Time to Try a New Track?
Discussion
Done a couple of days at Oulton Park, and looking to book some more. Now towards the end of my last trackday I was thinking I wouldn't mind going somewhere else next time. But its been 12months, I've sold my pride & joy Impreza STI and am now in a relatively disposable Clio 172, so can push harder without worrying. That makes me tempted to go back to Oulton Park and drive harder than I would if I was just out for a B-road blast (as I did in the STI). That said, the draw of the other circuits is getting greater. I'm about 1 1/2 hours from Oulton Park, and no more than 2 1/2 hours from the majority other circuits with the exception of Brands & Silverstone.
Really tempted to try Cadwell Park. But part of me thinks I wont get my moneys worth as I'll spend half the day not knowing the circuit.
I am prone to overthink things, is this what I'm doing now?...
Really tempted to try Cadwell Park. But part of me thinks I wont get my moneys worth as I'll spend half the day not knowing the circuit.
I am prone to overthink things, is this what I'm doing now?...
Jim1985 said:
Done a couple of days at Oulton Park, and looking to book some more. Now towards the end of my last trackday I was thinking I wouldn't mind going somewhere else next time. But its been 12months, I've sold my pride & joy Impreza STI and am now in a relatively disposable Clio 172, so can push harder without worrying. That makes me tempted to go back to Oulton Park and drive harder than I would if I was just out for a B-road blast (as I did in the STI). That said, the draw of the other circuits is getting greater. I'm about 1 1/2 hours from Oulton Park, and no more than 2 1/2 hours from the majority other circuits with the exception of Brands & Silverstone.
Really tempted to try Cadwell Park. But part of me thinks I wont get my moneys worth as I'll spend half the day not knowing the circuit.
I am prone to overthink things, is this what I'm doing now?...
Do Snetterton - awesome track with some nice challenges, but most importantly has huge run-off areas on pretty much all corners. Really tempted to try Cadwell Park. But part of me thinks I wont get my moneys worth as I'll spend half the day not knowing the circuit.
I am prone to overthink things, is this what I'm doing now?...
I wouldn't want to share a track with someone who had that mindset. I'll have to stop phrasing it this way. Dont worry about my driving style. I'm not dangerous. If you read my original post it explains what I mean. I'm sure you'd agree you'd be holding back a little driving your pride & joy worth £10,000 compared to a car you have little emotional attachment to. Whenever I came across anyone in the STI I slowed down, I didnt want anyone near me. If there was someone behind me, I let them pass, if I came up behind someone I let off. If it happened a few times I came off track, drove through the paddock and joined again.
I dont really see how questioning my driving helps me decide which track day to do next.
I dont really see how questioning my driving helps me decide which track day to do next.
I did Cadwell as my 2nd (or 3rd, I forget) trackday in a 115bhp MX5/Eunos and it was a hell of a lot of fun. Best circuit I've done to date, including Snetterton, Silverstone GP etc due to the challenge and how much you can improve over the day as it's quite a technical circuit. Snetterton was also fun tooling down the straights daring myself to brake later and later into T1 / the end of the backstraight.
Almost everyone I speak to says I need to do Oulton if I liked Cadwell so that's firmly on the list for this / next year too.
It's also quite well priced in comparison with other circuits out there so I'd say get down there and have some fun.
Almost everyone I speak to says I need to do Oulton if I liked Cadwell so that's firmly on the list for this / next year too.
It's also quite well priced in comparison with other circuits out there so I'd say get down there and have some fun.
Cadwell's an awesome circuit - brilliant fun.
I actually 'learnt' it using a video game before I went. It wasn't that accurate (the real track was a lot narrower) but at least I knew which way the track went next, and roughly what gears and lines to use. Watching videos online can also help, but only if the guy actually knows what they're doing (before going to Donington I found a video on Youtube of someone being given tuition by Tim Harvey!)
I try and book tuition everywhere I go - tuition helps enormously. It will help you learn a new circuit and will benefit you on all trackdays in the future.
I actually 'learnt' it using a video game before I went. It wasn't that accurate (the real track was a lot narrower) but at least I knew which way the track went next, and roughly what gears and lines to use. Watching videos online can also help, but only if the guy actually knows what they're doing (before going to Donington I found a video on Youtube of someone being given tuition by Tim Harvey!)
I try and book tuition everywhere I go - tuition helps enormously. It will help you learn a new circuit and will benefit you on all trackdays in the future.
Cadwell is wonderful.
15 corners in 2.1 miles, perfect for the Clio. Up hill, down dale, twisty, couple of short straights to overtake/be overtaken. You will know it in two hours or less. Better still, there is bound to be another Clio there - blag a ride early on to see what speed/gear he takes the various bends. You can be really brave in Coppice and the Gooseneck, but treat the Hall Bends with respect. The Mountain has a slight kink right that can throw you off track in the wet.
Here's a video of a lap, shot from a well driven MX5, who was chasing me in the TVR. I will have taken Coppice at about 100-105 (uphill left hander after the straight where he waves me goodbye). The following straight is about 115-120 max in my car, the rest is simply as fast as you can make it. I can struggle to catch a well driven Clio 172, even though I have an extra 150 bhp. But I can keep with cars with another 100 bhp over me. And I was caught by a well driven Hillman Imp last year.....!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZCOXpZCWY
15 corners in 2.1 miles, perfect for the Clio. Up hill, down dale, twisty, couple of short straights to overtake/be overtaken. You will know it in two hours or less. Better still, there is bound to be another Clio there - blag a ride early on to see what speed/gear he takes the various bends. You can be really brave in Coppice and the Gooseneck, but treat the Hall Bends with respect. The Mountain has a slight kink right that can throw you off track in the wet.
Here's a video of a lap, shot from a well driven MX5, who was chasing me in the TVR. I will have taken Coppice at about 100-105 (uphill left hander after the straight where he waves me goodbye). The following straight is about 115-120 max in my car, the rest is simply as fast as you can make it. I can struggle to catch a well driven Clio 172, even though I have an extra 150 bhp. But I can keep with cars with another 100 bhp over me. And I was caught by a well driven Hillman Imp last year.....!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xAZCOXpZCWY
Edited by QBee on Wednesday 1st June 15:28
Agree with what virtually everyone else says, Cadwell is a fantastic track. Oulton is like a faster Cadwell & is also very good. Croft is a lot more expensive than Cadwell & bot as much fun as Oulton or Cadwell.
Give Blyton park a go, they are generally run by Javelin & are pretty cheap with a nice (short-ish) technical ex-airfield track that has a perfect ribbon of good tarmac draped over it. All in all, a good fun day.
Give Blyton park a go, they are generally run by Javelin & are pretty cheap with a nice (short-ish) technical ex-airfield track that has a perfect ribbon of good tarmac draped over it. All in all, a good fun day.
Agreed - Cadwell is by far my favourite UK track. Awesome, just awesome. Get yourself some tuition & you'll fall in love with it even faster.
Coppice is fantastic & can be taken far faster than one might imagine. Be sure not to have too much steering lock on at the top of The Mountain.
Here is me being chased by a mate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0FHRMednx8
Kyri
Coppice is fantastic & can be taken far faster than one might imagine. Be sure not to have too much steering lock on at the top of The Mountain.
Here is me being chased by a mate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0FHRMednx8
Kyri
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