Mechanic Full Season
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Priced at $590 CDN + 13% sales tax
Introduction
Compared to any of the first 24 years this course has been running, we made huge upgrades for the the 2017 season! These made participation much more affordable, and yet at the same time offering 60% more lapping and 33% more racing! All these upgrades are retained for the 2018 season!
In contrast to our other (shorter) courses, this course is for car racing enthusiasts who are pumped to experience more than just the on track driving part of car racing and have more time to "hang out" at the race track for the summer of a lifetime! Most of the clients / participants of this course aren't taking it to have on their resume as part of their goal to get into the car racing industry, but rather are excited about having a summer of fun through the various aspects of open wheel formula car racing. While we believe all of our courses (from the single day to the multi-day to this longer course) are very well thought of around the motorsport industry in North America, we can't say any of our 18 courses are specifically designed nor are specifically recognized as any sort of training program for a specific placement within the industry (although we are aware some graduates of this course have gone on to work within car racing).
The complete course requires participation from May 1st to October 31st. Please note - we have a new, more affordable 3-month course. Custom dates according to your schedule with reduced driving sessions can sometimes be arranged.
No previous experience necessary but you should be mechanically inclined, self motivated, enthusiastic and ready for a challenging season here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park! Please refer to the enrollment requirements section shown below for further details.
For 2018, we've been able to repeat the course fee being dropped from $1390 to $590 CDN (+ 13% sales tax) thanks to an anonymous donor! This includes a sportswear crew uniform + personalized motorsports photo package. We estimate personal expenses will generally add about $700 CDN per month excluding apartment rent. Canadian Immigration Laws have special rules to assist with foreign applicants, click here to visit their web site.
Executive Summary
| Short Name: | MRC6 |
| 2017 Upgrades retained for 2018: |
Anonymous donor helps $1390 tuition drop to only $590 (+ tax); a savings of $904! (incl. tax)
Course duration (& thus, living expenses) slashed by 1/7th! 60% more on-track Formula Car lapping sessions! 33% more Formula Car racing! New $5000 in lapping credits added to awards! New automotive field trips: wind tunnel tour, Grand Prix Track drive around, Automotive museum tour and more! |
| Duration: |
6 months. Full-time with course activities Mon-Fri + some weekends. Budget-friendly damage deposit requirement! |
| Requirements: |
Basic proficiency with a manual transmission. Age: 18+ years old. 16 - 17 need parental consent. Have our medical form completed by your doctor. Fully conversant in English. Over 6'4" / 275 lbs or have unusual body proportions? You may still fit. See fitment details |
| Bonus: |
Personalized motorsports photo package. Sportswear Crew Uniform package. |
| Price: |
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| Amenities: |
Professional facility. All safety equipment provided. |
| Read about our MRC3: |
More affordable. Also includes our 3-day WWR school. Also includes 6 lapping sessions. |
2018 MRC6 Course Description
While no experience is necessary, you will certainly be acquiring an admirable level of experience in the 3 main areas of activities: racing shop activities / tasks + event operation activities / tasks when the Academy has events on track + your own on track driving / racing activity days! Please take note below where the proportioning of these three areas is described. In no particular order:
Shop Activities / Tasks:
These will range from the exciting (new to you) activities / tasks when learning about the race cars (especially at the beginning of the course). Having said that, learning the rather basic but necessary (& very much repeated through out the season) maintenance activities / tasks is also very much a part of the course as the season progresses.
Participants will benefit from training on most of the following subjects click here for expanded list: fasteners, suspension, brake systems, alignments, gearboxes, drive lines, cooling systems, bodywork, aerodynamics, check lists, fabrication, wheels / tires, bearings, electrical, safety, customer service, steering, fuel systems, shift linkages, torches & welding.
Event Operation Tasks:
When we have an on track event, there will be various outdoor activities / tasks that range from daily car prep + facility prep + race car driver fitment + on track session logistics + lots of lapping sessions communication corner working flagging. In the current economy, your course will have approx. 55 days of these – there were 47 in 2017 (plus these also being done during your own on track driving / racing activity days).
