Oulton Park First Timer
Discussion
Griff2be,
Oulton Park is a truly challenging circuit and one that takes a great deal of practise to get a real feel for.I have been racing there on and off for nearly 20 years and I still find the place very challenging.
I hope that you are on the International circuit as the run through Cascades and Island Bend is superb, very quick and "relatively" safe. The hairpin is banked to a degree and is faster than you will think.
Even if you on the short circuit this still has the 3 classic bends, Lodge, Old Hall and Druids.
If it is your first day just gently build yourself up and if there is any decent instruction on offer then use it. The one bend which is IMHO is a potential car wrecker is druids. Please remember that the trees and barriers are close and that it can often be damp here even when the rest of the circuit is dry. Treat this corner with respect.
As the track guides will tell you the key to getting it right is to take a line through the left hand kink before and then miss the first kerbs by a few feet and to appex at the second set of kerbs. What the guides don't tell you is that there is (there was when I lasted tested at Oulton in April) a bump at the exit next to the kerbing - this can really unsettle a single seater - maybe not so bad in a TVR.
Have fun and drive safe
Oulton Park is a truly challenging circuit and one that takes a great deal of practise to get a real feel for.I have been racing there on and off for nearly 20 years and I still find the place very challenging.
I hope that you are on the International circuit as the run through Cascades and Island Bend is superb, very quick and "relatively" safe. The hairpin is banked to a degree and is faster than you will think.
Even if you on the short circuit this still has the 3 classic bends, Lodge, Old Hall and Druids.
If it is your first day just gently build yourself up and if there is any decent instruction on offer then use it. The one bend which is IMHO is a potential car wrecker is druids. Please remember that the trees and barriers are close and that it can often be damp here even when the rest of the circuit is dry. Treat this corner with respect.
As the track guides will tell you the key to getting it right is to take a line through the left hand kink before and then miss the first kerbs by a few feet and to appex at the second set of kerbs. What the guides don't tell you is that there is (there was when I lasted tested at Oulton in April) a bump at the exit next to the kerbing - this can really unsettle a single seater - maybe not so bad in a TVR.
Have fun and drive safe
Quite right Daftlad.
Kickstart - thanks for the advice - a lot of good sense there.
I should have declared that I am not doing a track day at the weekend, I'm racing in the Tuscan Challenge
I'll be taking your advice on Friday when I test - although I'm sure you'll appreciate that some of it may go out of the window when the red lights go out on Saturday afternoon
I have driven Oulton before on a track day in an Impreza Turbo - but it was many years ago and I have completely forgotten the circuit.
Kickstart - thanks for the advice - a lot of good sense there.
I should have declared that I am not doing a track day at the weekend, I'm racing in the Tuscan Challenge
I'll be taking your advice on Friday when I test - although I'm sure you'll appreciate that some of it may go out of the window when the red lights go out on Saturday afternoon
I have driven Oulton before on a track day in an Impreza Turbo - but it was many years ago and I have completely forgotten the circuit.
Maybe a 
at the end of my post may have made it look less stern and serious, but it does apply - I don't really want to be part of another mass bollocking from track day organisers as I was at Cadwell!!
Best of luck at the weekend with the racing.
If anyone comes accross me at Oulton - probably in the T350 (if I get my brake upgrade in time), please be gentle, I've not been there for 15 years I'll try not to impead anyone's progress.
at the end of my post may have made it look less stern and serious, but it does apply - I don't really want to be part of another mass bollocking from track day organisers as I was at Cadwell!! Best of luck at the weekend with the racing.
If anyone comes accross me at Oulton - probably in the T350 (if I get my brake upgrade in time), please be gentle, I've not been there for 15 years
I'll try not to impead anyone's progress.I instruct at Oulton a lot (I was there in a full-race M3 and Ultima's factory GTR track demomstrator, just last week)... It's probably the most demanding circuit in the country and I agree with a number of commments above... particulary, take your time and build up to your own pace slowly - Oulton can bite! Get hold of an instructor and get some tuition!
Several places at Oulton have minimal run-off and there are a number that can catch you out. The first corner, Old Hall, a right hander, is faster than it looks but if you turn in too early you will wash out wide on the exit, especially if you are going quickly - get on the grass and it isn't a long way to the tyre wall. After a flat-out right kink along the Avenue you have Cascades a long left, also quick, but you approach it downhill making it adverse camber on the turn in, it's also a very late turn in and clipping point and it's crucial you get it right otherwise you'll be lifting and fighting your car on the exit - there's plenty off grass run-off here but even road cars can exit Cascades from 80MPH upwards... there's always a danger of getting sideways on the grass, finding a rut and being flipped over.
