XCAR: How to Begin a Career as a Race Car Driver

A lot of kids grow up with dreams of one day being a racing driver. The speed, the glory, the fans and the excitement of being part of the racing culture is very attractive to a lot of people. But how does one get started on a career as a professional driver? XCAR takes a look at the first step for UK drivers: passing the Association of Racing Drivers Schools‘ Novice Driver Training Course, commonly referred to simply as the ARDS test.

Three XCAR drivers – Nick Wilkinson, Alex Goy, and Drew Stearne– who have had the chance to drive a lot of cars on a lot of tracks, share their experience in taking the test. To pass, they must take a theory test and take a practical exam on the track. The driving is done on the Brands Hatch Circuit, which is the first time on that track for all three of them, and they find it much harder than they expected. It’s a notoriously hard track to master and driving it on a wet day isn’t helping. You’ll have to watch to the end to see how they ended up.