Track How to’s (Cadwell)

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

Cadwell

Tucked in down the start-finish straight moving over to the right hand side of the track headed for Coppice.

Coppice is a very fast positively cambered left-hander; you can go in there extremely hot, probably about 130 (600). Give the brakes a quick grab using the mud track on the right as your braking marker (this is about 20-30m after the tarmac change). Apex over the broken kerb on the left using about 3/4 of the track width on your exit. Power up hard and move the bike left for Charlies

Charlies is a long double (almost treble) apex corner with a blind crest in between. Quick grab of the brakes and turn smoothly into the first apex at Charlies 1, this is actually further round than it first appears, you have to go over the crest a little first so ‘smooth’ means slow and apex later than you might expect on a first pass. Drive hard through the first apex and keep the bike cranked over. The back has a tendency to slide here as the bike is light from the crest and you are on the gas. After the crest the track drops, keep the bike turning, but drift wide, the corner pulls you round to a late apex of Chalies 2. Hooking up hard now, but watch for the highside. Get on the tank and head off down park straight … park straight is far from straight and has a big dip in the middle, keep to the left hand side of the track and keep on the gas all the way up the hill and over the crest, this is another big number part of the track, and you can’t see where you are going (i.e. the crest makes it blind) there is a tendency to back off before the crest, but keep it nailed for Park Corner …

Hit the brakes hard just after the II marker board. This corner is pretty easy and you can run a lot of brakes into it. Apex midway round and let the bike drift to the left on the way out for Chris Curve

Roll off the throttle (mibbie a smidge of brakes) and run into this corner, there is little scenery to tell you what to do here so just wing it, the main aim is to get good drive out. Really get on the gas now, but keep the bike turning, the track will widen out and you will naturally get pulled out as you accelerate with the camber on pretty much full throttle. About 3/4 of the way round there is a patch of yellow tarmac (presumably a repair), some people run over this, but I prefer to have my knee on it and the bike slightly left as I don’t like the idea of surface change like that. Keep wide for a late entry to the Gooseneck.

Braking here is gentle (in comparison to other corners) and should be on a gradual arc until you are virtually on the Gooseneck (which is blind), turn in late for the right hand apex which is a few feet after the kerbing begins. A lot of speed can be scrubbed here and keep right before turning left for the second apex which is in the middle of the kerbing on the left. This is a tricky little chicane and slow in fast out is the key else you can run out of track, precision and judgement being the other main factors here. Accelerate though the second apex and down the hill drifting over to the right on the power for Mansfield.

There is a tarmac change about half way down the hill, use this as your braking marker. Although down hill this tarmac is really grippy and hence braking can be left almost as late as what you would if it was on the flat even though it is downhill, just move your weight to the back of the bike to help prevent the rear from rising too far. This corner requires a late apex just after the middle of the kerbing as the corner widens out after the apex, with this line you can really hook up for the drive to The Mountain.

There is a slight left kink on the run to the mountain, use the as an apex and the drift to the extreme right. Brake hard here, the bike tends to wobble about a bit here under braking, but nothing to worry about, run the brakes hard all the way in. Turn in just after the Club Hairpin rejoins the track on the right, the positive camber really aids grip here. Run parallel to the left hand curb before choosing a line for the right hand ‘flop’. Clip the kerb right in the middle (mind your knee though as this is quite high and can give you quite a clout). You really have to throw the bike into this corner to keep the speed up for the incline itself. Get on the gas and aim to go over the crest in the middle of the track, with the bike pointing diagonally across the track to the right to get the bike heading in the right direction (you are about to do a jump so will have no physical staring for a bit). Hit the first crest and roll off the throttle slightly, the crest will pick the front wheel up, there is a second crest a couple of meters further on, that will flick the rear up. Make sure you are quick enough to control the ‘air’ with the throttle. I tried weelieing over this section keeping the rear planted, but the front is prone to looping so you have to back off too much and hence really loose drive, it is actually easier to jump and control the bike that way. To jump mind you have to have carried the speed through the right-hander and held your bum cheeks tight as you power up the incline. When the bike lands balance the throttle to keep as much power down a possible (it is far to easy to wheelie this entire straight) and head to the left of the track for Hall Bends.

Quick grab of the brakes and throw the bike hard over for the right-hander, the end of the pit-lane exit is a good turn in marker. Getting the entry right here is crucial for good lap times as it sets you up for the right-left-right series of hall bends. Aim for the middle of the kerbing on each of the corners and the apex's are right in the middle of each, using the throttle and running the brakes to flip the bike over. Get on the power on the entry to the complex and drive hard after completing the first left-hander. Next there is a crest which makes the front go light, keep driving over here and take a breath (this section is quite tiring) and head toward the Old Hairpin.

You go down a short slope down to the apex of the corner, this is a 1st gear job so hard on the brakes, you will also notice it has ‘knob all’ run off before a menacing looking wall. If you take a moment to view the scenery here you can see the top … yes TOP of the trees behind the wall …. Ignore all this and apex late, then get on the power for the run down to Barn.

I hate this corner and it is my bogie corner of the track, it is off camber ,blind and tightens up on the exit, I have seen many people wipe out here so I take it with relative caution. Turn in gradually, keeping to the left of the track … the apex is about ¾ of the way round, then ease on the gas for the exit, you need to get good drive out of here as you are off down the start-finish straight, expect the rear to slide here and leave a nice darkie, you can take a look at your craftsmanship next lap ….

This is an awesome track and really satisfying when you get it right!!