Colin Mason

rcwatts17 · 4 Mar 2002, 12:55 (Ref:227711)

It has been confirmed that Colin Mason will compete in the ARDS Scholarship this year run by the Aintree Racing Drivers School.

Colin will have to go through a Qualifying round to get to a semi final. The best 12 drivers from the semi's go through to the final in June and will undergo assessments and timed test sessions in a race-prepared Formula Ford 1600 car. After their lapping sessions, a panel of expert judges will analyse each contestants lap times and driving marks and assess their promotability and suitability to receive the accolade of one of our fully sponsored drives. All twelve grand finalists will be given the opportunity to lap a Formula 3 car and a 96 Formula 1 car.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Colin to gain experience of single seater racing cars with the hope of breaking into Formula Ford the following year. Colin said "I knew we would get a break sometime soon and this is brilliant. I am pretty confident of at least getting to the final and hopefully i can win the championship".

The first three placed drivers in the final will recieve the following.

1st = Fully paid Formula Ford test.
4 races in Formula Ford Championship

2nd = Fully paid Formula Ford test.
3 races in Formula Ford Championship

3rd = Fully paid Formula Ford test.
1 race in Formula Ford Championship

Taken from www.colin-mason.co.uk

Russfeld · 4 Mar 2002, 13:03 (Ref:227722)

Where have I heard this name before? And I dont follow karting.

Maybe its just a good name.

hysen · 4 Mar 2002, 13:18 (Ref:227736)

Quote:

Originally posted by rcwatts17
"I knew we would get a break sometime soon and this is brilliant.

Interesting quote.

rcwatts17 · 4 Mar 2002, 13:23 (Ref:227742)

You may have seen his name mentioned on the ten-tenths message board. Im Colin's manager, im trying to build up his reputation a bit to get more people to recognsie his name. This year he will be entering the aintree scholarship in the hope of winning a fully funded formula ford drive. If you or anyone wants to know more about him, check out his site.

rcwatts17 · 4 Mar 2002, 14:41 (Ref:227789)

Is their anyone on the board who has experience of competing in the scholarship? If so do you think it will benefit Colin's experience of single seaters?

rcwatts17 · 4 Mar 2002, 16:53 (Ref:227855)

I've just read the aintree!racing drivers school website and it says that the 96 F1 car is actually the Lola car that was raced by Luca Badoer. I know the car was rubbish but it's still an F1 car and 600bhp is nothing to be laughed at!

rcwatts17 · 4 Mar 2002, 16:54 (Ref:227856)

Sorry i meant the Forti not the Lola.

superbird · 4 Mar 2002, 17:02 (Ref:227863)

what was Colin's Super One record like?

rcwatts17 · 4 Mar 2002, 17:14 (Ref:227871)

Colin did not race in Super 1, Did you read that in AutoSport?

superbird · 4 Mar 2002, 18:22 (Ref:227913)

no, I'm just interested in finding out if he's any good and unless he's raced in S1 or CoF I've not really got a frame of reference. Why not if you don't mind me asking?

rcwatts17 · 5 Mar 2002, 09:46 (Ref:228352)

Colin was going to enter the super 1 championship, but unfortunately we could not get the sponsorship together before the registration deadline. We have a number of options this year and we are most probably going to try and break into single seaters and move away from karts.

Single seaters is the natural progression and every karters aim is to drive them eventually, our approach to the future has been "why race them later when you can race them now?" In that way when other karters progress to single seaters in a few years, hopefully colin will have a few years experience over them.

It looked very likely that Colin would be entering the Aintree Racing Drivers Scholarship this year, but that may not be certian now as it looks though we may have a better alternative on the cards.

superbird · 5 Mar 2002, 14:16 (Ref:228491)

Quote:

every karters aim is to drive them eventually

well no actually, it's a sport in it's own right, but good luck and keep us informed!

hysen · 5 Mar 2002, 19:06 (Ref:228673)

Quote:

Originally posted by rcwatts17
Single seaters is the natural progression and every karters aim is to drive them eventually, our approach to the future has been "why race them later when you can race them now?" In that way when other karters progress to single seaters in a few years, hopefully colin will have a few years experience over them.

It looked very likely that Colin would be entering the Aintree Racing Drivers Scholarship this year, but that may not be certian now as it looks though we may have a better alternative on the cards.

Have to agree with superbird, not every karter wants to take a step down (in my opinion) and move to cars.

