NEWS: ATS Sport Downforce Monster Track Beast Is Coming – Fast!

Keen Road readers may have spotted the news on our Facebook page that the Automobili Tourismo e Sport (ATS) – the "fondly remembered F1 and sports car manufacturer of the 1960s – brand has been re-born. Good news! The team say they "are working to ATS's original ethos of extremely light weight vehicles utilising high efficiency, compact power-plants." And they are about to launch three exciting new models throughout Europe – as well as re-launching the cult De Tomaso brand, which they hold the rights to.
The first of these new models is this ultra-lightweight, downforce-inducing track day special – the ATS Sport, and here's the brief lowdown:

• Dry weight only 470kg.
• Develops 1,150kg of downforce.
• 4g cornering forces on slicks.
• 3g cornering forces on road legal semi-slicks.
• Up to 540bhp/ton.
• Stainless steel chassis.
• 6-pot Tarox callipers, front and rear.

And a road going model will also be available, alongside the track day special.

Discover more at: www.ats-autosport.com 

Looks awesome to us! You like?

NEWS: New 'Headrest' Mount For Motorsport/Track Day Cameras

We all like to get a bit of ego-boosting footage of us racing, drifting, rallying or hooning on a track day, right? And there's a wealth of good cameras around these days to do it easily, with great results. But one thing that often ruins the fun is the mounts, which race scrutineers or track day marshals will ask you to remove, if not secure enough.
Now, the problem is solved… thanks to racer Chris Dymond and his innovative, cool new Headrest Mount – invented out of his own experiences as a track day tutor and racer and through spotting a gap in the market.
Chris says: "Headrest mount has been designed and developed by myself after a number of my customers on track days had cameras removed from their cars because they were not physically attached. Headrest mount overcomes this issue by clamping to the cars headrest pillars, and as a result has been officially endorsed by Gold Track track days and approved for use at every major circuit in the UK, including all Motorsport vision venues!"

The lightweight (800g) aluminium and stainless steel Headrest offers a great camera angle to see driver and track (with four axis of movement and finger-tip adjustability), uses a 1/4-inch tripod thread that fits most cameras and is available in two packages online at their website: Standard and Deluxe. Standard includes 1x Headrest mount, 1x60mm Mounting post and 1x 7 hole mounting arm and retails for £120 + P&P, whilst Deluxe is as standard but also includes 1x125mm mounting post and 1x 10 hole mounting arm. and retails for £188.40 + P&P.
There are 4 colour options available: Red, Matte black, Blue and Gold.
Find out more by following them on Twitter (@Headrestmount), via You Tube & on Facebook.
Looks like a great product to us and we wish Chris all the best with it. 

See some more images here.

NEWS: Mallory Park Is Back! March 1st FREE Open Day

Great news for British circuit fans – "The Friendly Circuit," Mallory Park Race Circuit in Leicestershire is set to re-open its gates again, with a Motorsport Extravaganza Open Day on Saturday 1st March. And better still… the whole event is FREE admission to everyone. Get involved! 

In a statement, the management of Real Motorsport Ltd said: "We are pleased to announce that Mallory Park will officially re-open on 1 March from 10.30am, with a special 'Meet the Team' day, when visitors will have the opportunity to view a host of cars and bikes, as well as the chance to talk to the stars. The circuit will be open to all who wish to attend with no admission charges. In addition, the Mallory Park team will be joining forces with its chosen charity, 353.org.uk, to raise funds for our military guys and girls returning from overseas action. We look forward to welcoming all motorsport enthusiasts – young and not so young!"

There will be plenty to see with displays from all aspects of motorsport:
* Classic F1 cars
* BSB Superbike teams
* Rally, including Group B monsters
* Speedway
* Supermoto
* Track day companies (2 and 4 wheel)
* Race driving school
* Mallory Motorsport Club "Club Mallory"
* Classic vintage cars and bikes.
& "Much more – including motorsport celebrities from all activities, and World and National Champions."
Sounds like a really good day out, so come on UK track day and motorsport fans… get behind this iconic, independent circuit and show your support by attending this free event on March 1st, to get Mallory Park back on the track day and motorsport map.

