WELCOME TO
THE SILVERSTONE RACING SCHOOL
Moss, Hill, Hunt, Mansell and Hamilton, just some of the racing legends that have called Silverstone their home. Whether you’re just gridding up on your racing journey or a podium regular there’s no where more suitable for you to gain your Novice Driver Training Course - NDTC (ARDS).
From
£345
Created and launched here at Silverstone, in the early nineties, the Novice Driver Training Course (NDTC/ARDS) was developed from a need to improve the skill, safety, and understanding of novice drivers taking their first steps into the world of motorsport.
Our Head of Race Training, Steve Deeks, was heavily involved in making the NDTC vision a reality, with involvement in the course design, training materials, and exam content. Meaning when you choose to take your NDTC course with us, you’re in the hands of experts.
Over the last 30 years, tens of thousands of successful competition licence holders have taken to the track. We’re committed to giving novice drivers the guidance they need to start the engine on their track careers. That’s why we’ve focused on substantially upgrading our ARDS offering, putting it front and centre of our racing school operation.
The first step, if you want to go racing, is to buy a Motorsport UK starter pack, containing the ‘Go Racing’ video, ‘Blue Book’, and all the information you’ll need to book your course and to start revising your flags. Legends past and present have started their journey with Silverstone, and we can’t wait to be there for yours.
At the Silverstone Racing School we have an NDTC (ARDS) Licence Course to suit every driver. From those just beginning to dip the throttle on their racing career to the regular podium toppers. You’ll find a summary of our core courses below, but please get in touch with a member of our team should you have something specific in mind.
This course is suitable for drivers who have some previous track or motorsport experience. It’s an accessible way into the sport and you can expect:
- This is a comprehensive, half-day course where you will receive guidance and coaching from a top Silverstone Instructor.
- Start your course with a one-hour track craft briefing from our S Grade Instructor, covering all aspects of driving line and technique.
- Followed by 2x 20-minute track sessions in the racing school’s fleet of manual-shift 410 BHP BMW M2 Competition, accompanied by an A Grade Instructor, the first a tutorial and the second a track assessment.
- Finish your course in the classroom with a video refresh, written exam and comprehensive debrief.
- Course available from £345
The ultimate opportunity for any budding driver to work with a race winning instructor on the Formula 1 British Grand Prix circuit behind the wheel of a capable and powerful racing machine.
For more information, dates and pre-enrolment information speak to a member of our team here.
Aimed at both drivers who have some previous track or motorsport experience, or, relative novices who have a feeling that this is the sport for them. A fantastic insight into the skill set required to not just compete, but also run at the front of the pack, here’s what to expect:
- This is a highly detailed, full-day course where you will receive guidance and coaching from a top Silverstone A Grade Instructor.
- Start your course with a one-hour track craft briefing from our S Grade Instructor, covering all aspects of driving line and technique.
- Followed by 4x 20-minute track sessions in the racing school’s fleet of manual-shift 410 BHP BMW M2 Competition, the first 3 tutorials, and the final 1 a track assessment.
- Development of car control skills with training on competition elements from our specialist instructors in-car control and vehicle dynamics in both our Roadsport Caterham and hydraulic-framed ’SkidCar’ system, mastering the art of race starts, threshold braking, and advanced car control.
- Finish your day in the classroom with a video refresh, written exam and comprehensive debrief.
- Successful competition of this course results in not only an NTDC (ARDS) pass but also the gaining of a licence upgrade signature from the S Grade licence course leader
- Course available from £850.
Developed for racers who want to hit the ground running, expect to learn more in the day from our race winning instructors than in a whole season of club racing! With serious seat time in three different school training platforms it’s the chance to not only earn your race licence, but also cut chunks off your lap time.
For more information, dates and pre-enrolment information speak to a member of our team here.
Aimed at young racers who have some previous track or motorsport experience our Cadet Clubman Course is not suitable for complete track beginners. Here’s what you can expect:
- This is a comprehensive, half-day course where you will receive guidance and coaching from a top Silverstone Instructor.
- Start your course with a one-hour track craft briefing from our S Grade Instructor, covering all aspects of driving line and technique.
- Followed by 2x 20-minute track sessions in the racing school’s fleet of manual-shift 410 BHP BMW M2 Competition, accompanied by an A Grade Instructor, the first a tutorial and the second a track assessment.
- Finish your course in the classroom with a video refresh, written exam and comprehensive debrief.
- Course available from £345
Perfect for young racers with seat time under their belts! The ultimate opportunity to learn from the best at the home of racing legends and British Motorsport. if you’re just starting your racing journey we recommend our Junior Pro Licence Course.
For more information, dates and pre-enrolment information speak to a member of our team here.
This course is perfect for young racers, who, ideally, have some previous track or motorsport experience. Designed with the young sportsperson in mind, here’s what you can expect:
- This is a highly detailed, full-day course where you will receive guidance and coaching from a top Silverstone A Grade Instructor.
- Start your course with a one-hour track craft briefing from our S Grade Instructor, covering all aspects of driving line and technique.
- Followed by 4x 20-minute track sessions in the racing school’s fleet of manual-shift 410 BHP BMW M2 Competition, the first 3 tutorials, and the final 1 a track assessment.
- Development of car control skills with training on competition elements from our specialist instructors in-car control and vehicle dynamics in both our Roadsport Caterham and hydraulic-framed ’SkidCar’ system, mastering the art of race starts, threshold braking, and advanced car control.
- Finish your day in the classroom with a video refresh, written exam and comprehensive debrief.
- Successful competition of this course results in not only an NTDC (ARDS) pass but also the gaining of a licence upgrade signature from the S Grade licence course leader
- Course available from £850.
Developed for young racers we’ll make the transition into car racing as straightforward as possible. With serious seat time in three different school training platforms and coaching by race winning instructors at the home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. The Cadet Pro is not only a chance to earn your ‘Junior’ race licence in a day, but set you off on the right foot at the home of British Motorsport.
For more information, dates and pre-enrolment information speak to a member of our team here.
2024 ARDS COURSE DATES
We're currently working on our 2024 ARDs dates, check back soon for updates
We've checked the boxes on your perfect NDTC (ARDS) Course, a World-class facility and unbeatable team, now it's time to grid up the fleet that will help you to the checkered flag.
If you were to design the ultimate race driver training platform it would look exactly like BMW’s M2 Competition - and it would be one of the ultra-rare manual shift versions to boot. We started with a clean sheet of paper. With brakes, handling and sheer pace that take it into supercar territory, there was, frankly, nothing better for the track available to the team - at any price.
Pioneered by Swedish Company, Cedergrens in the late eighties, the hydraulic-framed infinitely variable low-grip solution redefined car control practice for driving professionals Worldwide. Head of Race Training Steve Deeks was in the initial team of ten instructors in the World chosen and licensed to teach on the platform. For our pupils, Skid Car is the fast track to mastering a skill that is absolutely critical to run at the front of the grid - regardless of track conditions. Car control equals confidence - equals lap times.
Their is simply no better way to take car control to 'level two' than an outing in a race-kitted Caterham, and Silverstone use these lightweights extensively, honing our trainee's throttle ‘feel’ and finesse over repeated laps of our tricky tarmac gymkhana course. Chasing tenths of a second is the name of the game here, and the Caterham rewards overdriving with a tank-slow lap time.