Next is Island, a very fast left hander - after you turn in, you're holding the car tight to the left most of the way through it so you're on the right side of the track for the entry to Shell. Lose the back at Island and if it grips again you could be fired straight into the barriers on your left!
Careful you don't outbrake yourself and end up in the gravel at Shell... Shell is definately a typical slow in fast out corner - it's a banked hairpin, very, very late turn in, straightening out the exit as much as possible and using the banking in the middle of the corner to help the acceleration.
Next is Foulstons Chicane... just get through the initial left/right bit as tidy as possible so you can get on the power early and get the exit right so you can stay on it and get good speed down the straight.
'Hizzy's' comes at the end of the straight, don't outbrake youeself! Although there's no major consequence if you do, you'll just go down the escape road. First part is a very sharp right... turn in late and keep it tight into the right to line you up for the immediate left hander in the middle... exiting the left hander,only use half the road width and get back over to the left to line you up for Knickerbrook.
The righthander, Knickerbrook, sets you up for the climb up Clay Hill, again, turn in late, nibble the kerb on the clipping point and straighten the exit out as much as you can so you can carry as much speed as possible up the hill. The exit is a flowing sweep from the clipping point on the right, out to the left kerb and back to the right to line up for Clay Hill.
As you go up Clay Hill look through the arc of the bridge on the crest and you'll see a large, obvious tree, drive towards it! That will keep yo on the correct line.
As you go over Hill Top (under the bridge) try to keep the car straight as possible. Depending on what you are driving you can be carrying a fair bit of speed over the crest... it can get light and quite twitchy over Hill Top and this is one place Oulton can bite you hard, particularly if it's wet. The classic is for the back to step out to the right and send you nose first into the barrier on the left... but it's equally possible to get a tank slapper on and/or understeer straight off to the right.
Next comes Druids! A quick double-apex right-hander and very satifying when you get it right! Turn in late and miss the first apex (kerb) by about half a car width or slightly more (it CAN depend on the car!) and aim to nibble the the kerb on the second apex; use all the road on the exit and if you get it right you will ride the hump just as you drift out to the edge of the track... as someone said, as you go light over the hump the car can be unsettled... be careful not to put a rear on the grass or you could be fired straight across into the barriers on the inside. Watch Druids if it's wet (we think it's the trees), you can still have reasonable grip around the rest of the track when it's damp or wet but Druids is treacherous... like it has a coating of Teflon! A lot of cars end up in the gravel withg scratched roofs!
Atfter Druids is Lodge, a tight right hander that comes back at you on the exit... turn in very late and very sharp, getting tight onto the kerb on the clipping point which is on the crest of a hump... the exit is downhill into Deer Leap... drift out to the left up to the edge of the track but let it keep turning slightly back to the middle of the road then climing out of the dip, tuck it into the left again as you come out onto the pit straight.
Let your car drift towards the pit wall on the right and back to the left again, taking the pit straight as a long curve... keeping it tight to the left makes the car work harder and in the wet it's possible to spin as you come onto the pit straight from Deer Leap. At the end of the pit straight you want to be on the left ready Old Hall again!
And remember! Until you have more experience and have developed some competence in car control, give yourself plenty of time approaching corners, brake (early) and change gear in a straight line and let the car settle into a neutral front/rear weight balance, feathering the throttle (not accelerating, not decelerating) before you turn in! Hold the balance until the clipping point then gradually, progressively, gently, feed in the power and unwind lock, straightening out the exits. When you get it right, it will feel right! When you're doing it wrong it becomes hard work!
Several places at Oulton have minimal run-off and there are a number that can catch you out. The first corner, Old Hall, a right hander, is faster than it looks but if you turn in too early you will wash out wide on the exit, especially if you are going quickly - get on the grass and it isn't a long way to the tyre wall. After a flat-out right kink along the Avenue you have Cascades a long left, also quick, but you approach it downhill making it adverse camber on the turn in, it's also a very late turn in and clipping point and it's crucial you get it right otherwise you'll be lifting and fighting your car on the exit - there's plenty off grass run-off here but even road cars can exit Cascades from 80MPH upwards... there's always a danger of getting sideways on the grass, finding a rut and being flipped over.
Next is Island, a very fast left hander - after you turn in, you're holding the car tight to the left most of the way through it so you're on the right side of the track for the entry to Shell. Lose the back at Island and if it grips again you could be fired straight into the barriers on your left!
Careful you don't outbrake yourself and end up in the gravel at Shell... Shell is definately a typical slow in fast out corner - it's a banked hairpin, very, very late turn in, straightening out the exit as much as possible and using the banking in the middle of the corner to help the acceleration.
Next is Foulstons Chicane... just get through the initial left/right bit as tidy as possible so you can get on the power early and get the exit right so you can stay on it and get good speed down the straight.