JOB: Motorsport Marketing Opportunity @ Nürburgring

Our pals at Jaco's Paddock Motorsport at the Nürburgring are looking for a marketing media mogul to boost their 2014 track day rental, race car rental, car building and track day tuition services. It's a great opportunity to live and work at the world's coolest track, in the exciting world of motorsport… 

The advert says:
Are you an energetic expert in C21st sales & marketing?
Do you have a passion for motorsport?
Do you know your way around the Nürburgring & Spa-Francorchamps?
Do you know your viral video and impact image from your SEO? And can you make these happen?
Do you want to do a job you love?
Do you want to live and work at the world’s most incredible motor racing circuit – Nürburgring?
If so… then Jaco’s Paddock is looking for you, to work with us out here at Nürburgring from March to November 2014!
We are looking for a dynamic, successful marketing executive to expand our RCN and VLN race car rental, track day rental and tuition market share in 2014.
You will be responsible for boosting business sales and expanding our outbound marketing and social media services – selling drives in our superb BMW race and track car rental cars, and offering our expert race and track car building services and circuit tuition services… and lots more besides!
If you are the right person, in return, we will offer you:
· A modern home to live in and office to work from in beautiful Barweiler, just minutes from the Nürburgring.
· A basic living expenses salary of 500€ a month.
· A generous TBC commission % of sales made on race and track car rental and building, tutiion and other Jaco’s Paddock services.
If you are interested in applying for this role, please email proyle@roadmagazine.co.uk with a CV and covering letter for a chance to get a preliminary interview.
Good luck!

NEWS: RMA Track Days 2014 Are Go!

Established in 1989, loaded with great cars and people and offering overtaking either side, expert tuition, race car rental, stella special guests/new car events and the best circuits to lap on, we think RMA days are definitely the best track days we've ever been on. 

And very soon, their packed 2014 track day season gets underway at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on February 4th, from just £150. But we're particularly looking forward to Spa-Francorchamps, 26-27th May, which is always a very special event – showcasing RMA's European track day pedigree to perfection. Put simply… these Euro-events are the best track days you can have.  
RMA Boss Graham Clarke says: "With the Christmas and New Year holidays well behind us, people's thoughts are now turning towards this years track day season. With bookings are beginning to pour in thick and fast, Spa in May is already half full already. Some of the initial 'early bird' booking prices have started to increase, although there are still substantial savings to be made. For example, the Brands event above started at £99, it's now at £150 with the final price set to be at least £225 if not more! The noisy day at Donington in March is up £50 on it's starting price but still a bargain at £225, although it won't stay like that for long either! There are other examples and whilst the uptake is encouraging, we would much prefer to see our regular supporters taking advantage of these early booking prices, so if you are in a position to commit early, please do so and book now!"
And talking about the Spa with Audi event in 2013, Graham added: "Those who joined us at Spa last September will no doubt remember Audi joined us in force with a fleet of their supercars comprising of three fabulous R8 V10 Plus, a pair of RS6's and an RS4 all available for our regular customers to drive round the awesome Spa circuit. They also brought a film crew with them and produced a lot of high quality footage, both in and out of the car. Take a look here."

We recommend RMA events as highly as is humanly possible and urge you to give them a try. You'll never look back – as their heady mixture of low numbers, open pit lane, overtaking either side, amazing retro and modern cars to battle with, slick operation, excellent facilities, great staff and jolly nice attendees is unsurpassed… in our quite vast track day experience. 

Get involved! 

The first wave of RMA events includes:

Brands Hatch Indy
4th February 2014
from £150 - 105 dB(A)
Book your place at Brands now!

Donington Park
4th March 2014
from £225 - UNRESTRICTED dB(A)!
Book your place at Donington now!

Snetterton
20th March 2014 & May 8th
from £125 - 105 dB(A)
Book your place at Snetterton now!

Silverstone GP
15th April 2014 & 19th May
£349-£450 - 105 dB(A)
Book your place at Silverstone now!

