Track How to’s (Mallory)

As it was requested in the ‘Track How to’s (Snetterton)' post, here is Mallory!! Please note I wrote this before the new chicane (Edwina's) was put in, the rest of the track is still the same.

Enjoy!



Mallory

Heading down the start finish straight flat on the tank, accelerating hard, make your way to the left of the track on your approach to Gerards. This is a 'big nads' corner that goes on for ever and the speed really builds, if you have the confidence this corner is where the laptimes are. Give the brakes a good tug at about the 100 yard marker. This may only be a short jab of the brakes, but as it is quite hard and short it may unsettle the bike a little. You should still be carrying a fair lick of speed, get back on the throttle to balance the bike and tip into the corner where the tarmac changes, as the corner is so long you cant really see where you are turning into (i.e. normally scanning for an apex) watch out for the bump at this point. This corner is stupid long and be prepared to poke yourself in the eye to keep awake half way round. Your first apex is about a third the way round the corner and is quite natural, but it isn't really that defined and there is considerable room for error as the corner is so long and wide. Don't drift too wide mind as it isn't the fastest line and it can get a bit bumpy and slippy out there. After this apex you can start winding on a bit more power and let the bike drift slightly wide to about a third of the way across the track. Then there is your next apex, roll off the throttle slightly and turn the bike more for the apex, which is just after when the kerbing on the right ends. Just as you apex really hook up now and let the bike drift to the left on the exit and down the short straight that follows down to the Lake Esses.

The 'Esses in' is the start of what is essentially a flowing chicane. A fast right, left complex. A lot of time can be made or lost here, to get a good lap you will need to carry the brakes all through the right hander, rather than overbraking into the right hander to set your speed for in ensuing tighter left hander. The approach is pretty flat, so you can brake hard from the left side of the track. The turn in is late here and you are hard on the brakes, ease off the brakes, but still feather and turn in hard. The first apex is just after the bump in the kerbing on the right; you need to use all of the track here. Crack back on the power, flop the bike over and head for the left hand kerb/apex. The apex is roughly where the surface changes again and there is a positive camber here if you cut it tight enough, which will aid you in turning in. You can get on the power really hard out of here, watching for the highside, let the bike drift right to get maximum power down, then head left on the approach to Shaw Hairpin.

The approach is slightly up hill, which should aid braking, but it really doesn't seem to make much difference. There is a big tree on the right hand side of the track, this is about where you want to be hitting the brakes ... HARD ... sit right back in the saddle as this one is virtually to a halt. This place is renowned for the last of the late late brakers moves, so watch people up the inside, or even T-Boneing you in this turn as this is pretty much the last true opportunity to pass. The apex is mid corner, watch you don't clip this kerbing as it is really high and will make quite a mess of your knee/the bike. You really have to chuck the bike on its side and get some serious toedown here, once past the mid point get on the power again, but be careful not to highside as the camber starts to drop away slightly and you are probably right in the sweetspot in 1st (or well up there in second) with the bike flat on its side. Bring the bike upright and hard on the power for a quick short rip to the Bus Stop Chicane.

This part of the track is a bit weird, it is like there are some roadwork's and diversion has been set up, what's that all about??? Presumably it is there to try and make the Devils Elbow safer? It's essentially short sharp left, right chicane with high sides/barriers and one line through it with no chance to overtake once negotiating it, unless you are really assertive and seriously bashing fairings. This chicane is all about the exit. On approach, resist the temptation to visit the cosy looking bouncy castle that blocks the track off and enter the chicane, watch the kerb on the right as it's 18 inches high, and covered in concrete, it's gonna smart if you catch it ... cut it tight, but watch your bonse. Keep off the right hand side of the bike even though you are about to go left a bit, push the bike up for the first left hand apex to make the turn and just clip the kerb. Drop the bike back over to the right (well upright) to straight line the exit. The camber is really bad here as it drops away just when you want to flop the bike over to the left and be getting seriously on the power, so check the revs and let the bike drift out to about half track, drop the bike to the left and then power up progressively, if you gas up too hard too early, the bike won't want to turn in, head for the carousel that is the Devils Elbow

You are teetering on the edge of grip out of the bus stop, desperately trying to get the power down for the drive to the start/finish line. You have to be committed to really nail it through here as you are running on the barely used therefore heated left and side of the tyre and there's no run off, just a menacing looking concrete barrier that is the start of the pitlane. Short shifting a gear here is the way to go as you can't get full power down at the start anyhow and having 'left side down' means getting your foot on the leaver when cranked over to hook up a gear is difficult if not impossible unless you use a 'reverse box’, the other bonus is that you won't upset the bike mid corner either. Get as much drive as you dare through the corner aiming to clip kerbing on the left at the point where as it ends. The track drops away quite steeply here and the back of the bike may twitch a little, so you have to be brave on the throttle here, try and ignore it and feed in as much power as possible. The bike will now drift ominously towards that wall, but that is the line you want to be on. For the reasons stated above the size of your sacks will be directly proportional to the amount of track you use at this point, you should be using it all!! Clench your cheeks, hook up good and head back down the start finish straight completing the lap.

[steveg]

Many thanks

Cheers Steve

There have been further changes to the circuit layout, a new corner has been added at the exit of Gerrards.
http://www.mallorypark.co.uk/news/ne...icle.asp?id=73
http://www.mallorypark.co.uk/news/ne...icle.asp?id=78
I don't have any further info on layout, even the cicuit layout on their own website is wrong.

No use to me in N.I. but wow what a piece of work much credit to you for putting in the effort.

Don't suppose you could do one for the North West 200 or the IOM TT

Originally Posted by Mariner

There have been further changes to the circuit layout, a new corner has been added at the exit of Gerrards.
http://www.mallorypark.co.uk/news/ne...icle.asp?id=73
http://www.mallorypark.co.uk/news/ne...icle.asp?id=78
I don't have any further info on layout, even the cicuit layout on their own website is wrong.

most of the mods won't really effect a 'lap', but yeah a new coner on the exit of Gerrards, didn't even know about that!!

Originally Posted by GC-SV

No use to me in N.I. but wow what a piece of work much credit to you for putting in the effort.

Don't suppose you could do one for the North West 200 or the IOM TT

Not done any true ‘road racing’ (unless you count my commute to work beating the traffic?!?! ), I’d need a ‘sacks’ implant or further lobotomy before I did a TT!!

If you have done either, I’d be interested in reading about a lap

You have to do at least one lap of the TT course! Having worked on the IOM last year I was led round several laps by a local rider, what a rush! We were lapping at 5.30am after our night shift, early sunshine and empty roads, perfect! I was riding a Falco and reached 140 mph on the Sulby Straight, I couldn't keep up and bottled it. The Mountain Section is special, 10 miles of 100mph plus bends and straights, leave Ramsay, through the Hairpin and then nail it for the next 10 miles. I took some video on my Palm, if I can work out how to put it on-line then you can enjoy!

Originally Posted by Mariner

... I took some video on my Palm, if I can work out how to put it on-line then you can enjoy!

Cool, get it uploaded

Cool!

edwina's not there when you were there last?

http://www.mallorypark.co.uk/spectator.htm


good piece of writing otherwise