Your own "MRC" on track Driving / Racing Activities:
Most course participants consider these days to be the most fun (no surprise!). A full list of all the days / sessions is detailed below. These days are provided as part of your course but most of them do have a (very low) level of race car damage responsibility (& "wheels"off” fines for smaller damages to the race cars) – these are detailed below. Having said that, we are very proud of both our 33 year injury free safety record and also the very low volume of race car damages that the course participants have experienced in the 26 years we’ve been running the course (the recent history of these is detailed below). Not only does this include participating in our 3 day race licence course, but we are excited to announce that the upgrades from 2017 will be included in 2018 also: 60% more on-track Formula Car lapping (two formats) sessions & 33% more Formula Car races!
Summary:
Make no mistake, racing and race car prep. & racing event operations requires a unique dedication and temperament. Similar to Pro Racing, this course not only requires that you successfully participate your way through the early season portion, but also prove your ability to retain your focus and performance when the season is coming to a close. Similar to Pro Teams, the long hours of the course (usually parallel the functioning of the Academy's events) will be spent with lots of hours of fairly basic tasks as part of a crew where frankly the challenge is maintaining focus / performance
Even though you’ve now done these activities / tasks many times by now, that doesn’t change the fact they are still 100% as important as they were back at the beginning of the season (just like Pro Teams!).
2018 MRC6 Course Driving Curriculum
Formula Car Driving
Participants starting at the beginning of the course will be enrolled for these driving activities on dates to be selected by the Academy:
- Our 3-day Race Licence Course (Wheel-to-Wheel Racing) (possibly offered in sections)
- 16 lapping practice sessions (upgraded from 10) Please note 6 of these will be done in a "Lead - Follow Instructor Pace Car format.
- 2 Practice Race Days each including:
- 15-minute practice
- 15-minute qualifying with coaching tips
- 20-minute race
- 1 Double Practice Race Day including:
- 5-minute on-track race car fitment
- 15-minute qualifying with coaching tips
- 20-minute race
- Podium Celebrations!
- 5-minute on-track race car fitment
- 15-minute qualifying with coaching tips
- 20-minute race
- Podium Celebrations!
IMPORTANT:
On track activities must be fit into the day that is booked to run them. Please note that if mechanical breakdowns or weather or other circumstances prevent the running or completion of that day, we are not able to re-book that day & recoup any driving that doesn't get finished or run. While every year is different, we've never had a shortage in the 26 years we've been running the course.
Awards
- Your driving (incl. other non-ontrack parameters) will be scored on 3 separate driving event days throughout the season, towards the year-end
- Driving Credits:
- $10,000 CDN - 1st place - the Charlie Atkinson Top Performer award
- $6,000 CDN - 2nd place
- $3,000 CDN - 3rd place
- Top Sportsman Award: $2,000 CDN — as voted by your fellow participants, towards year-end Driving Credits.
- Top Enthusiasm Award: $1,000 CDN — as voted by your fellow participants, towards year-end Driving Credits.
- New Participation Award: $5,000 CDN — split between all 1st-year MRC6 participants, that do not receive any other year-end Driving Credits awards (up to $1,000 CDN each).
Winners may apply these Academy Credits towards their own personal entry in our Lapping Practice days. Credits are non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other discount or offer. Responsibility to book while availability exists rests solely with the winners. Please note: each year, up to 4 MRC graduates from the previous season return for a 2nd year with us, participate in these driving days and thus are also eligible for these awards, except for the Participation Award. Having said that, please note that every year since 2009 a first year MRC participant has won the first place award. These awards have NO cash value and CANNOT be combined with any other promotions or discounts.
You will drive 2008 Van Diemen Formula cars
You will love driving our fleet of modern Van Diemen Formula cars! Everything from their incredible handling and acceleration to their amazing braking capabilities will entice you to want to push yourself and the car to greater heights each and every session. They’re a dream come true!
Learn More
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Driver Development Centre
NEW STARTING IN 2014! Purpose-built training track designed from the ground up expressly for driver development. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park owners Carlo Fidani and Ron Fellows have totally revamped the Driver Development Centre! In contrast to our previous 1.7km track length, the new track offers two configurations of 2.2km (intermediate) and 2.9km (advanced).
See our satellite overlay photo, track map and more on our Canadian Tire Motorsport Park page.
