Fast track to glory

From the archive, first published Saturday 11th Mar 2000.

Budding Jenson Buttons flocked to Silverstone racing circuit in a high-speed bid for glory, writes David Duffy.

A record number of schools moved into top gear for the Formula Schools 2000 race meeting.

Youngsters at 22 schools designed and built one-eighth scale, radio-controlled models of Formula One cars, which they raced on a special indoor track in a bid to win the prestigious Heart of England Training and Enterprise Championship.

The championship - won by Lord Williams's School in Thame - was devised as a way of encouraging an interest among youngsters in engineering - and it has proved a winner.

Carol Brand, chief executive of the TEC said: "The race has certainly helped to raise the profile of engineering in schools because it presents several challenges and stimulates interest in aerodynamics and manufacturing." The championship was the result of a special motorsport task force, set up by the TEC, to boost interest in engineering and ensure a supply of qualified engineers for the burgeoning motorsport industry.

As a result of its work, a special course in automotive engineering was set up at Oxford Brookes University and the first students have graduated.

The first Motorsport Modern Apprentices are entering their second year at Rycotewood College, Thame.

In his latest report Dr Treve Willis, of Oxford Innovation, who is retained by the TEC to act as the Motorsport Taskforce co-ordinator, said: "Companies involved in motorsport are generally small and medium-sized and do not have the cash and people to support these sort of initiatives. "By working together with organisations such as the TEC and Oxford Innovations the Taskforce has provided the resources to convert ideas into actions."

The full results were: Champions - Lord Williams's School, Thame, runners-up - Gillott's School, Henley, third - Banbury School.

Top driver - Sam Watson, 15, of High Wycombe (Gillott's School), runners-up - Tom Vincent, 13, of Shirburn Street, Watlington and Alex Wheatley, 13, of High Street, Little Milton (Lord Williams's).

Other results: Manufacturing (Dynamics) - Winners: Marlborough School, Woodstock, joint runners-up, Burford School and Community College, King Alfred's School, Wantage and Lord Williams's School, Thame.

Manufacturing (Engineering) - Winners: Wheatley Park School, runners-up Marlborough School. Teamwork - Winner: Lord Williams's School, Thame, runners-up Marlborough School.

Story date: Saturday 11 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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