Caterham Seven 160 Road Test and Interview

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Overdrive : Re-Launching in January 2014

It's been a bit quiet around here lately - too quiet. That could be a line from a film.

Things have not been idle in Overdrive towers however. We've been hard at work with a documentary on the amazing and inspiring Kartforce and throwing all our efforts into next year. We've already started to refresh our social media outputs with Twitter, Facebook and now Google+ pages, and our videos are coming out on our Youtube channel

Coming in January 2014

Chris with the Caterham 7 160

• Coverage from the Autosport International Show - this year with more action from the Live Action Arena and Autosolo
• Gearbox - Our look at Road Cars starting with the road car highlights from Autosport and a road test in the new Caterham 7 160 (which our presenter Chris loved!)
• Our first event - We're going Ice Karting! Watch this space for how to get involved in a very different karting experience
• A fresh new look - Still red and black, but the website will be getting a brand new look in January

Further ahead, we've got more news with our bi-weekly news bulletins which will be kicking off with the racing season in March and presented by Holly Rust. They'll include news and results from club and national motorsports, looking beyond the circuits and onto the rally stages, Autotests and all manner of clubman motorsports. There will also be more from Gearbox and we're working on 2014's features.

Until January then, we'll leave you with some highlights of the 2013 Autosport International Show.

Caterham take home Best Stand award from Autosport International 2013

The award winning Caterham Stand at the Autosport International Show 2013

The Caterham Group’s first exhibition as a united set of companies at this year’s Autosport International Show was a huge success, with the display winning the show’s Best Overall Stand award.

 

Showcasing, for the first time, the expertise of Caterham’s Composites and Technology & Innovation (CTI) arms alongside the iconic brand’s road and race cars, the display was executed by exhibition and events expert, SO Group.

 

Alongside the first prototype of the Caterham CK-01 racing kart and various Seven track and road cars, the stand featured Caterham F1 Team’s 2012 F1 car and a selection of engineering projects spearheaded by CTI.

 

These included a high-output development engine for the Seven, a supercharger concept and a carbon fibre composite car door, all displayed on bespoke stands.

 

Caterham Marketing & Communications Manager, James Drake, said: “It’s wonderful that, on the first occasion that all the arms of the Caterham Group come together, our stand is impactful and interesting enough to be voted the best at the Autosport show.

 

“We’re over the moon and I can’t recommend the SO Group highly enough – our stand manager, Simon Clifton and his front-line troops were brilliant throughout the build and management of what was Caterham’s biggest ever Autosport International stand.”

 

SO Group Sales Director Simon Clifton said: “We were asked by The Caterham Group to be involved with their exhibition at conception stage.  They had a very clear vision of what was required from the stand and SO Group has thoroughly enjoyed helping them bring that vision to life. 

 

“We were overjoyed to learn about their win at the Autosport Show and look forward to working with them in the future.”

Win a place in the Caterham Academy

Caterhams deliver fantastic racing, even at their most junior level

A place in next year’s Caterham Academy is up for grabs, as Pistonheads.com and The Performance Car Show backs the series and launches a unique competition for one reader to become a bona fide racing driver AND a motoring journalist for a year.

To be in with a chance of winning a place on the grid, simply buy a ticket to the Performance Car Show 2013 (January 10-13 at Birmingham’s NEC) and submit 150 words explaining why you should win, or describing a favourite car or race circuit at The PistonHeads.com Caterham Academy Competition.

Ten finalists, selected by Pistonheads, will then battle it out head-to-head in a specially-designed challenge, with the winner booking their place on the 2013 Pistonheads.com Caterham Academy, widely-acknowledged as one of the world’s most successful novice routes into racing.

The closing date for entries to win the unique competition package, worth over £25,000, is midnight 13^th January, 2013.

All the identical - and road legal - cars mean that the competition stays close

The Academy has created almost 900 brand new racing drivers since its inception in 1995 and remains the most popular way for would-be racers to take their first steps into entry-level motor racing.

Through articles written by the competition winner, Pistonheads.com will follow his or her progress, covering their evolution from wannabe track star to fully-licensed racing driver at every event on the calendar.

The season-long campaign takes drivers through the process of gaining their race license, as well as their first full season of competition, including a structured progression through sprints and circuit races.

Thrils and Spills guaranteed!

Caterham Cars’ Chief Motorsport & Technical Officer, Simon Lambert, said: “The Academy has always been about providing an accessible route into entry-level motorsport and providing a level playing field for our novice drivers.

“This competition is a new initiative for us and is a unique opportunity. We’re excited to see what new talent we can add to our remarkable Academy alumni.”