'Hizzy's' comes at the end of the straight, don't outbrake youeself! Although there's no major consequence if you do, you'll just go down the escape road. First part is a very sharp right... turn in late and keep it tight into the right to line you up for the immediate left hander in the middle... exiting the left hander,only use half the road width and get back over to the left to line you up for Knickerbrook.
The righthander, Knickerbrook, sets you up for the climb up Clay Hill, again, turn in late, nibble the kerb on the clipping point and straighten the exit out as much as you can so you can carry as much speed as possible up the hill. The exit is a flowing sweep from the clipping point on the right, out to the left kerb and back to the right to line up for Clay Hill.
As you go up Clay Hill look through the arc of the bridge on the crest and you'll see a large, obvious tree, drive towards it! That will keep yo on the correct line.
As you go over Hill Top (under the bridge) try to keep the car straight as possible. Depending on what you are driving you can be carrying a fair bit of speed over the crest... it can get light and quite twitchy over Hill Top and this is one place Oulton can bite you hard, particularly if it's wet. The classic is for the back to step out to the right and send you nose first into the barrier on the left... but it's equally possible to get a tank slapper on and/or understeer straight off to the right.
Next comes Druids! A quick double-apex right-hander and very satifying when you get it right! Turn in late and miss the first apex (kerb) by about half a car width or slightly more (it CAN depend on the car!) and aim to nibble the the kerb on the second apex; use all the road on the exit and if you get it right you will ride the hump just as you drift out to the edge of the track... as someone said, as you go light over the hump the car can be unsettled... be careful not to put a rear on the grass or you could be fired straight across into the barriers on the inside. Watch Druids if it's wet (we think it's the trees), you can still have reasonable grip around the rest of the track when it's damp or wet but Druids is treacherous... like it has a coating of Teflon! A lot of cars end up in the gravel withg scratched roofs!
Atfter Druids is Lodge, a tight right hander that comes back at you on the exit... turn in very late and very sharp, getting tight onto the kerb on the clipping point which is on the crest of a hump... the exit is downhill into Deer Leap... drift out to the left up to the edge of the track but let it keep turning slightly back to the middle of the road then climing out of the dip, tuck it into the left again as you come out onto the pit straight.
Let your car drift towards the pit wall on the right and back to the left again, taking the pit straight as a long curve... keeping it tight to the left makes the car work harder and in the wet it's possible to spin as you come onto the pit straight from Deer Leap. At the end of the pit straight you want to be on the left ready Old Hall again!
And remember! Until you have more experience and have developed some competence in car control, give yourself plenty of time approaching corners, brake (early) and change gear in a straight line and let the car settle into a neutral front/rear weight balance, feathering the throttle (not accelerating, not decelerating) before you turn in! Hold the balance until the clipping point then gradually, progressively, gently, feed in the power and unwind lock, straightening out the exits. When you get it right, it will feel right! When you're doing it wrong it becomes hard work!
VINTY said:
Brilliant Tim just what I needed will read over again and again and try to take in as much of what you have written as possible thanks .
Ok, no prob, glad to help. But still recommend you get some hands on tuition on the day. I'm sure they'll have some good instructors there on the day, but I live near Oulton (ten minutes away), so if you want me to pop along and give you some 1-2-1 I'll do a good deal! (providing I'm not somewhere else) LOL
Always get other opinions though, don't listen to just one instructor... although as ARDS instructors we're all suposed to sing from the same sheet, we all have outr own preferred techniques and ideas. Best thing is to listen to several and see what works best for you.
Are you on broadband? I have a video of an in-car lap of Oulton - it's not me driving so the lines might not be perfect (LOL - ROFLMAO) - but it will give you a good insight into the circuit... it's an Elise chasing and eventually passing a Sapphire Cosworth... it's a big file but worth checking out if you have broadband... I can upload it to my website so you can download it. Must get one done of me driving!
. 
.VINTY said:
Tim yes Iam on broadband and would find the video more than helpful (better than my son's Playstation TOCA 2)LOL
>> Edited by VINTY on Wednesday 14th July 22:52
Ok it's here: www.tarnold.clipped.co.uk/~onlinetd/oultonlap.mpeg (right click and 'save target as')
Enjoy!
Tim
>> Edited by instructor on Wednesday 14th July 23:37
>> Edited by instructor on Saturday 17th July 16:09
>> Edited by instructor on Saturday 17th July 16:12
instructor said:
Fabulous write up and guidence Tim! I use Oulton quite a lot and can totally associate with everything you say.
Thanks! Glad to be of service! LOL
Are you one of the two Met. Grey CSL drivers that're usually on the Track-Action days?
I am indeed! I attend all the TA Oulton days...
Have we met there? Apologies, your name doesn't ring a bell :-(
Elliot.
instructor said:Fantastic write-up Tim - thanks!
Next comes Druids! A quick double-apex right-hander and very satifying when you get it right! Turn in late and miss the first apex (kerb) by about half a car width or slightly more (it CAN depend on the car!) and aim to nibble the the kerb on the second apex; use all the road on the exit and if you get it right you will ride the hump just as you drift out to the edge of the track... as someone said, as you go light over the hump the car can be unsettled... be careful not to put a rear on the grass or you could be fired straight across into the barriers on the inside. Watch Druids if it's wet (we think it's the trees), you can still have reasonable grip around the rest of the track when it's damp or wet but Druids is treacherous... like it has a coating of Teflon! A lot of cars end up in the gravel withg scratched roofs!
As you say, Oulton is a demanding but very rewarding circuit: I've yet to find a more challenging corner in the UK than Druids - it's relatively easy to get round it (sometimes cautiously
), but to get it right and carry speed down to Lodge takes a fair bit of practice. Which corner would you say contributes the most to a fast lap at Oulton?
jeremyc said:
Which corner would you say contributes the most to a fast lap at Oulton?
I'm definitaly NOT an instructor but here is mytake, IMHO.
The slower corners - the chicanes,shell,lodge, don't cost too much time if your line isn't perfect or if you are baulked by a slower car since the car accelerates quickly at low speed rapidly making up the speed lost. On the faster corners the car accelerates at a slower rate since the cars speed is higher, hence more time is lost.
Lack of exit speed at a corner obviously means that speed is less all the way down the next staight. The fast corner with the longest subsequent staight is Cascades, especially in slower cars where Island is flat.
Having said all that the corners I always feel I should take faster, and where when I feel I've got them something like right I put space between/catch other cars, are Island and Druids; Island because it's scary and Druids because the line is difficult ( for me anyway)
>> Edited by tony.t on Thursday 15th July 12:18
>> Edited by tony.t on Thursday 15th July 12:19
MrOnTheRopes said:
I am indeed! I attend all the TA Oulton days...
Have we met there? Apologies, your name doesn't ring a bell :-(
Elliot.
Yes Elliot we have met once, but you've seen me there regularly... Black Helmet with white bands and red pinstriping - www.timarnold.com - I've been out in various cars... most of the time in the passenger seat! Done a fair bit with Simon Broomhead in his old shape maroon Clio cup car... Simon likes me to drive him round in it a fair bit because I'm not too bad at making it go quick! Don't know who it was (as you know we don't time on track days!) but someone clocked me with my son in the passenger seat of Simon's Clio, doing 1:57's in traffic! LOL
[pic] www.timarnold.com/clio_oulton.jpg [/pic]
Must say though, I don't condone timing on track days!
There was a CSL there last week (Tuesday) was that you? I was busy that day and diodn't have time to notice who was who really. We had business meetings going on and I was doing a brief shake-down of an M3 (E36) that we are racing at Brands in the Britcar race on the 24th... that was fun! It was the car's first time out and the master cylinder was faulty! We had to double pump the brakes to get them to work, which let to one big lock up moment going into Hizzy's, and locking the rears on one lap, causing it to try to turn left instead of right at Old Hall!!! Just managed to slow it down in time and turned in more like Colin McCrae than Schuey! I only did ten laps in it (4 before lunch and 6 after) but despite the brakes, old tyres and not a single clear lap, managed a 1:58. We're doing the Track Action day at Brands with it next Tuesday in preparation for the race on Saturday (hopefully with brakes!).
I was also going round in the red Ultima... it was Ultima's own car, a track prep'd demonstrator... 950Kgs and 500BHP (and better still about 500lb/ft of torque!)... that was good fun!
>> Edited by instructor on Thursday 15th July 13:26
>> Edited by instructor on Thursday 15th July 13:29
>> Edited by instructor on Thursday 15th July 13:35
Haha, right!
Yeah, that was me on Tuesday although I ran out of tyres and had to abort at lunchtime :-(
1m57s is pretty blummin quick! I don't do live timing (obviously naughty naughty) but I do full GPS based data logging (Race Tech DL-1) which I can analyse when I get home. 1m59s is the best I've seen for myself.
I'll catch up with you at the next meet!
Yeah, that was me on Tuesday although I ran out of tyres and had to abort at lunchtime :-(
1m57s is pretty blummin quick! I don't do live timing (obviously naughty naughty) but I do full GPS based data logging (Race Tech DL-1) which I can analyse when I get home. 1m59s is the best I've seen for myself.
I'll catch up with you at the next meet!
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