We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College in September! 

We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Motorsport at Andover College is like. Scroll down to learn more about the courses on offer and sign up for the interactive session using Electude by sending us confirmation to use your email.

We will be regularly posting content onto this page to keep your interests going prior to the start of college in September - make sure to send us any work you complete to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Motorsport' as the subject heading! 

Check out the pictures of all the trips and extra-curriculum activities our students get to experience along with all the help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams. 

Online Taster Session!

Hi all,

As we aren't able to see you in person in college at the moment we thought it would be great to let you know what we have been doing this year and also get you involved with some of the amazing e-learning resources we use here at Andover College within our Automotive and Motorsport departments.

To get you signed up to this we just need your permission to do so along with the following details:

-          First Name

-          Last Name

-          Email address for you

Please send the above information to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Motorsport' as the email heading. When we have all of this we will send an email to you with your login details. The link to access the resources will also be provided on this page so be sure to check back in regularly!

Look forward to meeting you all in September!

The Automotive and Motorsport Team

Welcome to Motorsport!

Your lecturer Tim has put together a short video to get you excited about studying Motorsport at Andover in September - take a look!

About the Course 

The various IMI Diplomas offered at Andover are learning programmes designed to meet the current and future needs of the Automotive industry at Andover we are proud of the industry connections and first class professional teaching we can offer to applicants. In addition, you will hone your skills in the recently built £3.9 million Technology & Future Skills Centre!

The course you have chosen runs over a two year period. Year one is Level 2 and Year 2 is Level 3. The first year will be largely learning automotive fundamentals with the extra Motorsport elements, including, Event regulations and Vehicle Inspections.

As a Motorsport student you will also be involved in maintaining and developing the two college track cars as we use these to help introduce you to the initial principles of track side management and how to run an effective Motorsport team. 

As a college we run a Race team and Rally team throughout the whole year and you will all have the opportunity to be part of this and during your second year. Some of your assignments will be based on these competitions. 

Our Rally Car is a Nissan Micra 1.4 and we run in class A – up to 1400cc. We are current champions of class A of the Association of Central and Southern Motor Clubs tarmac rally championship!

Our Race car is a Renault Clio 182 and we race with the Classic Sports Car Club in the Tin Tops class. Our last result was 15th out of 45 and we are the only near standard car which was a great result!

During your second year we will help prepare you for your transition after college, whether this is into employment, higher apprenticeships or university. 

Be sure to take a look at the IMI web page to explore your options in this exciting industry! 

If you are interested in continuing your learning at a higher level then a degree in Motorsport Engineering could be an option to consider. Previous students have successfully achieved places at a variety of universities, including recent graduate John who graduated from Wolverhampton recently and is now working with a Le Mans racing team! 

A typical day?

As a Motorsport engineer working in design, testing or production, your day-to-day duties may include: 

• Assessing new ideas by looking at performance, strength, costs and safety
• Designing prototypes with computer-aided design (CAD) software
• Testing components and bodywork 
• Testing working models on the track 
• Building production models and carrying out quality control checks
• Finishing vehicles with the team's colours and sponsorship logos

As a Motorsport engineer working in racing, your day-to-day duties may include:

• Setting up vehicles to suit track and weather conditions
• Monitoring engine speed and other data during races
• Fine tuning the vehicle and sending technical instructions to the driver or rider
• Carrying out ‘after-tests’ on vehicles after a race to look for signs of damage

Below is a great video highlighting the importance of understanding both the practical and theory elements of Motorsport!

Additional Resources 

Interested in learning more about the various topics you will study at college in September? Take a look at these additional resources and make sure you let us know how you get on! 

Video recommendations: 

• British Touring Car Championship 2019 Highlights - here. 
• World Rally 2019 - here.
• How to Build a Toyota 2JZ Engine - here. 

Recommended reading: 

• Investigate the different Types of Motorsport available here. 
• Engineering Explained: How Sequential Transmissions Work - here. 
• 5 top tips for getting a job in Formula 1 - here. 

Before September you should have: 

• Complete Health and safety and hand tools units on Electude
• Complete one Automotive unit from Electude
• Complete one Workshop Equipment unit from Electude
• Complete one unit from Petrol and One from Diesel on Electude
• Complete one unit from Electrical on Electude
  

For help accessing the Electude resources please contact us via email. You will need to sign up as per the above request in order to access this material. 

In addition, you may want to look into the variety of other online free courses available with the Open University. Take a look at their full catalogue here and keep your skills sharp over the summer!