The 2013 Pistonheads.com Caterham Academy experience, in association with the Performance Car Show, gets underway in earnest with the ARDS course in February.

Please visit http://caterham.co.uk/motorsport/ or call 01322 625800 for more information about the Caterham Academy.

Could you be on this grid?

Caterham appoints Karting series director

Laura Tillett

Caterham Motorsport has appointed 20-year old karting ace, Laura Tillett, to assist with development of the new karting championship it will launch in 2013.

Tillett, 20, was the first British female to compete in the ‘KF1’ World Championship, the karting equivalent of Formula One, following considerable success on the British scene.

The Tillett family is very well-known in the global karting world, as Tillett Racing Seats are the world’s leading supplier of race seats, rib protection and karting accessories.

Aspiring racer Laura joined Caterham last week and will spearhead the Caterham kart series project, announced at last month’s AutoSport International show in Birmingham.

Caterham Motorsport Manager, Simon Lambert, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Laura on board. Kart racing is clearly in her family’s blood and her expert knowledge of the karting world will be invaluable in helping us set up what will be a uniquely accessible championship.

“Laura will be working on every aspect of our planned karting series, from race formats to technical specifications and from race venues to organisational know-how.”

Kent-based Laura will initially be based at Caterham’s Dartford factory base.

Caterham unveiled its ambitions to run a karting championship at AutoSport International. With the recent launch of the Caterham F1 team and Caterham Motorsport’s existing 25 years of experience running low-cost, high-value one-make racing series, it now has the ‘ladder’ to potentially take young racing drivers from entry-level motorsport to the pinnacle of Formula 1.

Lambert added: “We want to make motor racing as accessible as possible to parents and youngsters to whom going racing might not have been feasible before.” 

Overdrive caught up and spoke to Andy Noble, Sales director of Caterham Cars at this year's Autosport show to talk about the Karting series, and also the company's plans for 2012 and beyond.

Autosport International 2012 : Highlights

At last! Here's our 30 minute long round up of the best of Autosport International 2012! Enjoy...

Overdrive at Autosport International 2012 : Caterham Cars

It's that time again folks. We went off to the Autosport International Show at Birmingham's glittering NEC earlier this month, and we have been as usual finding out what's been going on in British Motorsport - We'll kick off our show coverage with a catch up with someone we met at last year's show. It's Andy Noble from Caterham Cars, talking about the new "greener" SP300R, New race series, Karting and F1


We're trying out some shorter videos - and we'll have a longer highlight's programme coming out soon! Please let us know what you think!

Caterham's Grass Roots Motorsport Programme revealled.

Caterham are certainly becoming much more surprising lately. Last year they surprised everyone by bringing out a car that is a world apart from their famous seven, this year they tantalised visitors to the Autosport show with a new grassroots motorsport programme. I thought that this would involve the Seven again... but as it turns out, the famous car maker is turning it's attentions to Karts...

Caterham Cars today reveals plans to add to its well-established motorsport operation, with new ambitions in the karting category.

Thanks to the new Caterham F1 Team and Caterham Racing GP2 squad, the famous British sportscar maker has already made radical extensions to its successful Seven racing formulae.

Now, the introduction of a Caterham Motorsport-run karting championship in 2013, with Caterham’s own designed and developed kart, will provide young drivers with the opportunity to take their first steps in a career in which it will be possible to progress from grassroots racing to the pinnacle of global motorsport.

The organisation of Caterham karting will benefit from the firm’s 26 years of experience in running low-cost, high-value one-make race championships.

Caterham Motorsport Manager, Simon Lambert, said: “We’ve built a strong reputation for providing terrific value for money in motorsport through great cars and a playing field so even you could put a spirit level on it.

“Now we’d like to use this wealth of knowledge and expertise in karting by establishing a cost-effective series that will combine fun, technology and great competition elements that we think are beginning to be overlooked in kart racing.

“With progression possible through the Caterham ‘ladder’ right through to F1, Caterham karting will appeal to those looking to make a career in motorsport but, more importantly, our aim is to target the mass-market of parents and youngsters who would like to race in a competitive and yet affordable karting series which, until now, might have been an unachievable dream. Caterham is determined to make motorsport accessible to everyone.”

Caterham Motorsport established its first one-make championship for the legendary Seven in 1986 and now its UK operation alone features five fully-subscribed series, including the renowned Academy, which is unique in having created almost 1,000 brand new racing drivers since its inception in 1995.

Last year, the Company also unveiled its first sports prototype racer, the SP/300.R, designed to provide an extension for members of the Seven racing fraternity who wish to progress into higher-level sportscar competition. The SP/300.R will star in its own one-make championship starting next season.