NEWS: McLaren & Audi Join RMA Track Days

Road Magazine luxury track day pals, RMA Track Days – running the best (open pit lane, over-taking either side, no over-crowding & jaw-droppoing cars) circuit events at Europe's premier tracks – have lined up McLaren to join their forthcoming track day hoon at Silverstone on September 18th, and Audi are all set to join in the RMA brand of tyre-pounding fun at Belgian super-circuit, Spa-Francorchamps on 23rd and 24th September too. Sweet as...! Get involved!   

Selected RMA track day participants will be able to try out McLaren's amazing, 592bhp, 205mph high-tech hypercar – the MP4-12C – on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on the 18th. And Audi will be bringing a brace of R8 V10 Plus', RS6 and RS4 to the simply superb Spa for potential clients to try on track. 

Does life get much better? 

We think not... 

See you there at one of RMA's fab forthcoming events:

• Silverstone GP, 18th September 2013, from £425 - 105 dB(A)
• Spa Francorchamps, 23rd - 24th September 2013 from £395 - 106 dB(A)
• Donington Park, 14th October 2013, from £275 - 98 dB(A)
• Goodwood Exclusive, 23rd October 2013, from £525 - 105 dB(A)
• New revised Donington Park, 8th November 2013, from £225 - 98 dB(A)
• Spa Francorchamps, 24th November 2013, from £295 - 106 dB(A)

NEWS: 310bhp Caterham Seven 620R Launches @ Goodwood FOS

Caterham is all set to unleash its "most powerful Seven" – the 310bhp 620R – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The supercharged, superlight, sequential-gearbox, open top sportscar will nail 0-60mph in under 2.8s, crack on to 155mph and will act as the new range-topper, seeing off the cult legend that is the R500. Quite a way for the brand to celebrate 40 years of the iconic Seven eh? The car is claimed to "set a new benchmark in outrageous performance" – thanks to its newly-engineered, two-litre supercharged Ford Duratec engine pumping out 310bhp... which is going to be a phenomenal power to weight ratio in a car expected to weigh around 500-550Kg, if its anything like the Superlights Caterham have done before.

Performance will be brisk - especially with the sequential in tow!

And, compared to other new-breed track day toys and weekend warriors, like the £100K+ BAC Mono and the Ariel Atoms, it's pretty good value too – at £49,995 (inc.VAT), for a fully built model, capable of 155mph.

To celebrate the car;s launch at the ace Goodwood Festival of Speed, Caterham F1 Team driver, Charles Pic will blast the 620R up the famous Goodwood hill at the Festival of Speed, as will Caterham F1 Team reserve driver and Caterham Racing GP2 driver, Alexander Rossi.

And a static display of the new car will also feature on Caterham’s Festival of Speed stand, along with other performance vehicles from across the Caterham Group.
Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “The 620R is the most hardcore production Seven ever built for the road. The R500 claimed its place in motoring history as a benchmark for lightweight sportscar performance but this new vehicle pushes the boundaries even further. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this car for those inexperienced in driving Caterhams, we always ensure that even our fastest cars retain the manageable delivery of power that makes them accessible, despite the daunting statistics.”
The 620R is diametrically opposed to the new ultra-efficient, affordable entry-level Seven that will sit at the opposite end of the range when Caterham unveils it in Autumn this year.
Like all Sevens, the 620R adheres to Caterham’s brand mantra of delivering ‘accessible fun’ and the traditional Caterham minimalistic, lightweight approach to the engineering of the car is ever-present.
As well as producing more horsepower and torque than any previous incarnation of the Seven, the 620R also benefits from several other new enhancements.
The car features a unique gunmetal chassis, an air-flow optimised nose cone and a race-developed cooling package. De Dion rear suspension and wide track front suspension units are complemented by high-performance dampers all round, while the car sits on lightweight, 13” alloy wheels fitted with track-inspired Avon ZZR tyres.
In the cockpit, there are more noticeable improvements, with features including performance-focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear.
Meanwhile, carbon fibre interior panels and dash plus carbon fibre race seats and a Q/R race steering wheel complete the sports feel to the interior.
“The Seven 620R is an extreme piece of kit,” concludes Macdonald. “We know there is demand for cars that re-write the rules of performance and, if you’re brave enough to take it on, the 620R will be an enormously rewarding, fun car to pilot.”
While the launch edition of the Seven 620 features the sportier ‘R’ pack, a slightly less hardcore ‘S’ pack, which harnesses all the power of the original but offers a little more accessibility will be launched later this year.
Orders are now being taken for the Caterham Seven 620R, with first deliveries expected later this year.
Please visit http://www.caterham.co.uk or call 01883 333 700 for more information.

