Not sure how much interest there is in this, but that never stops me posting

Was lucky enough to be invited along to attend one of the last sessions of this year's Under 17 Car Club season in the guise of a RoSPA/advanced driving promoter. The event was held at Castle Combe race circuit and the children were driving their parents cars. The club is open to 12-17 years olds and works on a grading system Ungraded, Grade 5, Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1 and Grade X. All members start at ungraded and then pass assessments/tests (some practical and some theory) to work their way through the grades. Grade 1 is equivalent to an L-test pass and Grade X is (apparently) equivalent to RoSPA Gold.

Talking to one of the organisers, the club costs £175 a season to be a member of and a season comprises 37/38 off-road events including skid pan, track driving, Caterhams, supercars, 4x4, HGV, motorway driving, and night driving. The instructors are all volunteers but I'm not sure what training they undergo before they can teach.

The main part of the day involved the under 17's driving round a cone course laid out around the circuit. The cones simulated junctions and roundabouts, with 2 way traffic and a brief overtaking area, although there was a 50mph limit enforced. I was given a couple of demo drives around the course by two Grade-X's and was very impressed by what I saw. Good all round observation, smooth use of all the controls and putting the boot down where appropriate. For the other grades, instructors were on hand to tutor and assess around the same course. There were also additional cone courses around the car park to mark out "garages", parallel parks and also a timed slalom course.

Towards the end of the day, the cones were taken in and those in Grades 3 and above got to drive the full race circuit. 5/6 cars on the track at any one time and set off about 15 seconds apart to ensure lots of clear space. Normally there's a 90mph limit, but due to the slightly damp conditions there was also a 70mph limit applied. Again I got a ride with one of the Grade-X's I'd driven with in the morning and was once again impressed by her driving and also her track etiquette when overtaking and being overtaken.

One thing which interested me was how there was very little overlap between what they'd learnt for track driving and what they'd learnt for the "road" driving which was a shame as I think their road driving could certainly have benefited from it. Maybe something we can feed in if we get involved

Overall, a very worthwhile club and one that deserves a lot more promotion and backing. More info at Welcome to the Under 17 Car Club

Chris

Sounds really good! Where is it held at and where can i get in touch?

Best place to look is at the non-members section of the website and I've highlighted a couple of pages which hopefully answer your questions:

Welcome to the Under 17 Car Club

Frequently asked questions about the Under 17 Car Club

Thinking of joining the Under 17 Car Club

Unfortunately for you, it looks like it is biased towards southern England! The events are held at a variety of venues depending on the aspects of driving they're looking to teach.

Chris

Gary, from where you're based, I'd advise contacting Knockhill circuit in Fife, and keeping an eye on the P&J for the next time there's a hillclimb up your way, because I'm sure those guys will help if they can.