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All the latest and greatest news from the world of the Atom.
Competition time Easter 2012 - win a hot air balloon ride
30 March 2012
Member Chris Jenkins is the proud owner of a hot air balloon and has kindly donated a balloon ride for two people to a lucky Atom Club member over the course of this year. The flight starts from the Bristol area and are obviously weather dependent but the winner will be able to choose from a list of dates to find something suitable.
To have a chance of winning this fantastic prize you first need to be an Atom Club member, and then all you have to do is answer the following question in the forum thread here
How many 6mm washers are used in the build of a standard Atom 3?
The closest answer wins and if two or more people guess correctly there will be a tie break question. The closing date for entries is 9am on Tuesday 10th April.
Good luck and happy guessing!
New website - reactivating your forum-only account
18 December 2011
As you can see, the new Atom Club website is now live. Whilst this is an exciting enough Christmas present in its own right, you probably want to get back in the forum to discuss how much you love the new site.
Forum-only members should email me at richard@atomclub.com with the following information:
- Username
- The email address that you used to register your account
- First name
- Last name
- Date of birth
I will then send you a temporary password. Once you have logged in, please visit the 'Roll call' forum thread and let us know that everything is working for you.
All-new Atom Club website finally launches
14 December 2011
The brand new Atom Club site is here! We don't think anyone could deny that it's been a while but we hope you'll agree the end result is worth the wait.
Have a look around our new home. Explore all the new features, including the Events section – designed to let you see what's happening at a glance, and more importantly, to help you get out and about with other owners. Every event will have a forum thread devoted to it, so that you can go and chat about it there, too.
We'd like to fill the site with more content over the coming months, so if you have any photos, reviews, write-ups, guides or suggestions for stuff that you would like to see here – please send them to us.
Many thanks to Steve Gibson, Kevin Davies, Richard Marler and Tom Siebert for all their efforts over the past few months.
Spec Race Atom Race Series 2011 season review
27 November 2011
2011 saw the launch of the world’s first Atom only racing series; Spec Race Atom in the USA. The season was a great success bringing together 23 racers over a 10 race season to compete wheel to wheel for the inaugural VIR Cup.
TMI AutoTech and Virginia International Raceway formed a great partnership to host, sanction, and conduct these events. 2011 was used a pilot program for the SRA Race car, and the series, with a desire in 2012 to expand to additional locations. Instant credibility was brought to the series prior to race #1 when Honda Racing/HPD joined as the presenter of the events.
The SRA race car is based upon the Ariel Atom 3 supercar with additional features including a welded safety roll structure, additional steel under foot and seat structure and an aluminum racing seat. On the performance side of things, the SRA cars are designed with reliability in mind, using a stock Honda K series engine and transmission. Close competition and reliability were sought, more than outright speed….not to mention that the cars needed to be fun to drive. Mission accomplished.
Virginia International Raceway played host to all 10 races in the 2011 series providing 4 separate, world class course configurations for racing. In addition to fantastic course configurations the facility at VIR also boasts lodging and restaurant facilities directly onsite which allows for easy logistics.
Spec Race Atom races are 20 minutes + 1 lap in length featuring a standard double file rolling start. Racing action is governed under 13/13 regulations the same as vintage/historic racing and Porsche Club racing. Safety is the highest priority for any racing series and we are proud that we had a safe season with zero car to car contact. 10 races were run from June through November with each race counting towards the year-end championship. 23 drivers from the United States, Canada and China had all scored points when the final tally was done.
Top 5 2011 SRA Championship points:
1. Aaron Elsner
2. Tyson Bytzek
3. Jim Taggart
4. Jim Lewis
5. Ben Sinnott
Other notable awards:
Most positions gained during the season – Jean Salvati
Most improved – Joey Sabini Jr
Sportsman of the year – Christian Shield
Crew of the year – The Williams family
The SRA is really serious fun! Come join in the action in 2012 or keep your eye on the Events and News section for a full season of updates next year.
Atom Club Christmas Party 2011
26 November 2011
The Atom Club Christmas party is a soirée steeped in tradition. Mainly that we have something to eat followed by a tad too much to drink – and this year was no exception.
After meeting in the Savoy Hotel, then wandering along to The Chandos on St Martins Lane, we had a slap-up meal in the Old Courtrooms in Covent Garden. The wine was flowing and the food was excellent, we even managed to have a whip round and raise £200 for prostate cancer after being inspired by Andrew 'Hedge' Hedges wonderful Movember 'tache.
From there it was on to a little club called A-Lounge on Trafalgar sqauare for (more!) drinks.
All in all, a fantastic evening out. Many thanks to Gemma and Tom for organising. Roll on next year!
Atom-only track evening at Brands Hatch
2 June 2011
On a lovely sunny evening, 2 June 2011, thirty Atoms of all colours and engine sizes descended on Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in Kent. After a good old Atom Club style chin-wag in the pits over a cup of tea, the track was awash with Atoms and owners roaring around and having a whale of a time.
There were a couple of spins and inevitable yellow flags throughout the evening but everyone was very well behaved and we didn't have a single red flag. By 8pm, novices and seasoned track day goers alike had enjoyed a thoroughly good session and headed homeward – some with trailers and some, in true Atom Club style, driving their cars back home hundreds of miles.
Keep an eye on the Events sections for details of 2012 Atom Club track events.