Tips Required

Does anyone have any pointers, tips or advice for getting round Cadwell Park? Ive never been there before and Im on a trackday on Tuesday. Ive been watching lots of videos to learn which way to go, but its never the same as actual track time so Im trying to get as much info on the place as possible.

All help greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

[jambo]

It stays damp under the wooded section for quite a while if there's been any moisture at all, and if you can get your head around the mountain you're better than me. On pictures it looks like the mountain is on a straight, it's not, you go into a tight right corner and somewhere around the apex when you start building power the elevation changes making you think the front wheel's coming up due to power. I couldn't get past that mental block all day, I think there was one photo where I had maybe an inch of air. Dramatic I was not

It's quite a twisty circuit, this actually helps in some ways as there's less room for getting the lines very wrong.

Enjoy it, it's a hoot

[Scoobs]

Go large over the mountain.

Glad I could help.

[Paul the 6th]

single biggest mistake I've seen noobs making is ignoring the cones they put out for you to aim for, one for turning point, one for the apex - link these together and you'll corner more confidently more quickly.

Spoke to a few guys at cadwell once and they asked how I could be so committed thundering into the left hander up hill at the end of the start/finish straight = because although it looks tight, it's actually quite sweeping and the vanishing point feels to stay constant all the way round - they weren't looking at the cones for turn in/apex points and were slowing down way early on the start finish straight, which was nice 'cz I could carry more speed around the outside of them in to the corner.

Think the main thing is go and enjoy it mate, it's my favorite circuit in the uk, so technical and so twisty

Sorry about the cut and paste, but this is what I used at Cadwell last year. Didn't stop me crashing at teh Gooseneck though. Beware the Gooseneck!


Top Tips: Gear your bike so you are only using 5 gears, I find it better to use 2nd to 6th so not having to go through neutral 1st to 5th. It does
want to rev but better to have high revs so less chance of high siding.
If you use 1st to 5th try to gear it so you are reving out in 3rd after the mountain just as you brake for hall bends.
How to put a quick lap in
Come out wide from barn in 3rd, you should be flatout in 5th as you come up to turn 1 (Copice) DO NOT BRAKE, DO NOT BE AFRAID, just
before you tip in back change to 4th and let the engine brake for you, the back end will squat. still do not touch the brakes, because it is up
hill and the camber is with you the front will stick.
Keep in 4th for turn 2 (Charlies1) aim for the tall tree as you crest the brow and back change to 3rd for turn 3 (Charlies 2). WAIT and late
apex. tap the power on as you exit.
You should be taking 5th as you feel the compression in the bottom of the dip on Park Straight. then flatout in 5th you should be reving out as
you brake for turn 4 (Park Corner). The braking marker is a light patch across the tarmac back change 2 gears to 3rd and use white line to
apex to white line.
Hold in 3rd for turn 5 (Chris curve) ignore the painted curbs on the right, the apex is just after then, it is a worn patch of grass that has plastic
chequers under it. Then get upright and straight line flatout 3rd to turn 6 & 7 (goose neck).
Still in 3rd late apex both the right and left of the goose neck. you left knee should touch the kerb on exit, the hard down the hill to turn 8
(mansfield) this is a good place to overtake!
Brake hard and back change to 2nd, your left knee should be on the kerb and then aim for the last white curb on the right on exit. hard on the
power.
Approach the flip flop chicane in the centre of the track, stay in 2nd gear and aim staight for the 2nd apex, this way you only need to make a
left turn. As you exit the flip flop take 3rd into turn 10
Enter turn 10 as wide as you can, and as you exit the left hand at the bottom of the mountain keep on the left hand side as the camber is with
you, this will help set you up for the tight right. If you go over the centre of the track on the exit of the left hander, the camber runs away from
you and will make you run wide, so you will either have to brake hard to make the right and so slow you up the mountain, or you may not
make the right turn at all.
Stay in 3rd gear and go up the mountain in the centre of the track covering the back brake. Try not to make the back wheel jump (although
this looks good you cannot get forward momentum with the back wheel not in contact with the tarmac).
Stay in 3rd gear your bike should rev out as you brake for Hall bends. Entering hall bends you should be on the left white line. your turn in is
on the surface change opposite the pit lane gate post. Stay in 3rd gear through Hall bends white line to apex to white line. As you crest the
brow on the exit of Hall bends the bike should go light or jump slightly.
Stay on the right hand side of the track as you approach the hairpin. Back change into 2nd. Take the entrance to the hairpin narrow. This is a
good place to under take as most riders take a natural wide line into the hairpin, this is not nessecary. On the exit short shift into 3rd.
Enter Barn wide and take a late apex then let the bike run wide as if you are aiming for the Marshalls box. Sit it up, power hard and get over
the start finish line

Funny cos I've been going thru the videos in preperation too!

I only watch the minitwins ones tho, I've got some pointers from them for braking points.
My only experience of the track was on my CBR last october.

My only tips would be, brake early for the downhill gooseneck so that you can enter slow, exit fast.
Out braked myself a few times into there and its not fun and scrubs off a lot of momentum.

Then charlies is a hoot, don't be shy of drifting it out wide between 1 and 2, carrying more speed onto Park.

I'm really hoping this hot weather lasts till then. See you there.

Originally Posted by Redmist

My only tips would be, brake early for the downhill gooseneck so that you can enter slow, exit fast.
Out braked myself a few times into there and its not fun and scrubs off a lot of momentum.

Of course I meant mansfield, not gooseneck.

Cheers for all the advice so far everyone. I will study it all more carefully over my lunch break.

Originally Posted by Scoobs

Go large over the mountain.

Best advice ever! You still the man Scoobs!!

Originally Posted by Redmist

Funny cos I've been going thru the videos in preperation too!

I only watch the minitwins ones tho, I've got some pointers from them for braking points.

You might want to look at this one. Ive found it really quite useful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X223V6Bjk9g

Originally Posted by Redmist

Of course I meant mansfield, not gooseneck.

I know hardly any of the corner names at tracks. Im useless with stuff like that! I suppose I should try to learn some. Will definitely see you there though. Its a chrono day now too so it will be 2 sessions in mixed up groups to record our times before we all get put in groups 1, 2 or 3. I will be in the slow group, I guarantee you that.

[JulesW]

As the 'Idle Biker' says Beware The Gooseneck!

I emailed them about their go pro use policy, it says no helmet or tank mounts.

I assume your bringing yours?

I have a spot tucked away in the fairing if they are a bit wary of them.