HOW TO GO RACING YOURSELF
What you need to know and what not to do when sitting your ards. by stefan mack leyWh at you need to know and what not to do when sitting your ards. by Stefanmackley
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hat kid interested in motorsport doesn’t fantasise about becoming a Formula 1 driver? Or standing on the top step at Le Mans? Or even just racing at circuits all around the globe?
For anyone in the UK dreaming of these lofty heights they all must start at the bottom, and that bottom involves getting your Racing National B Licence by passing an Association of Racing Driver Schools assessment – more commonly known as ARDS.
Split into two parts – written and practical – the test is recognised by the Motor Sports Association (MSA), which governs motorsport in the UK.
In other words, if you want to race competitively in the UK, you’re going to need to do this test.
Prior to the big day you’ll need to order your Go Racing pack from the MSA, most importantly containing a DVD and booklet, as well as the blue form that you must take with you on the day.
The booklet sets out what the ARDS test is, the steps needed to pass it and the different disciplines of motorsport available, while the DVD reaffirms what is said in the booklet.
An ARDS test is split into two parts – a written test and a driving assessment.
Perhaps the most important part of the booklet and DVD, though, are the flag signals, which you need to know. You’re tested on them in the written part.
“When I started racing in the late 1980s there was no ARDS test so you literally went straight into racing having obtained your [road] licence,” says Alan Wilshire, a senior instructor at Motorsport Vision’s Brands Hatch Circuit, which is just one of 17 ARDS schools available to take the assessment at, ranging from Knockhill and Croft to Lydden Hill and Pembrey.
“They then introduced the ARDS assessment, obviously on the basis of safety making sure everyone was fully up to speed with the flag signals, how to respond to them and what they meant.”
Knowing the flags is a must, from what a stationary blue flag means to the difference between a single and double-waved yellow.
It’s easy to trip up here and with a 100 per cent score needed on this part of the test you need to be on the ball, so there’s no harm in brushing up once or twice prior to the exam.
The remainder of the test consists of basic multiple-choice questions, often looking for you to show common sense and an awareness of safety.
But even something that seems obvious can trip the unprepared up.
“Usually it’s a lack of preparation [that leads to failing]. It’s quite rare now that people fail the written test as long as they watch the DVD at home once or twice,” says Wilshire.
“If people haven’t watched the DVD and don’t listen to us then yes, you would probably expect them to fail.”
Test completed with a 100 per cent score, it was then time to do the practical.
There was a mixture of nerves, excitement and anticipation about getting out onto the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit for the first time, but the drive to the venue hardly helped to settle my nerves.
Torrential rain on the M25 made the thought of driving an unknown car on a general trackday, with other drivers – who were no doubt faster and in quicker machinery – a dreaded prospect.
The car in question was a Peugeot 308, just a standard road car with a manual gearbox – the latter a requirement of all ARDS tests.
Wilshire took to the circuit with me alongside to show the racing lines, where to brake, what gear to be in, where my eyeline should be. It’s a constant stream of information and a lot to take in, all while making way for quicker cars.
Then it was my turn. Driving at a steady pace and avoiding cars ranging from other road-spec vehicles to a Radical within four laps, I’d been given the OK that I wasn’t a complete liability behind the wheel and that I’d passed.
The drive wasn’t without its dramas, though. Three people in three laps had found the limit of their abilities and spun, two at Graham Hill Bend and the final one as I entered the pits – it certainly kept you on your toes.
Wilshire says it’s not about raw speed on your ARDS. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
“I think the worst thing they can try and do is go fast on the day,” he says. “I know personally I’ve failed people who have had spins because they have just simply tried too hard on the track at that point.
“We very much recommend an 80 per cent approach, keep the car on the circuit, you’re fitting in with the rules of the day often a trackday ruling and just showing you have got a good awareness of what is going on around you, you’re responding to any flag or light signals and fitting in with any traffic whether they are overtaking or being overtaken.”
Drivers are also based individually, being asked before the test what they plan to race and this is considered when they are completing the test to make sure they are ready to drive such a vehicle.
Something which became apparent, if it already wasn’t before the test, is how much motorsport costs.
The racing pack will set you back £104 and the fee for your licence every year is £62. Add to that the £250 cost for the ARDS test itself and then up to £150 for a medical, which tests blood pressure, eyesight and a urine sample. This is before you’ve bought a car or even any of your equipment, so it’s little wonder why so few young people are involved in the sport.
“As much as possible we’re trying to help new drivers in their first few races have a good time, which is what the MSA want,” says Wilshire.
“They don’t want people spending a lot of money on the assessment, buying the kit and then not enjoying their racing and disappearing after perhaps three or four races. They want people in the sport for the long term.”
Doing the ARDS won’t make you the world’s greatest driver, but with constant changes to rules and regulations, knowing as much as possible will not only make you more prepared but even give you an advantage compared with your competitors.
As Wilshire says: “We have people coming back to racing and I’ll give you Steve Soper as an example. He retook his ARDS test after a 12-year break when he finished touring cars and was going back to historic motorsport.
“We were more than happy to say to him ‘look this is what’s changed, you’ve passed’ but he stayed for the whole classroom session and had some very good input with the actual novice drivers and after said ‘I didn’t know that, I learnt probably two or three things here’.
“So I think everyone regardless of their experience does learn something from these ARDS tests so I think they are a very positive step.” ■