Caterham Graduates Racing Club is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

motor-racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...

club for

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

racing drivers in

Caterham Seven The Caterham 7 (or Caterham Seven) is a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom. It is based on the Lotus Seven, a lightweight sports car sold in kit and factory-built form by Lotus Cars, from 1957 to 1972 ...

type cars.

History

The Caterham Graduates Championship was started in 1998 by competitors from the 1997 Caterham Scholarship (subsequently

Caterham Academy The Caterham Academy is a motor-racing championship exclusively open to novices, as their first foray into motorsport. Scholarship years - 1995-1999 In 1995 the Caterham Scholarship, a novices-only speed events and racing series, was establi ...

). For the first year it was called the Graduate 797 series (the first "7" for Caterham Seven, and "97" from the year that most drivers started competing). In its first two years, it was a multi-discipline series, with the rounds being made up of sprints (single car on track, against the clock),

hillclimbs Hillclimbing, also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing, or speed hill climbing, is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, since the firs ...

, and circuit races, similar to the Caterham Scholarship format. The emphasis moved more and more towards circuit races, and from 2000-on the series has been entirely circuit races. In 2001, following the Caterham Academy's change to

Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US * ...

-engined cars, the championship launched a second class named Super Graduates, based upon an uprated K-Series Academy car. In 2003, the Super Graduates class was further upgraded and renamed the Mega Graduates. A replacement Super Graduates class was created to accommodate standard ex-Academy cars with Rover K-series engines. In 2007, the "Graduates" class was rebranded "Classic Graduates". In 2010, Ford Sigma-engined cars were introduced as a sub-class of Super Graduates. From 2011 onwards, the Sigma cars have been a separate, 4th championship class. In 2013, a 5th championship class was introduced for variants of the Ford Sigma-engined cars - SigMax. This allows suspension and engine upgrades in line with the Caterham Tracksport and Supersport series. In 2019, the Super Graduates class was discontinued and merged into the Mega Graduate class. New classes were introduced for variable camshaft Sigma engines, 135 and 150 classes corresponding to 270R and 310R in the Caterham Motorsport series. In 2020, the Mega Graduate class was merged into the SigMax class by allowing for the fitting of an LSD. In 2021, Classic Graduates were discontinued leaving 135, 150 and SigMax classes. The series is one of the largest in the UK, if not the largest, with well over 100 registered competitors. The competitors come from a variety of backgrounds - a number have "graduated" from the novice Caterham Scholarship and Academy series, whilst many others have made it their first foray into

motorsport Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of t ...

Racing

The Caterham Graduates race series takes place over a number of races meeting each year at UK and Europea
motor racing circuits
The races are usually run over 20–30 minutes and the leading car across the line after the time has expired is the winner. Wherever possible, each class starts on its own grids, but on larger grids it is usually necessary to combine two or more classes. The events are typified by close wheel to wheel racing, often having several lead changes on the same lap. Points are awarded thus: 40 for a win, 39 for 2nd place, 38 for 3rd place, right down to 2 points for finishing 39th or lower. And even a driver who fails to finish will still earn one point. At the end of the season, drivers drop their lowest three scores, to allow for missing a race or two, or a "DNF" (did not finish). In addition to the standard

Motorsport UK Motorsport UK, formerly known as the Motor Sports Association (MSA), is a national membership organisation and governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the United Kingdom. Legally, it is a not-for-profit private company limited by guarantee. ...

rules, the club operates a Driving Standards function which ensures that the close racing is fair and safe for all. The club's racing is organised through the BARC.

Car Specifications

The cars in the series are genuinely road-going, although Mega and SigMax Graduates spec is moving away from this with the deletion of lights, and indeed a few are driven to and (hopefully) from races. Many are used by drivers mid-week for transport to work and for shopping, needing no more than the covering up of competition numbers to make them road-legal. No changes from the standard specification are allowed, putting the emphasis firmly on driving ability rather than car development and set-up. Along with low consumable costs, this keeps the costs of running a car very much under control, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to go racing. The large grid sizes are a testament to this low-cost formula. Current classes are:

SigMax

Uprated 1600cc Ford Sigma-engined cars from the 2008

onwards or 2009/10 Roadsport B. No lights or windscreen, widetrack suspension, controlled engine upgrades, limited slip differential (LSD) and lightened flywheel. Legacy "Mega Graduate" cars can also race in SigMax with the addition of an LSD to the previous Mega Graduate specification. Power is around 145 hp.

