P AT H T O T H E B T C C
WorldMags.net
BTCC racer Smith
is a Clio graduate
single-seaters to another discipline
is “the old-fashioned way” but still
,
“the best route to touring cars”
.
“I’m a race-team owner and I
should be all for drivers coming to
me earlier,” he says. “The kids need
time in the seat, and to do that in
karting is much cheaper and it’s got
the right tyres on. The JSCC does
give you track time and experience,
but I don’t think that helps.
“A driver couldn’t learn the skills
needed to move into touring cars by
driving in Ginetta Juniors, because
it’s run on road tyres. In my opinion,
that’s not even relevant to proper
racing. I think you go backwards by
doing that. But by running in the
Clios with slick tyres, then I believe
you could be ready for touring cars.”
Hunt’s argument is also based on
the principle that the people who
were spending six-figure sums to
compete in international karting, for
example, aren’t the sort of people
looking to spending a fifth of that
sum to put their child in a Citroen
Saxo. As such, Clios (upwards of
£75,000) is not out of the question.
But Watson thinks something
like the JSCC could become a target
for drivers lower than the karting
ladder, using the JSCC to get
a grounding in car racing. He’s
also keen to stress that the real
experience would then be gained
by moving into the Clio Cup.
“There seems to be an awful lot
of kids coming out of karting these
days who want to move into car
racing because the costs of karting
at the top level are getting too
expensive,” he says. “Hence they are
absolutely staggered that they can
come and race in Junior Saloons
at 14 or 15 years old and probably
spend less than half the money they
would have to do a season in karting.
“That then gives them the
opportunity to learn about car racing
which, although it has similarities,
is considerably different to karts. It
also gives them the chance to go
through that learning phase on the
WorldMags.net
“The Clio Cup
has become a
feeder category for
the BTCC. There’s
logic to what we’re
trying to achieve”
IAN WATSON
long circuits before moving on to
a championship such as the Clio
Cup, which has become a feeder
category for the BTCC.
“I know that isn’t what the
karting industry wants to hear, but
I think there’s logic to what we’re
trying to achieve.”
There is a lot to be said for the
conventional path. Ginetta Junior
champion Jack Mitchell is eyeing
a touring car future, for example,
but admitted last year he was
considering single-seaters.
That path is not open to everyone,
though. The budget for even the
most entry-level of single-seater
experience easily outstrips a tin-top
alternative. So then it becomes a
case of drivers making the decision
that best suits them. Although a
year on treaded tyres brings limited
benefits, there’s still track time and
car experience – two invaluable
factors in a driver’s development.
That is what the BARC is hoping
the JSCC can provide.
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ST is more powerful and a chunk
quicker than its Citroen Saxo, and
the Ford is more BTCC-relevant
than the Ginetta given its FWD.
But, and this is where the JSCC
could gain momentum, the Fiesta
Junior series has not gained popular
traction. Grids are poor and, while
it has a decent recent history of
graduates (including Clio Cup racer
Charles Ladell and youngest-ever
BTCC debutant Aiden Moffat),
there has been little indication
that this series is the one to begin
a tin-top career in.
That’s why, while the concept
of a series for 14-t0-17-year-olds
is nothing new and there are
limitations in how transferable
treaded-tyre experience is, the
BARC is pushing hard for its JSCC
to be a success and establish a link
to its Clio categories. Last year’s
champion James Dorlin has already
confirmed a drive in the Clio Cup
Series, while Ben Colburn is the
younger brother of established
Clio Cup UK race winner James.
The infras tructure the club and the
teams are building is clear. Watson
says it is “a natural progression”
.
“I think it makes sense to try and
get kids started on that route as
soon as we possibly can,” he adds.
But not everybody is convinced.
Mark Hunt – whose Team Pyro
outfit has dominated the Clio Cup
UK in recent years – is one who is
concerned by the need for junior
series to use treaded tyres. Budget
allowing, he says that karting to
EBREY/LAT
EBREY/LAT
Clio and JSCC team
Westbourne is investing
in the BARC ladder