Learn More
Expanded Subject List
Participants will benefit from the information we share through familiarization modules on most of the following subjects. IMPORTANT – please note: the depth we will be going into with each of these modules will NOT be equal to a course that would be providing professional mechanical licencing nor is the depth designed specifically to provide definitive employment status within Motorsport.
| Fastners: Nuts, bolts, washers, cotter pins, circlips, rivets, torque, SAE, metric, locking, loctite, rivnuts, K-nuts, jam nuts, nylock nuts, shear & tension strengths, grades, structural, hitchpins, safety wire, helicoils | Wheels & Tires: Removal, installation, balancing, width, size, air pressure, flatspot, bent wheels, mounting, dry & wet |
| Suspension: Springs, shocks, bushings, pushrods & bellcranks, wishbones, rod ends & sph. brgs. | Bearings: Inspection, preparation, types, installation |
| Alignment: Castor, bumpsteer, ride height, rake, cornerweight, camber, toe | Electrical: Wiring, connectors, heat shrink, batteries, starter, gauges, switches, short circuits, rev limiters, soldering |
| Safety: Personal, shop, customer, race car, flagging | Gearbox: Assembly, set-up, differential, gear ratios |
| Customer Service: Fitment, safety, appearance, attitude, assistance, enthusiasm | Drive Line: Clutch, half shafts, CV joints |
| Steering: Rack & pinion, column, wheel | Cooling Systems: Water pump, hoses, radiator, cooling, eng. circulation, rad caps, pressure test, temperature |
| Fuel System: Fuel cell, lines, pump, filters, types, fueling | Oil System: Oil pump, pressure, hoses, fittings, cooling, eng. circulation |
| Shift Linkage: Lever, linkage, hook joints, adjustment, bearings | Bodywork: Fiberglass techniques, air ducting, painting touch-ups, detailing |
| Torch: Operation, use, safety | Aerodynamics: Wings, bodywork |
| Welding: Oxyacetelene brazing, tig, mig | Check Lists: Organization, maintenance, record keeping |
| Race Car: Assembly, prep, maintenance, chassis repairs, inspection | Fabrication: Templates, jigs, drilling, cutting, deburring, grinding, finishing, sandblasting |
Course Requirements
Basic proficiency with a manual transmission. No previous experience necessary but you should be mechanically inclined, self motivated, enthusiastic and ready for a challenging season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park! Most people fit in our Formula cars, see fitment details.
18 to 39 yrs old (16 & 17 year olds may be admitted with parent or guardian consent).
All participants are responsible for race car and equipment damages similar to some of our other courses. The Academy requires a damage deposit of $1000 CDN (an additional $1000 damage deposit is required on race days). This deposit, minus any outstanding amounts, is refunded after participants depart. Please note your vehicle damage responsibilities during driving days will range from $0 to $2900 CDN. The Academy reserves the right to raise a mechanic's damage deposit for any reason it feels necessary. This damage deposit will also be used if a participant elects to stay in the apartments we arrange for any damages / charges owing to the apartment management company.
Yes, drivers are only responsible for a very small portion of the car's value, and another comforting piece of information is the data from our history of Mechanic / Racing Courses from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017! After hundreds of THOUSANDS of race car laps by participants, there were only 20 chargeable damages:
| Highest damage bill: | $1900 |
| Next highest: | $1360 |
| Next highest: Next highest: | $1037 $618 |
| The remaining 16 damage bills range between: | $155 - $572 |
The public relations part of the course includes interacting with the school's other customers; therefore, a professional attitude, proper grooming and attire are required at all times. The Academy reserves the right to request tattoos be covered or body piercings / jewelry be removed at it's sole discretion.
All participants will be required to have their own tool set (a recommended list will be provided). Please allow a minimum of $500 CDN for a basic set.
You are responsible for your own accommodations, food, transportation and other personal expenses. Subject to availability, the Academy may assist you in finding an apartment centrally located in the city of Peterborough approx. 30 minutes from the track, with other participants (usually 3 participants to a 2-bedroom apartment) and loan you some furniture. You would then be responsible for the terms of the lease, including: first and last month's rent, monthly rent of approx. $375 CDN, written notice of your intent to vacate the apartment 60 days after the end of the current month, and any damages.
To finalize our acceptance procedure, we will require you to provide us with our medical form completed by your doctor.
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