really starts here. The Pistonheads.com Caterham Academy 2010 starts here!