Ok, as I like to ask before going to any track for the first time…
Which sections of the Brands Indy circuit should one be aware of that require particular attention or caution?
I’m looking for info on off camber sections, deceptive corners, any areas with a lack of grip etc
Thanking you in advance.
Clearways = Highside City. I would be hesitant to go round the outside of anyone pushing it round there. They normally end up drifting wide anyhow.
Paddock Hill - Brake far later than you think possible.
Surtee’s - Be aware of the split in the tarmac that can unsettle some bikes with less than perfect suspension setup.
Other than that, it’s a royal hoot, I’m looking forward to it 
Paddock hill bend is off camber.
But you have to use caution when braking hard downhill as its easy to wash out the front. Right?
Sammo or any other racer here…
Can I get a circuit walkthrough, corner by corner please
thats easy… turn right, straight down for a bit, up for a bit, turn right, down for a bit, turn left, straight for a bit, turn left, on the gas briefly, turn right, right a bit more, keep going right, straight for a bit and repeat for about 20 mins
Watched this at work, was quite handy. The circuit looks bumpier than I imagined, but quite short
That JB from londonbikers?
Yup thats JB…
Not really bumpy, the only place i can think of thats bumpy (well a bump) and thats the inside line of Clark Curve, but if you stay out wide then you’ll miss it.and a bump at Surtees, if you are on the GP line, but doing the Indy you should miss this!
This has a bit of commentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UG0rS3X0s4
Bit of a slide on this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5cxAXoh_N4
You won’t be braking into the down-hill section, it crests before you’re at that point.
No worries dude.Ok so lets start as if you are coming accross the start and finish kinked straight and your flat out head down in 6th. You approach Paddock Hill, which in my opinion is probably the best first turn in the country! Paddock does come up on you quickly but it is wide. You can pass people on the inside or on the outside, even if your of a similar ability. The braking markers are on the right hand side, and i also clock the marshal hut as a reference point. I enter this corner about 3/4 out, but there are various lines for Paddock Hill. I like to go in fast as otherwise you’ll probably get outbraked and have to re pass into Druids. Otherwise i’ll go in slower and make sure i get a hard exit to set up a pass for Druids. There is a yellow line for the pit exit from memory i’m a few foot to the outside of this on turning in? Would need to do a lap to confirm but it’s another reference point. Enter Paddock by dropping two gears to 4th, brake hard but not to hard and try not to trail brake for long as your asking for trouble. Into the turn drag your knee next to the kerbing or over it up to you. You will feel your body compress into the tank with the rest of the bike going down Paddock - it’s just awesome! BUT be aware of the cambers and also on the exit be careful of losing the rear as you can power it on hard downhill but not to hard. I’ve lost the back here many a time and been quite lucky. The green tarmac you can run over and i have but you don’t want to make to much of a habit of it. Run to the white line is my advice, and drive hard up to druids head down and up to 4th gear. Entering druids i brake after the board but i don’t remember how many boards there were! I go in far left and very very deep i do trail the brakes into the turn and i also enter in 3rd gear as dropping two gears is a bit much when i don’t have a slipper clutch. I tend to apex it about 3/4 round and then power hard down hill - usually the rear is sliding on the exit but it’s no biggy just something you need to do to get a quick lap imo - just don’t lose the back! On the entrance to Graham hill i get to the far right and aim to run my left knee over the kerb into the corner and run to the kerb on the exit. I do this in 3rd gear also so i’m in the same gear for druids and Graham Hill. You cna dive up the inside at Graham Hill but trackdayers generally don’t like it - B loved it when i did it to him mind! 
I give it a handfull on the exit and click 4th head down then i hold 4th through Surtees. Surtees is a corner which you will need to find your own entrance speed for, but i personally like to go in quite sharp but enter on the right hand side near the grass, so i get the bike turned with my knee hovering over the grass/kerb on the inside and once turned I can power out of it. B goes in later and practically runs right out of road on the exit but both of these techniques seem to work. Enter Clearways with a bit of care you can crash here VERY easily as Jay says. Lots of the Bemsee lads take a wide sweep in but i like to go in 3/4 of the way out and sweep in ‘lightly’ trail braking and gauging the corner on my knee. I hug it tight and keep the bike tight then stand it up and power out - be very careful of the highside here it’s such an easy place for it to happen due to the camber. I then power round the exit of Clearways tight and flat out over the bumps - don’t worry if it shakes about on the exit.
Me n B swooping into Paddock Hill - we swoop through the turn and turn into the kerb in a way so we’re still turning at this point. Don’t asking why we’re covering the clutch because i’m not sure Ok?!
Also attatched a pic of me racing and apexing druids over half way round/3/4 round Druids.