135

Uses the

Ford Sigma engine The Ford Sigma is a small straight-4 automobile engine introduced in 1995 by Ford Motor Company. Its first evolution was sold as the Zetec-S (not to be confused with the trim level), then Zetec-SE and finally, in later years, renamed Duratec. Th ...

with TiVCT variable valve timing, as used in the Caterham Academy from 2014 onwards. The specification mirrors the 270R specification in Caterham Motorsport apart from tyres, which are medium compound Yokohama AO48R. Upgrades from Academy spec include a rear anti-roll bar, wide-track front suspension, removal of headlights and windscreen and a mild engine retune. Power is 135 hp.

150

Upgrades from the 135 class, the 150 class mirrors the 310R specification in Caterham Motorsport apart from tyres, which are medium compound Yokohama AO48R. Upgrades from the 135 class include a limited slip differential and a further engine tune with airbox, different camshafts and remapped ignition. Power is 152 hp.

Affordability and Technical Support

Affordability is a key ingredient to Caterham Graduates racing. Strict regulations allow only limited modifications and work on the sealed engines is limited to nominated engine builders. Other ways the club promotes affordability include limiting the amount of tyres the drivers can use through the season, providing race-day

catering Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio. History of catering The earliest account of major servi ...

as part of the drivers' entry fees, and encouraging drivers either to stay on-site at the circuits or in budget hotels locally. Wherever possible, a low-priced "free practice" session is available before qualifying, so drivers can familiarise themselves with the circuit without having to book a full day of testing before the meeting.

Race Numbers

Race numbers 1-49 go to Mega Graduates, 51-69 to Sigma Graduates, 71-99 to Classic Graduates, 101-149 to Super Graduates and 151-199 to Sigmax Graduate cars. The lower race numbers represent a driver's performance in the previous season, as the first ten numbers in each class are reserved for those finishing in the previous year's top ten. For instance, Ian Anderson's number 171 indicates that he came 1st in Sigma Graduates in 2011. Higher numbers go to those who are new to the championship or class.

Champions

Notable Past Champions

* 2001 Super Graduate champion Nelson Rowe, who went on to win Caterham Roadsports A in 2002 and won th
2007 UK Historic Formula Ford Championship
* 2002 Super Graduate runner-u
Jon Barnes
winner of the 2004 Caterham Eurocup series, the 2005 Caterham Masters championship, the 2006

Formula Palmer Audi Formula Palmer Audi, officially abbreviated to FPA, and sometimes informally abbreviated to Palmer Audi, was a one-make class of open wheel Formula racing founded in 1998 by former Formula One driver, Jonathan Palmer. It was based in the United ...

championship and the 2008

British GT Championship The British GT Championship is a sports car racing series based predominantly in the United Kingdom. The series was originally created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and, for its first two seasons, was known as the National Sports GT ...

. * 2002 Graduates Champion Rachel Green - the first woman to win a one-make Caterham championship, and twice winner of the Lord Wakefield trophy. The award is given for "outstanding achievement by a woman in motorsport worldwide." * 2006 Mega Graduate champion Guy Halley, who competed in the

SEAT Cupra Championship The SEAT Cupra Championship was a one-make series that ran for six years between 2003 and 2008, the last five of which ran as a support package to the British Touring Car Championship. Originally the prize for winning the championship was a driv ...

, a support championship to the

British Touring Car Championship The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed a ...

. * 2007 Mega Graduate runner-up Ollie Jackson, who won the 2010 Pro-Am category of the

Porsche Carrera Cup Porsche Carrera Cup (sometimes abbreviated PCC) is a number of one-make racing by Porsche premier series competed with, initially Porsche 911 Carrera Cup, then later Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. The cars are specifically built by Porsche for one- ...

, drove the Lotus Evora GT4 in the 2011

, the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra in the 2011

and the Century Motorsport Ginetta GT55 in the 2015

Ginetta GT4 Supercup The Ginetta GT4 Supercup is a one-make racing, Sports car racing series based in the United Kingdom, using identical Ginetta G50 and G55 sports cars. The championship currently supports the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). The cha ...

. * Multiple Classic, Super and Mega Graduate champion Jamie Ellwood, now a race-winner in the Caterham Superlight R300 championship. Jamie has won a total of 6 Caterham Championships, and the only person to have won all of the Graduates Club classes in which he competed. He is quoted by Caterham Cars as "the most successful Caterham racer ever". * 2009 Classic Graduate Champion Flick Haigh, who won the championship in an exciting final round decider at a very wet Spa Francorchamps. Flick is the second female champion in the club's history, following Rachel Green's triumph in 2002. After racing in the Caterham R300 championship, she is now driving an Optimum Motorsport Ginetta GT55 in the 2015

External links

References

{{Caterham Group One-make series

Graduates Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is al ...