The Grid.co.uk    the national & club motor racing website - est1998          

  ^News

.

continued from news:

CATERHAM MOTORSPORT RACES INTO 2009

The introduction of the new Caterham Superlight R300 Championship, the addition of a third grid in the Caterham Academy and plans for a summer Caterham Festival at a mainland Europe circuit - these are the highlights of the 2009 Caterham Motorsport plan, announced to competitors today, Friday 3 October.

Caterham's latest track challenger, the 2-litre, 175bhp Caterham Motorsport Duratec-engined R300, is guaranteed its own grid next season thanks to significant advance sales which have already topped double figures. The new championship slots between Caterham's top series, the Superlight R400 Championship, and the Roadsport A Championship; it will appear alongside both at selected meetings during the coming season.

Caterham Motorsport Manager Simon Lambert said: "The R300 has been designed to bridge the gap between the Roadsport-A and Superlight R400 cars, in terms of both outright performance and driver development. It has already been used in anger by the first new owners, and I am delighted to say that it is more than living up to the very high expectations we have set for it. There is a steady stream of orders, excitement is growing among the drivers, and we are certainly looking at a fantastic first year for an outstanding new car. The new season can't come soon enough."

The other big news from Caterham for 2009 is the addition of a third grid for the superbly successful Academy. "The two Academy grids, totalling 56 cars, sold out early for the 14th consecutive year," says Lambert, "so, rather than call a halt we have launched a third grid with the intention of taking the capacity of the Academy to 84 cars."

Another innovation for Academy '09 is to award five championship points to every driver completing a day's marshalling at a UK race meeting. Says Lambert: "Seeing the sport from 'the other side of the fence' improves a driver's knowledge and understanding, and this will be a great addition to the Academy experience and its novice drivers."

The Caterham Festival - last held in 2007, the 7's 50th anniversary year, at Donington Park - is looking for a new European home next season, and hopes are high that the 2007 figure of 330 entries spread over 17 races can be topped. "We are working closely with the BRSCC to investigate options to host a summer Festival, with championship rounds for all series, in Europe - hopefully at what is possibly the greatest motor racing circuit in the world: Spa-Francorchamps."

Other European plans include the introduction of a new French-run series for the ever-popular CSR 260, Caterham's quickest track machine and a model transformed by the installation of a six-speed sequential gearbox late last year.

Caterham is negotiating also for the creation of a new class for the CSR within the well-established German-organised 100km race series. These plans spell the end of the UK-run Eurocup series which has taken Superlight, Roadsport and CSR competitors to tracks all over the mainland since its introduction in 2001. "Competitor support for the Eurocup has diminished in recent seasons," says Lambert, "but there are still a significant number of competitors keen to race their CSRs in Europe and we are working hard to provide opportunities for them."

Caterham Motorsport championships: key features for 2009

Caterham Academy
* Three separate grids to cater for up to 84 cars
* Open only to unlicensed novices
* £17,995 package includes 1.6-litre Ford Sigma-engined Caterham Roadsport to keep; introductory seminar; ARDS licence test; car set-up day and car control clinic; an exclusive test day; three speed events and four races; technical support at the track
* Avon all-weather tyres
* New for 2009: 5 additional championship points for competitors completing a day's marshalling

Caterham Roadsport B Championship
* Reserved for competitors moving out of the 2008 Academy and other novices by invitation
* Exclusively for the 1.6-litre Ford Sigma-engined Caterham Roadsport
* Double-header rounds at each meeting and 20-minute races
* Avon CR500 all-weather tyres
* No team support permitted

Caterham Roadsport A Championship
* Format unchanged from 2008 season, which enjoyed 47 championship registrations
* Exclusively for 1.6-litre 'K' Series-engined Caterham Roadsports
* Double-header rounds at each meeting; 30-minute races
* Avon CR500 all-weather tyres
* Team support permitted

Caterham Superlight R300 Championship
* New championship for 2009
* Exclusively for 2-litre Ford Duratec-engined cars
* Some rounds alongside R400 championship, others on the Roadsport bill
* Double-header rounds at each meeting; 30-minute races
* Avon CR500 all-weather tyres
* TV coverage
* Team support permitted

Caterham Superlight R400 Championship
* The pinnacle of Caterham racing in the UK
* New championship title after many seasons styled Superlight Challenge
* Exclusively for 2-litre/220bhp Ford Duratec-engined cars
* No significant specification changes planned for 2009/10
* Cars easily upgraded with new engine for 2011 and beyond
* Some rounds to support British F3/GT
* Double-header rounds at each meeting; 30-minute races
* Avon CR500 all-weather tyres
* TV coverage
* Team support permitted

mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk