T-Cars
The BRSCC has taken the decision to suspend the T-Cars Championship for the 2008 season.
Championship Co-ordinator Dominic Ostrowski explained “Unfortunately we only had a handful of drivers committed for the whole season so the sensible choice is to put the series on hold and start building now for 2009. It is disappointing news for these drivers but we wanted to end the uncertainty so they could explore other options for this year”.
Ostrowski is optimistic that the junior championship, that was the first to offer children the opportunity to go circuit racing, can come back stronger. “We recently held a track & test day at Rockingham that attracted a lot of genuine interest but all the young karters who attended were already committed to their race projects for this season. We are looking at running a Winter Series towards the end of the season which would give interested drivers the opportunity to try T-Cars with a view to the 2009 season”.
Introduced in 2000, this MSA-sanctioned championship was created by the BRSCC to fill the obvious gap in the motorsport market for under-16 year old drivers. Up until 1999, kart racing was the only means of four wheeled circuit racing that drivers could compete in before their 16th birthday. The BRSCC's initiative provided a means of allowing under-16s onto full racing circuits, but in a safe environment, and away from older drivers so as to limit the risks.
The T-Car was the world's first racing car designed specifically for drivers as young as 14, and it was this consideration - the requirement for maximum safety - which has shaped every aspect of the car's design.
"When the T Cars programme was conceived it quickly became apparent that converting an existing road or race car would introduce too many complications", explains original project manager Magnus Laird. "We wanted to create a car which, above all, would meet our stringent safety requirements but which also would be inexpensive to prepare and race, easy to maintain, handle in a neutral fashion and which would provide as level a playing field as possible to allow young talent to shine. We were also mindful that the car had to be an exciting and credible racing car which would appeal to young people looking to take their first steps in motorsport, and we are entirely happy that we have met all our objectives"
T-Cars is open to anyone aged between 14 and 17 years, who are more than 4ft 9ins tall and able to drive a manual-transmission car. Young drivers have to prove their ability behind the wheel first, with an Association of Racing Drivers Schools (ARDS) test compulsory before their being allowed out onto the circuit.
Since its inception T-Cars has proved to be a very effective training formula producing graduates such as Tom Chilton & Tom Onslow-Cole (BTCC), Jonathan Cocker (British GT & Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Champion), Tom Boardman (SEAT Cupra Champion & BTCC), Matthew Wilson (World Rally Championship), Jonathan Kennard (F3 race winner & GP2 aspirant), Ollie Playle (SCSA Champion), Ryan Lewis (British F3 Scholarship Champion), Freddy Nordstrom (Mini Challenge S class champion & SEAT race winner), Adrian Quaife Hobbs (Formula Renault Europe & Italy), Max Chilton (youngest ever F3 driver), Stuart Hall (4th at Le Mans 2007) and James Jakes (F3 Euro Series).
For more information, contact the Championship Co-ordinator, Dominic Ostrowski, on 01732 783141 or
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2008 Race Entry Pack:
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