cadwell park

[r6_psycho]

hey got my first track day at cadwell park in a months
time dose anyone have any tips to help me out  :)

[stephenr928]

I did a track day at Cadwell in 1996 or 1997.....So it's been a while.
I struggled mightily with the proximity of the gaurdrails & the trees.  I had just moved to England from Spain, and was used to riding at Jerez....The difference between a Spanish Shrine to GP Motorcycle Racing and an English Club Racetrack was shocking.  (But Jerez had been my first & only track!)

So going from my weak memory of a track I tried hard to forget.....Check out the pic of the fellow catching a bit 'o air.
-http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/cadwell-park/circuits/cadwell-park.asp
-We entered the track from the pits on the left side of the black portion of the layout picture (the WoodLand Circuit), just past 'The Mountain'.  Heading north through the Bends to the Hairpin.  Lotsa trees & guardrails here....Focus on the line & ignore the surroundings.
-Curving down & right, past the Barn, you're on the main straight past the finish line & control tower.  The track leaves the woods behind, and you can really fly as you enter the Club Circuit and bend left into Coppice.
-The track is now into a rolling meadow.  Smooth & flowing, with plenty of runoff.  Park Straight is up hill, & you work your way up to Chris Curve, then begin your decent.
-Mansfield curve is a challenging sharp left while the track continues to go downhill.  But the worst is yet to come....
-Leaving the Club Circuit back onto the Woodland Circuit, you can see from the diagram you bend left, then right....Then you go up the most severe hill I've ever seen on a track.  It's shocking.  It's (very nearly) like going straight up the banking at Daytona.  The pic from the website link shows a bit of what it's like.  You don't just fight to keep the front wheel down, you fight to keep BOTH wheels down!  This is near the pits, so crowds of people watch for the crashing & mayhem to occur.
-Keep in mind, after you crest the hill (mountain), you start a light decent back into the woods...I think the snake-like curves are due to the big trees.  Again, it was (a bit) shocking & unpleasant.

All in all, I had a good experience.  But I've never been on a track that had me so relaxed & happy one moment (the Club Circuit), and so miserable & frightened the next (the Woodland Circuit).
Keep your pace under control, & don't start trying to keep up with the locals!  (I hooked up with some older fellas on street bikes who took some time to show a yank the proper line, while keeping my head on straight throughout the day.)
Have fun!
  

[Johnny_P]

My first race season was in England where I had the luxery of riding Cadwell four times!  The best advice I can give is to relax and think about your racing line.  The track is narrow and has a lot of trees very close by to distract you, so keep your head clear.  

The Mountain is the most exciting corner I have ever ridden, and ever will!  The the incline is so great that you can carry about 20% more corner speed into it than your common sense will allow.  The flip flop up the hill slows you drastically, so go in a little hard (once you get used to the circuit).  
At the point of lift off, I feather the rear brake to help keep the front from getting too high (it will alway come up) and to settle the bike for Hall Bends.  

The other tricky part to the circuit is the Gooseneck.  This corner is downhill and completely blind, so experiment and you will find when you get it right, it will feel like your going into the grass before it all open up.

Obviously there is a lot more about the track, but those two corners are thr trickiest (and the most fun).  I am sure you will have a blast, but be carefull because it can be a danegrous track (the Hairpin).

The only other thing I can say is that I am extremley jealous!  Have Fun.