John Marcar's Ferrari Challenge Diary | Chapter 1: 'Ready 2 Race'

In the prologue of this diary, I explained how I, an exceptionally lucky motoring journalist, have landed myself a seat in a Ferrari 296 Challenge for the 2025 UK Ferrari Challenge Series.

It's now all just about starting to sink in, but as I alluded to in the final paragraph of my last diary entry, there was a crucial course that I needed to join which would unlock my ability to compete in the series this year.

Ferrari Challenge - Ready 2 Race at Brands Hatch

Although the Ferrari Challenge Series is a customer racing programme, the cars used to compete are very powerful. The Ferrari 296 Challenge that I'll be competing in for 2025 is a 690HP, 1300KG purebred racing car. Therefore, an amateur (like me!) can’t just jump in and drive one without the appropriate competition race licence and, crucially, six signatures awarded by Motorsport UK on the said licence.

Knowing that many drivers like myself will be entering the series as a first-time competitor, Ferrari UK has put together a three-day programme called the Ready 2 Race Series. Ready 2 Race allows drivers to achieve a Race National Licence, an advanced ARDS (Association of Racing Driver Schools) qualification and six signatures on their newly acquired race licence. Getting the licence is relatively straightforward, but without the race licence and the six signatures, even the most competent drivers are not legally qualified to race or even test a Ferrari 296 Challenge in the UK.

The 'Ready 2 Race' course is a three-day programme run at Brands Hatch in Kent. Over three days, in race-prepared Mazda MX-5s, drivers are taught necessary skills, given driving tips, and shown the art of race craft alongside practical and classroom exams, which, when passed, grant the essential qualifications needed to compete.

My primary sponsor for my entry to the series, Phil, decided it was worth me joining the course as a quick and easy route into the competition. I should point out that the course doesn't come cheap - for the same money that it costs to complete the Ready 2 Race programme, you could walk into your local Renault showroom and walk out with a brand new Clio (…and some change left over), but the decision to partake, as it turned out, was almost priceless in value - and significantly more fun than an entry-level Renault Clio.

What's Required to Race a Ferrari Challenge Car?

Before you can even think about driving a 296 Challenge, you need to have a Race National Competition Licence and a minimum of six signatures awarded to that licence from Motorsport UK. Race licence signatures are like points (only a good kind), which, when added up, remove drivers from the amateur class and grant eligibility for more advanced racing series and competitions.

As part of the Ready 2 Race program, there is a classroom exam and a practical driving assessment from an ARDS instructor who determines a pass or a fail. The written test assesses your knowledge of flags, warning systems, protocols for driving standards, and safety. The written test requires a 100% score on all questions to reward a pass, but it is easily achievable with a couple of days of revision and reading. The practical test is an assessment of your driving standards. Examiners are not looking for the fastest lap times but instead for consistent driving lines, adequate car control and, above all else, an awareness of safety.

Due to the power of the Ferrari 296 Challenge, an advanced ARDS practical assessment is also required in addition to the standards ARDS test. This practical test is similar to the initial practical assessment but at a slightly faster pace whilst showing the ability to maintain car control around other cars. The advanced ARDS assessment rewards the first signature on the newly acquired race competition licence. Beyond that, five competitive races would need to be completed to obtain the rest of the required signatures to enter the UK Ferrari Challenge Series.

Taking the ARDS tests

My first practical test was assessed by the pro driver and 2025 BTCC racer Charles Rainford. Charles offered to drive for a couple of laps to show me the best racing line and where to be aware of grip levels and track conditions. It was, after all, a late February day in Britain, and the sky, as a result, was looking both dramatically and typically grey. After a few laps with Charles at the wheel, we swapped seats in the pitlane, and I went out as the driver, initially under Charles's guidance, on where to brake, turn and put down the power. Charles's guidance was excellent, and with a one-way intercom system in our helmets, he could talk to me, guide me, and correct me where needed.

After a few chatty laps, Charles went quiet, and I found a nice flow in my driving. The dramatic grey clouds inevitably started to deliver some spots of rain, which instantly changed the grip levels. I carried on whilst listening out for comments from Charles, but nothing came. Charles had been silent for three laps, and I started to question if the intercom had died. The intercom system Charles used was one-way, meaning he could talk to me but could not hear me talking back. Was I driving correctly? Was he happy with what I was doing? I had no idea. Charles's silence was broken with an abrupt "Okay, John, that'll do - let's pit in after this lap, please." And so, as per the instruction, I did.

We stopped, and Charles suggested we jump out of the car and head upstairs for a chat. I wasn't sure if I'd done well or not. Did I need further instruction before my test? Has he realised I’m a total chancer, and is he about to politely advise that I take up Golf instead? - My mind was racing.

