So, last Saturday, the 2012 Academy groups were at Donnington Park for their inaugural circuit race. It’s really the start of the season proper, as circuit racing is the end game for most peoples plans.

There are lots of videos online now from the two groups and it’s fun to watch each drivers progress through the races.

One take home from these videos: this is a beginners championship and there is a wide variety of skill, control and general speed on show. There were several incidents and accidents across the two groups and I believe that they could all be put down to inexperience. Of course, that often leaves at least one innocent party. However, everyone pays for their own repairs.

If you’re entering the Academy, or any racing for that matter, you must have an accident repair contingency fund. Whether that is partially supported by race insurance to help with ‘the big one’ is the normal risk/reward calculation.

It’s another place where you can easily bury your head and believe that if your careful, you will bring everything home in one piece. That’s simply not the case!

Having said that, there was some awesome racing on show as well. It’s not always the drivers who’ve had sprint race success that then translate through to the circuits, and that was in evidence to an extent last weekend.

Plans are, currently, to be at Brands Hatch for the next Academy meeting to cheer along and support this years group.

Looking forward to it, and hopefully I won’t get frightened off :)