And see a whole load of images here.

Want one? We certainly fancy a go! There's life in the very old dog yet then! ;-) 

Caterham Seven 620R

Engine                                     2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
Max Power (bhp/rpm)                311bhp @ 7,700rpm
Max Torque (lbs ft/rpm)             219lbsft @ 7,350rpm 
Weight                                      TBC
0-60mph                                   2.79 seconds
Power-to-weight                        TBC
Top Speed                                155mph

 

 

Caterham Seven 620R Specification

Standard equipment

• 2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
• 6-speed sequential transmission with flat-shift
• Limited slip differential
• Unique gunmetal chassis
• Carbon-fibre wings
• Air flow optimized nose cone
• Race developed cooling package
• De-Dion rear suspension with high performance dampers
• Wide track front suspension with high performance dampers
• Ventilated front discs and quad piston calipers
• Carbon-fibre interior panels and dash
• Carbon-fibre race seats
• Lightweight 13” alloy wheels with Avon ZZR tyres; 185/55R13 front and 215/55R13 rear
• 4 point race harness
• Q/R Race steering wheel
• High performance focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear
• Toggle switch ignition
• Immobiliser
• Sequential shift lights
• Carbon aero screen
• Black pack

Suspension
Front:   Adjustable double wishbone with roll bar
Rear:    De Dion axle located by lower A-frame and Watts linkage

Brakes
Twin circuit split front/rear with low level warning system. Discs front and rear

Steering
Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock to lock

Wheels and Tyres
Front 6J x 13” AVON ZZR
Rear 8J x 13” AVON ZZR

NEWS: Sabine Schmitz Joins Forces With Ron Simons Racing

Two of our greatest Green Hell buddies – Ron Simons and Sabine Schmitz – have (finally!) joined forces, offering yet another string to the fabulous RSRNurburg and RSRSpa track experience bow. 

"Ring queen" Sabine will now be on hand (most days of the week!) to offer her infamous 'hot taxi laps' around the world's greatest circuits – Spa-Francorchamps and Nurburgring Nordschleife – in the superb, eclectic mix of RSR track hire cars. Quite a heady combination, I can tell you – having sampled both over the years. Certainly a memory of a lifetime.   

For those who do not know, RSRNurburg (run by dude ex-racer, Ron Simons) have built a reputation of excellence over the past 15 years at the famous Nurburgring for driver training, instruction, track car rentals, corporate events and Road Tours. And Sabine Schmitz has raced the world over, but her true passion belongs at the Nurburgring where without doubt, she is most recognizable figure at the Green Hell, and Spa. 

The fabulous Sabine Schmitz said: "I am really thrilled to be able to work with RSR. Their huge fleet of modern cars and wide range of services makes sense for us to create a partnership. We were looking for a reliable and reputable company to help service our clients...it only takes a small glance at RSR’s testimonials to know we are in capable hands.

"The goal is to extend the available offerings, and RSR enables us to do this. Taxi Laps at Spa are really great, throwing the car around on this Formula track is just a joy, I can push so hard!” And in closing, “I am pleased to have formed this partnership. RSR are a professional company that have built a successful business on a reputation of excellence that is known and respected worldwide. Bringing their cars, expertise, various driving & instruction services and programs into our packages will open up new opportunities for our customers from around the world. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with them."
And the ace Ron Simmons added: "We are extremely excited to partner with Sabine. I have followed her career over the years, we have worked together in the past and now we cement this with a formal partnership to continue our combined success” Ron goes on to explain; “This partnership gives our existing customer base another range of options to choose from and now we have the quickest female racer in the world, certainly a force to be reckoned with on track!."
Find out more about how you get involved with these two lovely, experienced, fabulous track people and the RSR experiences at: www.RSRNurburg.com and www.RSRSpa.com.