More details about the kart series will be revealed in due course throughout 2012. 

Caterham all set for Autosport International 2012

Caterham will be in action, indoors, at Autosport International this year

Iconic British sportscar manufacturer, Caterham Cars, will assemble an impressive array of vehicles at ASI, including its legendary Seven, the SP/300.R sports prototype it launched at the show 12 months ago and a Caterham-branded F1 car.

As well as its static display, Caterham will once again demonstrate the dramatic abilities of its Seven on a custom-built indoor drift course, recreating all the noise and speed of its Caterham Drive Experience (CDX) days.

During the four-day show, several thousand show goers will sample a Seven at full-throttle beside one of Caterham’s professional drivers in Hall 4 of Birmingham’s NEC.  

James Drake, Caterham Cars' Marketing Manager, said: "Having nearly our full ‘family’ of race cars come together like this is very exciting for us. Only the GP2 car is missing but we’ve so much going on at the stand and at the live action arena that we just couldn’t pack it all in.

Hang the tail out to dry!

“I’m sure that any motorsport fan will be impressed by the growing line-up of Caterham vehicles but Caterham has always been about much more than ‘cars on carpet’ and our live action arena will bring all of that motorsport prowess to life for visitors.”

Caterham Cars will also be announcing a brand new grassroots motorsport project at the show.

Visit the Caterham stand in Hall 4, Stand 2641.

Meanwhile, for Caterham’s full range of drive experience events and vehicles, please visit www.caterham.co.uk or call 01883 333 700.

We'll be back at Autosport International this year - Here's what happened when we caught up with Caterham's Andy Noble last year.

Caterham Academy Graduate competes in BTCC

Former Caterham Academy graduate, Ollie Jackson, has competed in the final two rounds of the British Touring Car Championship making him the first former Academy racer to do battle in the legendary series.

Piloting a Triple 8 Engineering Vauxhall Vectra, the British GT driver made his BTCC debut at Brands Hatch (2 Oct) followed by an appearance at the championship’s final round at Silverstone (16 Oct).

Caterham Academy racers have progressed to an array of series spanning single seaters, GT cars and Porsche championships but Ollie is the first graduate of Caterham’s novice only series to compete in the BTCC.

The reigning Carrera Cup Pro-Am1 champion, Jackson, has been competing in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship but cut his teeth in the Caterham Academy, which has produced more than 850 racers since its inception in 1995.

The Academy is run exclusively to take novice racers through the process of gaining their race license as well as their first full season of competition and costs from only £20,495 – including the car. Only a handful of places remain for the 2012 series.

Simon Lambert, Caterham’s Motorsport Manager, said: “The Academy makes for hugely exciting racing but it’s the atmosphere and camaraderie in the paddock and the sheer enthusiasm that’s so infectious.

“It’s one of the cheapest routes into racing and whether you decide to progress through the ranks or simply use your Seven as a road car after the series is up to the individual, but in Ollie’s case, like many others, he’s progressed into high level racing and, naturally, we are delighted to shout about it.” 


This is the 150th Post on www.overdrive-uk.com. Just saying.

Caterham celebrates 100th race at Castle Combe

Members of the Caterham Graduates Club in action

British sportscar maker, Caterham Cars, will feature in its 100th race at Wiltshire circuit, Castle Combe, on August 13.

Twenty-five years after Caterham’s iconic Seven first raced at Combe, drivers in the Caterham Graduates Championship will take part in a 20-minute race as part of the August Cup race weekend on the track described by Autosport Magazine as “the best club racing circuit in Britain”.

Caterham has a rich motorsport heritage in the UK – its innovative Caterham Academy has launched the careers of more than 850 brand new racing drivers since its inception in 1995, more than any other race series.

Among the drivers to have raced, and won, at Castle Combe in Caterham Sevens since the marquee first raced there on July 5, 1986, are ex-Formula One driver David Brabham, ITV4 British Touring Car Championship commentator Ben Edwards, and former motorcycle racer and MotoGP commentator, Steve Parrish.

Caterham Motorsport Manager, Simon Lambert, said: “Castle Combe has long been a firm favourite with club racers across the UK because of its fast, flowing nature. It has doubtless produced some of the finest Caterham racing of all time in the quarter century we’ve been going there.”

Tickets for the Castle Combe race weekend are available online at www.castlecombe.co.uk, costing £8 (£4 OAP and free for U16s) for the Saturday and £15 (£7 OAP and free for U16s) for Sunday. Paddock access is free when booked online or £2.50 on the day.

Please visit http://www.caterham.co.uk or call 01883 333 700 for more information about joining the Caterham Academy or any other of Caterham’s motor racing championships.