14 July 2006 - Circuit Test,
Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park
in Lincolnshire is part of the MotorSport Vision group of circuits along
with Brands, Snetterton, Oulton and Bedford Autodrome, but it's a little
different to the others. In fact it's quite different to every other
circuit. When I mentioned to a friend that I was going to race at Cadwell,
the immediate response was "Have you been to Cadwell Park?
Are you crazy?"
The reason for all this negativity is that Cadwell is
primarily a bike circuit and as such, particularly in the Woodland section,
it is a tight and twisty track, with precious little in the way of run-off
areas. Taking photos off the banking at Hall Bends was scary enough
on its own, so racing here should be... interesting. When I discussed
with Jedi Director, Frazer which tracks I'd like to race at, he was
very enthusiastic that I should include Cadwell, even though he never
"got on" with it himself. Indeed, the circuit's introduction
in the Circuit Guides folder concludes, "To say you have raced
at Cadwell, let alone won, is an achievement worthy of note in itself.
Miss it at your peril." To Lincolnshire, then!
Prior to my arrival at Cadwell, I'd spent a bit of time
reading through the Circuit Guide, and had found some video online of
a Caterham
trackday around the circuit, which I watched a lot of laps of, to
try and get a feel for where the circuit went. This was mildy useful,
but after Snetterton, taking to the track for the first time was a little
scary.
The
Woodland section of the circuit is a tight right-left-right-left-hairpin
right affair which has little more than a metre of grass before tyres
and walls either side. The banking has been cut back to provide a little
more room since I visited two years ago, but you'd be pushed to tell.
Following the hairpin is an uneasy right onto the start-finish straight,
where the circuit opens right out. Still narrower than Snetterton, but
at least with a little more run-off.
Over the start line, the first corner is Coppice - a fast
left and with the good camber, it can be taken flat in the Jedi. A slight
lift for the right-hand Charlies 1 and over a crest into a tighter Charlies
2 before accelerating back up to speed up the steep Park Straight. Over
the brow of the hill, then on the brakes for Park, a tight right which
leads onto the long open right of Chris Curve. This is an odd corner
which seems to go on forever, but tightens into the the fast and fun
right-left of Gooseneck. Steeply downhill to the tight left-hander of
Mansfield, then its back into the trees on the approach to The Mountain.
The Mountain is an awesome left-right, the second part of the corner
leading into a ludicrously steep hill, onto which a fair bit of speed
can be carried. Spectacular photo opportunities await as the cars get
airborne off the top off the hill, the closing in of the track from
the exit, emphasising the carried speed for the driver. Approaching
Hall Bends and it all gets a bit close for comfort again - time to ease
off!
My first session out is something of a recce run - getting
used to the corners and trying to judge just how much speed I could
carry through them. The first few laps spent just acclimatising to the
whole Cadwell Experience. A clip of the viscious kerb heading into Hall
Bends lifts the car and I have a very sideways moment, fortunately at
a reasonable enough speed to wrestle the car straight before threading
it carefully around the rest of the corner. The car feels good, the
engine misfire which I was suffering at Snetterton cured by new carbs
and a thorough 'going over' at the Jedi Racing Cars factory. Worn front
tyres are making it understeer though, so I'm carrying less speed than
I possibly could through the corners. After the session, I'm still quite
puzzled by the track - it's going to take a while longer to get used
to this one.
I have three 20 minute sessions today, and the second
of these comes around quickly, giving me a chance to build on the first.
I feel like I'm building up a bit of a rhythm, figuring out the best
gear to be in for many of the corners and trying to carry more speed
through them. Towards the end of the session things go a little wrong
as I carry too much speed through Hall Bends and arrive at the hairpin
faster than I should have. Hard on the brakes and I turn, but understeer
onto the grass and, with a complete lack of space, into a hay bale.
I can see that the front wing is sitting rather higher than it was designed
to, so complete the lap and return to the paddock.
The boys from Jedi jump straight on the problem, the nose
of the car coming off and the mounting bar which holds the front wings,
plus the left-hand plane getting replaced while the car is being prepped
for the third session.
As the session starts, the car is still in pieces, but
I get kitted up and strapped in, and the bodywork is replaced around
me. The front wing is in good shape with only a tell-tale dink in the
fibreglass nose so I head to the assembly area. This will be something
of a 'getting back on the horse' session, so I need to rebuild my confidence.
The hairpin is not a nice corner and i'm taking it particularly slowly
after the earlier mistake, but certainly building my confidence and
speed in the open Club section of the track.
By the end of the third session, I'm beginning to feel
comfortable with many, if not all of the corners and while i'm undoubtely
losing time through Halls and the hairpin, I'm carrying ever-more speed
through Coppice and Charlies, being more aggressive through Gooseneck
and thoroughly enjoying The Mountain.