My relief came as we removed our crash helmets, and Charles said with a big smile, "Well, that was just a box-ticking exercise! Great driving, well done."

"Oh, is that it? Is that the practical test done?" I replied.

"Yep, you've sailed through that. Let's have a chat about the drive, and then you can prepare for your written exam." I was delighted; the test had happened without me even knowing it, which thoroughly quashed any opportunity for nerves.

We debriefed with an ARDS scorecard, which Charles ticked through and passed on to the examiner. Up next was the written exam.

Typically, on these sorts of test days, the written exam comes before the practical; however, due to the predicted weather, the organisers deemed it better to get the practical test done first before the classroom segment, with the hope that everyone would complete their drives before the clouds released a wash of wintry rain over the already technical Brands Hatch Indy circuit. It turned out to be a good idea as the rain came tumbling down as we prepared to complete the exam paper.

The first section of the written exam is all about flags. The paper describes a sequence of scenarios where a marshal or circuit official might need to use a flag to signal to drivers, and the test requires you to write down the relevant flag that a marshal might be showing and describe its action according to the scenario described. After the flag section is a multiple-choice box tick segment where a situation is defined, and you must choose the right option to complete the scenario. These are relatively common sense derived, with one example being similar to:

You notice your car is on fire. Do you;
A) Stop at the nearest marshal post.
B) Speed up to extinguish the fire.
C) Head to the pits and park beside a fuel bowser.
D) Jump out when you can and use your phone to record a video of the fire.

NB: If you're struggling to find the correct answer to the question above, I suggest you do some reading before considering booking your own ARDS test!

After around 30 minutes, it was all over. Exam papers were gathered, and we were invited to leave the exam room for a debrief. Everyone had passed—an excellent result. All that was left to do now was brush up on our driving skills ahead of two days of racing.

Preparing for my First Competitive Race

Once the practical and written exams are passed, drivers on the Ready 2 Race program are eligible to compete in a series of races organised over the following 2 days. The races are set up and managed by Motorsport UK and are therefore recognised as official competitions which reward a signature per completed race. Like in the challenge series, the races would involve some free practice time, official qualifying and then a 15 or 20-minute race to the chequered flag.

Before I could start my practice, there was one more assessment to pass. The ARDS Advanced test. For this assessment, I was joined by Colin Tester (a fantastically appropriate surname, I know). Colin, a multi-championship winner and circuit instructor at Brands Hatch for 15 years, would be my personal coach for the remainder of the course. Colin and I clicked instantly and we went out for a drive and assessment in the now relentless rain. The track conditions had changed dramatically from the morning, and I was now being taught the 'wet line' to find and maximise grip on the soaking tarmac. Like I'd done previously with Charles, Colin gave some guidance on where I could get a few more seconds and carry more speed into and out of corners until, just like Charles, Colin went quiet.

Unlike many, I enjoy driving in the rain. I was once labelled a curse when I started driving on track days with friends almost 20 years ago, as practically every event I would attend would be accompanied by rain. While rain isn't great for setting lap records, it's hugely beneficial for learning car control, so whilst I would have preferred some dry laps, I enjoyed finding the limits of grip in the MX-5 with Colin in the passenger seat.

After a session of around 10 laps, fighting and correcting the car where necessary, Colin called me into the pits and reassured me that the assessment was complete. I'd passed my practical, written, and advanced tests, and now I was ready to go racing with my new National Race Licence.

Final Practice

Towards the end of the first day of the Ready 2 Race program, all drivers were permitted to drive solo in their allocated MX-5 Racing cars. Whilst the rain had subsided, the circuit was still very wet, especially in the final long sweeping right-hand bend named clearways, which shelters in the shade of a tree line just before it opens out to become the start/finish straight.

Despite having to correct a lot of oversteer, I was confident that my pace was good and I was timing reasonably well. This was confirmed as the session was brought to an end, and I was informed by Charles, who had been monitoring times, that I’d set some of the fastest practice laps of the day. Whilst the margin wasn't huge, it was enough to instil a bump of confidence and, to make things even better, the weather forecast for the following morning was dry. Tomorrow was set to be a good day.

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John Marcar’s Ferrari Challenge Diary:
The Prologue >> READ HERE
Chapter 1: ‘Ready 2 Race’ >> READ HERE
Chapter 2: ‘Let's Start Off by Winning’ >> READ HERE
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words by John Marcar
photography by Henry Faulkner-Smith & John Marcar

Brands Hatch Circuit Layout - Courtesy of Brandshatch.co.uk