CATERHAM 420R CHAMPIONSHIP TO ADOPT SUPERPOLE QUALIFYING FORMAT

Caterham and the BRSCC have announced a ‘SuperPole’ shoot-out qualifying format for the Avon Tyres backed Seven 420R championship, Caterham’s top category.

The ten quickest cars from a slightly shortened regular qualifying session will be under Parc Ferme conditions for a brief period before being released onto the track at timed intervals in order to complete a single flying lap to set a SuperPole time which will determine the top ten grid positions.

“With just one lap to set a time and effectively being alone on track to do it, SuperPole will have the added advantage of negating the strong tow effect of other cars that can lead to a lucky lap or an excuse that a driver could not get a tow.  Never before has Caterham qualifying been so purely dependant on a driver’s talent” says Caterham’s Motorsport Director, Simon Lambert.

As the success of the Seven 420R Championship has grown, professional race teams are upping the ante and looking for any advantage, which is seeing them ‘saving’ their tyres during qualifying for when it really counts- the race.

With tyres effectively limited to just one set per weekend, many teams and drivers are completing just a few laps in qualifying- when the tyres are at their optimum, before leaving the track quiet for much of the 20-minute qualifying session.

“Whilst the racing has been supremely exciting, almost too much so at times, qualifying has become somewhat dull with little on-track action” explains Lambert. “We wanted to inject some real excitement and tension into qualifying, and SuperPole will certainly do that- appealing to the drivers, teams and spectators alike.”

With a stable formula, the Avon Tyres Caterham Seven 420R championship enters its eleventh season this year and still maintains strong grids with new cars being added each year.