Good things come in small packages

Thursday, 21 October 2010 16:29

I turned up at Silverstone race circuit preparing myself to see a Smart racing around.

And almost immediately had visions of the car ending up on it’s roof. Living in a city, I have only ever associated these tiny cars with being able to park in spaces that wouldn’t even fit a bike. But I was going to have my eyes opened much wider to this pocket four wheeler.

The For Two Cup is the brainchild of former Britcar winners, James Palmer and Paul Bates, both Smart car drivers and owners of Smarts4you, a company that designs and makes parts for, you’ve guessed it, the Smart car.

James Palmer said: ‘Basically it’s a one make series and the idea behind it is for cheap motorsport; people that can’t usually afford to race to have a go.’

The 2010 Smart ForTwo Brabus has been converted into a road legal race car, so after spending the weekend dicing with fellow Smarties, you can then drive yourself home!

The 3 cylinder inline 998cc engined car will cost £17,860 + vat, with race entry for the season priced at £3,750. Tyres and extras for a season are estimated at £2,500.

Palmer continued: ‘When you look at this compared to some other one make series which cost over £50,000 and some running to nearly £100,000, this is budget motorsport and cars will be the same, so it’ll all be about the driver.’

Running as a support series to the Britcar in 2011, each weekend will consist of a 35 minute practice/qualifying session and then two, 20 minute races. The series is structured so that two people can buy the car between them and split the racing over the rounds.

Of course there are likely to be crashes, but fear not, the essence of this cup is based on it being affordable fun. So with wings priced at £60, it’s not going to write off your season if you happen to play at dodgems on a regular basis.

With racing due to take place at some of the UKs top circuits, such as Silverstone and Brands Hatch, there will also be the possiblity of trying it ‘flat out’ at Spa’s Eau Rouge. And if you’ve ever fancied taking part in the Gumball Rally, you’ll be able to take part in the marque’s very own, Smartball, which will see the cars head to Riccione in Italy.

It’s highly unlikely it’ll be considered as a stepping stone to racing in the British Touring Car Championship, but it has generated interest across the board.

Paul Bates said: ‘We’ve got a few complete novices signed up already, never been in a car before and never thought they could do it. We’ve got some professional drivers interested too and also some youngsters coming from the world of karting, quite a cross spectrum.’

When I think of Smart Cars, I think of them tipping over if it just happened to slightly touch a kerb, or as one driver described it, ‘like a dog cocking it’s leg’. So after hearing the drivers that had been out in it finding it very grippy, this due to the fact that there was too much weight on the front, I was strapped into the six point race harness and taken out onto the circuit.

Now, from the outside, I reckon the sight of such a small car on what is an especially wide track on the new Grand Prix section, must have looked hilarious. The expanse of grey tarmac must have dwarfed it.

But despite all this, my three laps were fun, with a capital F! It was so grippy, it felt like the slicks were actually made of velcro! Going down the Hangar Straight at over 100mph was a surprise in itself. We may have been sharing the track with Porsches and even a Mercedes SLS, which got me very excited, as what I can only describe as ‘burble’ past us, this car more than held it’s own.

Former rally driver and Mercedes Benz World instructor, Neil Cloughley put the car through it’s paces. He said: ‘Straight away when we went out on slicks it had too much grip and the suspension needed tweaking slightly. So we brought the back end down and it’s made a huge difference. I’ve just been out on the road tyres in the wet and it’s absolutely fantastic when you overtake Lotus Elises, Lamborghini Gallardos and a Radical. It’s obviously going well if we can pass that lot in the wet!’

And that sums up what the ForTwo Cup will be about, having fun! I challenge anybody that races these to not have a smile on their face when they’re speeding down the main straight at Silverstone in 2011!

Due to the current economic climate, this series will provide action packed racing for a fraction of the cost and prove an exhilarating experience at the same time.
A Smart move? Definitely. By Olivia Gauch

Worth Checking - F1 News - Motorsport

Comments (1)

|2010-10-23 14:21:10 Alan Manton - 4two Cup - Smarts4You Racing

Such a neat idea! I look forward to seeing the Smart fortwo Brabus racing in the 4two Cup during 2011. Inexpensive and great fun!!
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