Schools
GETTING STARTED IN MOTORSPORT
Early Days
Coming into motorsport with no prior background in it at all, George and his father found the Rally world very different to the one they were used to. They initially felt like they would be‘ outsiders’ but from the first event they quickly discovered that the sport is extremely welcoming if you take the right approach.
“ I quickly appreciated the complexity of even the simplest form of motorsport and how much teamwork goes into it,” says George.“ Having a positive and friendly attitude to your mechanics and team members makes it much easier to synchronise and work efficiently and also builds a good environment and makes it easy and enjoyable for people to help you.”
One of the biggest challenges was the lack of seat time but also the need to juggle his Rallying commitments with his schoolwork and exams. He recalls:“ I did a lot of racing at home on a sim, but it is not the same as having actual time in a real car. I also had no sponsorship backing, so I had to ask my parents to foot a large part of the bill!
“ At the same time as doing my rallying, I also had to balance doing 12 GCSEs and that made the weeks when I had exams after race weekends very difficult. I had to work really hard on the side to get into the sixth form I wanted, but I did not want to stop the rallying, so I had to take it all on!”
Like any hobby, taking the first steps is challenging and exciting, but going beyond that takes commitment. Whether it is a new football team or a new chess club, there are always relationships to build, lessons to be learned and plenty of challenges along the way – but Terry feels that the process has given his son some important life skills.
“ People learn from this journey that you grow up quickly,” he offers.“ I never realised how much it takes to be successful. Things will always happen to your car, and it is great to build resilience, but I guess the most important lesson is that even in you are a complete outsider, it is totally doable – and George is proof of it.”
For most motorsport parents, the financial and time commitments can be a major sacrifice but, in this case, the opportunity to help his son through the journey gave Terry something totally unexpected.“ When a kid is 15, 16, 17 … you do not usually get much more than a grunt when you try to engage with them,” he concludes.“ But this changed all that.
“ George would sit with me for four hours in the car to go to Wales and we would go the night before the event and have a nice curry somewhere, so it was a really good bonding opportunity with him. In fact, one of the biggest things that I have got out of this was that it built a relationship with my son – and I have motorsport to thank for that.”
Schools
ARKS – Association of Racing Kart Schools
Responsible for the mandatory ARKS tests, which aims to provide a professional and high standard of tuition. There are now 11 different licensed schools operating in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The ARKS Novice Driver Test is required for any drivers wishing to race at Motorsport UK approved circuits. Children as young as six years of age can take the‘ Bambino’ test and can apply for a Cadet licence when they are eight if they have the relevant experience. https:// arks. co. uk
ARDS – Association of Racing Driver Schools
Represents all the circuit racing schools in the UK and is Motorsport UK’ s recognised licensing circuit instructor. There are now 10 different licensed schools operating in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
All drivers applying for their first race licence must take the Novice Drivers Training Course, also known as the ARDS test, which is operated by the member schools. Junior drivers, aged between 14-16 years, must take an extended ARDS test. www. ards. co. uk
BARS – British Association of Rally Schools
Formed 30 years ago with six founding rally schools, with the aim of standardising the core elements of Rally driving courses. There are now 10 different licensed schools operating in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
All drivers wishing to compete on UK Stage rallies need to complete the RS InterClub – Stage Rally Licence Assessment. BARS member rally schools are the only rally schools authorised by Motorsport UK to provide the assessment. www. rallyschools-bars. co. uk
Revolution- July 2025
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JEP