And final pic is me hugging Clearways tight. Put the pics in to try and give you an idea of what i’m talking about and hope they help.
yep, that was me a while back on the ducati. bit more recent footage here where i’m prob doing a slightly better job. the bumpiness is more the cam than the track.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzVq99oIoCA
i’m sure there will be plenty of time on the day to chat about this stuff and even easier when you’ve seen the track up close. couple of things
paddock - when you start off its a bit deceptive as it kind of kinks twice. like sammo says, you want to left of the yellow pit lane exit marker, and for a wide line in you’re looking for the section of tarmac when you can exit the track when it shuts. its well worth taking the corner easy to start with as if you go in shallow it throws you wide and down hill which can make you crap yourself a little (did this following highside through there once beyond my ability, big mistake). keep your eyes on druids rather than the kitty litter…
druids - you brake up hill before tipping in which helps lose some speed, the apex is right the way round almost as you come out. its quite tight but the camber is decent, i’m prob 2nd gear on the r1 going quick, been doing it in 1st which prob is slowing me up in terms of winding on the power again (and no way near as fast as sammo!). stalker does it in 1st gear full pelt apparently , but he’s a legend/nutter (use as appropriate) on your bike aim to get it upright sooner and drag down the hill in a straightish line to the outside right.
Graham - off camber but i really like this corner for some reason (prob because i prefer lefts). if you use the full track to the right, you can accel past people on the inside that are just drifting out to the kerb for the sake of it, and not cos they’re going fast. prob best to avoid trail braking here given the downhill/off camber
surtees - there’s a join in the tarmac that chufster pointed out to me and is a decent marker to turn in. rather than do the full ‘s’ the quicker line is to run it in more straight up, your tyres run bewteen the white line and the curbing (credit: B) and turn late into clark curve
clark curve clearways - there’s a seam down the middle, tyres can track it a bit. bump on the shallow line so be a little careful winding on here. taking it a bit wider before pulling it in for the tower on the right gives better drive down the straight (altho i’m not doing that enough yet)
f me sammo, love that last pic
theres a big bit of overbanding round clearways which can catch you out the first time round,
but the other guys have covered that.
All of the corners are deceptive and have their own character.
Paddock Hill Bend: Braking for this can be scary because you’re approaching at high speed and you cannot see the corner, only a crest in the distance. To start with pick out an early braking point, perhaps the white line that runs across the the track at the start/finish line.
Because of the self preservation instinct you’ll always be turning in early which will throw you out wide and slow your exit speed up to Druids. This can be cured by getting your turn point sorted. This is a bit hard to explain here but i’ll show you this on the day. After this you must hit the apex, it’s easy to go slightly wide here because the track is dropping away and you can’t see the apex so keep working on getting the bike turned to hit it. Pick up gas from here too.
Get it right though and you’ll be on the gas early and will have more pace up to Druids.
Druids:2nd gear on R1. Try braking before the bridge and off the brakes just before you turn in which is just where the track levels off. Entry speed can be high because of the positive camber. Don’t worry if you go slightly wide on the way in, the most important bit is the late apex.
The track levels out on exit so beware of losing the rear under power, be particularly progressive with throttle and don’t use too low a gear as it will unsettle the bike too much under power.
Quite often you can hold 2nd gear to Graham hill.
Graham Hill: 2nd gear on R1. This corner requires accuracy. Hold 2nd gear out of Druids to Graham Hill. Brake late and deep and get most of the corner finished before you even hit the LATE apex. On gas from apex and up to 3rd or 4th for Surtees. If you have to ease off throttle on way out to avoid the exit kerbs then you have hit the apex too early. You should be hitting the exit kerbs about two thirds of the way along it.
Surtees: 3rd or 4th gear. Not much in the way of braking points here. Listening to the rpm of the bike can help judge this point, there is also a slight surface change that can help. Ideally trail braking all the way in but you guys should be off the brakes well before the apex.
Very high entry speed needed which will throw you wide on exit but that’s ok. As you pick the bike up to change direction to the right you can give a little gas and use all the road and run over the white line.
Mclaren/Clark Curve/clearways: Just a little bit of smooth braking is needed when you have exited surtees and begin to turn into Mclaren. Not too much throttle here until you have gone over the crest. It’s one long sweeper from here and you’re building momentum all the way round. You’ll start to drift out to the outside of the track half way round and while building speed aim for the marshals hut on the inside which is the last apex by which time you’ll be flat out…well you will be after many laps of practice.
Clearways is notorious for highsides, it’s a bit ripply and does undulate. So it’s all about disciplined throttle control. Gradually winding it on and not giving it a big handful.
What i’d love to see you guys doing is not going in to the turns too hot so you can concentrate on hitting the apexes and getting a good drive out of every turn. Once you can do that then speed can be added and it’s join the dots:cool:
Cheers for that Sammo and B. I’m doing it on the school’s R6 (worried about dropping my bike), should be fun even if I am a little slow.
Wow, cheers y’all loads of advice there…!!! Probably gonna just pad around a bit first…
Ok, now I’m REALLY cacking myself :crazy:
I’m jealous - I wish I was coming now :crying:
