Student race team hot off of the grid at Silverstone
As the F1 Grand Prix season opened in Australia a team of
Bedford College students lit up the track at Silverstone in the
Britcar Championship, broadcast on Sky TV.
High performance
The student team came second in their class, pitting themselves
against adult teams in this professional race series taking place
across the country over 8 months, with the final round in November
at Donington, the new home of the British F1 Grand Prix.
Twenty two students (aged 16-18) from the Vehicle Training
Centre at Bedford College have transformed a MG ZS road car into a
high performance racing car for the Britcar Championship.
"Real commitment"
Paul Kneeshaw, Centre Manager for Motor Vehicle Training at
Bedford College has worked with race teams at home and
abroad. Along with colleagues he set up Lunar Racing,
bringing together expertise in engineering, education and F1
motorsports. Their aim is to encourage interest in
engineering and science by providing cars for students to work on
in schools and colleges across the country.
He said:
“As a teacher I want to give students real work experience and
the best way to do that is to provide the workplace. Students
have to show real commitment to work on high performance cars that
are tested to their limits on the race track. The car has to
run for two hours at high speeds without breaking down. The
work of the student mechanics is crucial to performance of the
car.
“The racing car drivers are putting their lives in the hands of
our students. The car has to be safe and capable of high
performance. Students working on the car have to show
reliability that is second to none.
“One 16 year old student who joined us with no qualifications
has now successfully completed a vehicle maintenance course and is
going on to study BTEC and aims to go to university. He is
studying at College while working in a professional race team –
what a start!
“This experience makes such a difference to students. I
always want to go above and beyond and want our students to do the
same.”
High standards
Professional drivers Gayle Hill and Sarah Franklin have talked
to students about careers in motorsport and will join Paul Kneeshaw
in taking the car to feeder schools at the end of the championship
season to show what is possible at Bedford College.
Work on the Britcar racing car is all part of the students’
qualification and gives them real experience in a sport that sets
high standards and expects the best.