A marriage made in heaven... or should we say (green) hell!  

NEWS: Reach 200,000+ Petrol Heads With Road Magazine Ads

Got an automotive brand that needs great exposure in a top-quality, 100% FREE, well established, leading digital car magazine? Look how many folk the last four issues of Road Magazine have reached – on average, over 200,000 views each monthly magazine. And with full page, hyperlinked adverts (which stay online indefinitely getting hits) from as little as £130 per monthly magazine (for a full 2013 campaign), what's stopping you? Why pay more, for a lot less? We even give you advertorial and editorial opportunities in the magazine and here on the blog and social media, adding further value. Contact us today by emailing proyle@roadmagazine.co.uk to take up this great offer. Get your brand the advertising & editorial coverage it deserves, for a lot less than you pay elsewhere...
See our 30+ back issues here.

NEWS: Castle Combe Circuit Calendar to Christmas

Our good friends at "Britain's friendly circuit" – historic Castle Combe – may have finished with the year's race activities, but the events, special offers and action keeps on rolling, right up until Christmas. They include:

• Friday 26th October 2012: Car Track Day, last one of the year! Call 01249-782417 to book, or visit http://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/trackdays/carinformation.asp for details. It's a sessioned day, of 15-mins per session, with only 20 cars on track at a time, so plenty of space. Instruction is on hand and the price is £170 per driver or you can club together with a friend as a second car and driver is only £125 and you can split the difference. Nice!
• Friday 26th and Saturday 27th October 2012: Richard Edmonds Auction. The South West auctioneer Richard Edmonds returns to Castle Combe Circuit for his last sale of the year and he is sticking to his winning combination of great pre-war vehicles and genuine British class. Lots include: A 1952 AJS 18MS, 1961 Royal Enfield Constellation 700cc, a brace of John Deers, with a Model A and B booked in, a 1950 Ferguson TED 20-750 and a 1959 Fordson Power Major. Different! Viewing of lots is 10am to 5pm on Thursday 25th October, 8.30am to 6pm: Friday 26th October and from 8am on Saturday 27th October. The auction starts at 9.30am prompt (Friday 26th October) and 10am prompt (Saturday 27th October). Admission is £10 (admits two). Further details: www.richardedmondsauctions.com
• Saturday 27th October 2012: Bristol Pegasus Sprint: The Bristol Pegasus Sprint remains one of CCC's most popular end of season events. It is aimed at club competitors and attracts a number of one-make championships including Morgan, TVR, Scimitar, MGs and Triumph. Get to see competition cars of all makes plus road classes compromising every day road cars that you get to see on your daily commute to work. Admission is FREE! Further details: www.bristolpegasus.com
• Friday 2nd November 2012: Startline Young Driver Experience, aimed at under-17-year-old (12-16, over four feet eight inches) drivers, wanting to get a head-start before they get their provisional licence. This is a press launch day and offers an opportunity for students to get behind the wheel for the first time and in a safe, enclosed, historic circuit environment, with great instructors. There are two courses: Starter Drive, which is a two-hour course with approx. 35 minute drive time (max. 30mph) and includes basic driving skills, based in the paddock with one lap of the circuit at the end of the course. Or there's the Advanced Drive, a four-hour course with approx. one-hour drive time (max. 40mph). This includes basic driving skills, car maintenance and road safety and includes the "Beer Goggle Walk," based in the paddock and on the circuit. Pre-booking essential. Full details can be found at www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk or by telephoning 01249 782417.
• Finally, Castle Combe Circuit is offering a FREE Gift on selected Driving Experiences, Season Tickets, Track Days and more purchased this Christmas…! Take your pick from a variety of ace CCC racing experiences. All driving experiences including the “truest to motor racing experience,” on courses like the Single Seater Driving Experience or Track Days Experience. You can buy these, or event Season Tickets online at www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk, or by telephoning 01249 782417.