As for the Aintree Scholarship, I did it about 3 years ago and have to say found it pretty worthless. The Wigan track isnt big enough for cars and you only make about 2 gear changes per lap in what are very old and tired cars. Best part of the day was driving the schools Impreza's, however you dont even get to do that anymore as they've changed to Rover 200's now.

rcwatts17 · 6 Mar 2002, 09:35 (Ref:229087)

Yes, i see what you mean. On closer reading of the site and the few opinions i have gathered from various people have let me to the decision that this AIntree Schoalrship may not be up to what it says it is. From what i gather most of the driving is doen behind the safety car at reduced speed, and the circuit is only a kart track i hear. And the worst thing of all is the fact that they say that the top three get formula ford drives. Well in fact these formula ford drives are at the same track in wigan, and not in the British FFord championship as they make out.

Instead of entering Colin into this, we seem to have had a better offer. Colin studies Motorsport Engineering at College and will be doing work experience at the Pembrey circuit in April. He knows the bosses of Pembrey and they have said that he can test a FFord car at the same day as the FFord teams have one of their official test days. That way he will have a chance to impress in front of the watching teams. I cannot see us doing any thing other than testing this season because money is tight, and sponsorship is porving difficult to get, but hopefully we will be in a position at the end of the year to bid for a fford race seat.

I'll keep you all posted as to what happens.

rcwatts17 · 6 Mar 2002, 09:37 (Ref:229088)

Just out of curiosity. What are your opinions of Colin's website? What is good and what is bad? How does it comapre to other drivers sites?

hysen · 6 Mar 2002, 10:19 (Ref:229125)

Quote:

Originally posted by rcwatts17
Just out of curiosity. What are your opinions of Colin's website? What is good and what is bad? How does it comapre to other drivers sites?

Its a nice enough site and you have some good information, but the presentation is a little staid. An injection of colour and alot more photo's would help.

Francesca · 6 Mar 2002, 11:14 (Ref:229164)

It seems to me that the Aintree scholarship scheme is just a big money-spinner - think about it - they stand to make at least about £40,000 a year!

Yes, I like Colin's site but agree a little colour would improve it. Some kind of logo or photo logo on the home page would be good, even if it's just his helmet design.

rcwatts17 · 6 Mar 2002, 11:30 (Ref:229172)

These people at Aintree certainly have a way of selling themselves to the public, its quite decieving really. That f1 car they use, the forti i think. I cannot for the life of me imagine that being full spec, it must be tuned down heavily. I mean they are not going to let complete novices loose with 600bhp! Its probably not even as fast as a fford.

superbird · 6 Mar 2002, 17:08 (Ref:229350)

Quote:

Instead of entering Colin into this, we seem to have had a better offer. Colin studies Motorsport Engineering at College and will be doing work experience at the Pembrey circuit in April. He knows the bosses of Pembrey and they have said that he can test a FFord car at the same day as the FFord teams have one of their official test days. That way he will have a chance to impress in front of the watching teams. I cannot see us doing any thing other than testing this season because money is tight, and sponsorship is porving difficult to get, but hopefully we will be in a position at the end of the year to bid for a fford race seat.

that's a good idea. btw, Colin isn't at Swansea Institute is he?

just as an aside, we raced at Wigan in Champions of the Future last year and one of the Cadets' fathers brought his Formula BOSS Jordan 194 along to do a few laps, he said he could only get it up to 3rd gear! that Forti ain't gonna be much different.

rcwatts17 · 6 Mar 2002, 18:39 (Ref:229417)

At the moment Colin is studying Motorsport Engineering at Pembrokeshire College, and at the end of this term i believe he will be going to Swansea University to study for a degree in Motorsport Engineering and Design.

superbird · 6 Mar 2002, 18:42 (Ref:229422)

just looked at the site and I agree with the comments so far

don't tell people he's going to Swansea Uni if he isn't (I know because they don't do Motorsport Eng. and Des there)! they are right snobby about us at Swansea Institute so why should they take any credit for Colin?

rcwatts17 · 7 Mar 2002, 09:34 (Ref:229817)

I think that is the course he said, maybe im wrong.

Quote:

Originally posted by superbird
just looked at the site and I agree with the comments so far

What comments?

Simon Pullan · 7 Mar 2002, 11:43 (Ref:229883)

what about the Challenge Initiative? Wouldn't that be something good for Colin to look at? www.cmotorsport.com

superbird · 7 Mar 2002, 15:48 (Ref:230018)

Basically a good site but doesn't really jump out at you, maybe think about putting more colours into it

rcwatts17 · 8 Mar 2002, 09:07 (Ref:230696)

I am currently re designing the site. Any thing on the site that any actually likes or dislikes (apart from colours), anything you'd like to see added to the site?

I am open to suggestions.

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