NEWS: Donington Park Multi-million £ Investment

Great news if you, like us are big fans of Donington Park Circuit – they have just started a huge multi-million pound re-investment to reinstate, re-shape and landscape the infield spectator and outdoor exhibition areas of its world-class race track. The two-year project will see new spectator banks created on the infield overlooking the Old Hairpin, Starkeys Bridge and McLeans. When complete, this work will also greatly improve the viewing areas around Coppice, along the main Straight, and into both the Fogarty Esses (Grand Prix circuit) and the newly-named Roberts chicane on the National track layout, which format is much used by BTCC and all historic racing. Bob Adams, Donington Park Circuit Manager, commented: "This is a major project for the Park and will create a fantastic viewing area for all the fans. We’ll be shaping 250,000 tons of material with topsoil and new grass lawns, right across these 24 acres, to make sure they will work well as our new spectator banks. We are also taking the opportunity to construct new roads to improve access to the infield area, both for show cars at major events to reach display areas, but more importantly for the many manufacturer displays and the traders who enjoy the advantages of the infield."
The original Donington Park infield was excavated by contractors working for the previous operator’s ill-fated Formula 1 circuit rebuild in 2009. Now placing that whole episode firmly into the history books, the new Donington ownership and management has, following a successful council planning application this summer, now committed to transform the circuit over the next two winters.
Phase one of the infield restoration will be completed by the end of March 2013. This will see the eastern half of the infield restored. Phase two will take place during the 2013-2014 winter circuit closed period, thereby ensuring that all the new spectator banks are completed and ready for the significant growth plans for the 2014 racing season.
In 2012, Donington Park has hosted its busiest racing schedule ever, with more than 30 events of the very best in World, European and British motor sport, including the World and British Superbikes, the British Touring Car Championship, the British Truck Grand Prix, and the European Le Mans Series. In addition,Donington Park will this weekend (29th and 30th September) host the concluding round of the FIA GT1 World Championship.
Christopher Tate, Managing Director at Donington Park, added: "We’ve had an amazing year of dramatic racing and a return of the crowds, for both the two and the four wheel events at the circuit. Now, with the infield work already fully underway, Donington Park continues its rebirth as the heart and soul of British motorsport."
For further information on events at Donington Park, visit the website at www.donington-park.co.uk.

PROJECT CARS: Project S4 Track Preparation

Project S4, our old dog leaning new tricks, is getting ready for some track time later this "Summer" (good job it's equipped with Quattro in this weather!). We're just about to go up to our good pal Dave Green's garage at Henstead Motors (http://www.henstead-motorsport.co.uk/) to fit a raft of suspension upgrades and finish off the brake kit fit, in preparation for some track days, end of this season and into Autumn and Winter (we like to slide). First up, we're about to fit the Tarox (http://en.tarox.com/) grooved, heat-treated, hand finished solid rear discs and re-bleed the system to maximum stopping power, fade-free on track as it has been on the road, we hope. Great piece of kit. Then we are setting about optimising the S4's suspension – already upgraded with Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, which are fabulous. We're fitting a full set of Powerflex (http://www.powerflex.co.uk/) high performance Polyurethane suspension bushes, replacing 12-year-old rubber with 30% stiffer, longer lasting polybushes, which should reduce tyre wear, increase braking and cornering stability and reduce inertia no end... not to mention match the Bilsteins in upping the grip level, further still. High hopes for these innovative, great value products. Speaking of grip, we're also fitting an upgraded, heavy duty rear swaybar (anti-roll bar or stabiliser bar to some), along with camber and caster inducing chassis control devices from Australian suspension genius brand, Whiteline (http://www.whiteline.com.au/). Most effective, best value modification you can make to your suspension... just maybe?  
Read all the latest posts on our website Project Car section here: http://www.roadmagazine.co.uk/project-cars/

And like and follow us on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/roadmagblog

VIDEO: How to Drive Donington Park National Circuit

Our very good track day organising pals, RMA (http://www.rmatrackdays.com/), run by "Track Day King," Graham Clarke sent us this video of his son, racer and ARDS/RMA Chief instructor, Leyton Clarke (http://www.leytonclarke.co.uk/) showing off the right (wet) lines around Donington Park National Circuit, with commentary, in a Porsche Carrera GTS. So, there's no excuse for bottling it at Cranner now! Seen Leyton go a lot quicker here, but that's not the point. Watch and learn track day hounds...