Cadwell Park’s famous Mountain section has been resurfaced for the first time in 18 years.
Approximately 160 tonnes of tarmac were used to resurface the Mountain section of the circuit with a further 100 tonnes of tarmac used at Park Corner. Although the width of circuit has not increased, the top 40mm of tarmac has been replaced.
The resurfacing, which took two days to complete, follows work to improve run off areas around certain parts of the circuit during the winter period aimed at making the track safer for competitors.
It may well have at least reduced the little bumbs on the mountain.
As for the trees, I can’t see them getting rid of them, they may have trimmed them up somewhat though.
If you actually walk round the track, its a long way round but you see things that you wouldn’t notice when flying round on a bike. There is actually a pond in the trees at hall bends, over on the right hand side as an example.
And watch out for rabbits, fairly suicidal there and they like digging holes in the grass off to the right at the gooseneck.
We had the first session in the morning red flagged for the furry little bar stewards, they where getting in some early morning rays on the tarmac along the start finish straight.
I watched the Superbike XS DVD presented by Charley Boorman and James Whitham.
One of the guys said that when he crashed at Cadwell he thought he was dead because he couldn’t hear any bikes and could see a lake and some ducks…Said it was very peaceful.
LOL…Turned out he’d gone straight into the woods after being thrown from the bike
Still has a double crest, especially over to the right. Firghtened myself properly in a very wet second ever session on the mountain, as I’d heard somewhere if you kept it pinned, the wheel would lift on the first crest…and the second one would bring it back down!
Not so…
First crest lifted front, which was still airborne as I hit the second ridge, where the front came right up and launched me fairly upright off the top!
Needless to say, further laps did NOT see any repeat, and whenever the front made it a couple of feet up in the air, the throttle was killed slightly over eagerly!
What are your wet weather Cadwell tips guys…I’m going on Thursday and its not looking dry.
I know to stay away from the white lines, but I’ve never been on a wet track out the 5 times I’ve gone, so I would appreciate some advice to keep me and the bike upright.
Be VERY steady round Hall bends (where Mad Scientist came off) as quite a few came off there on our day, seems there may be a change of surface there. Then continue to take it easy (but remain nice and relaxed on the bike) round the hairpin as it’s VERY slippy with the combination of the green stuff the trees drop there and the water and round the next corner onto the start finish straight, put the power on real slow, in fact I was a bit of a wuss and was pretty much upright before I started accelerating. The only other place where specific caution is required if it’s wet I would think is coming down the hill after the gooseneck, be a bit wary braking for the left hander, VERY easy to get the back of the bike out of shape there!
Riding in the wet is all about being smooth and reacting to the feedback you get from your bike.
The bits to really watch out for at Cadwell are Hall Bends at the top of the mountain section. They stay wet, even when the rest of the track has dried out. Try and be as smooth as possible through this section. Do not under any circumstances run the kerb on the exit of the hairpin, you will normally get into a right old mess in the wet. You should be able to power out of barn onto the start finish straight ok, just watch for the grid lines, they can make the bike twitch badly. So I stay left while getting the power down, then switch to the right. If its really throwing it down, the dip in park straight can get a tad waterlogged. As mentioned above, be very careful of Mansfield, the downhill left after the gooseneck. The chicane after this can often stay damp as well when the rest starts drying.
White lines and kerbs are not an option in the wet, stay well, well clear of them. Brake earlier and with more progression than in the dry. Try and keep the shoulders loose (don’t tense up), this will aid in reactions to bike feedback.
you’re a lucky b*gger then. i’ve ended up with more wet track days than dry
run your tires a couple of psi lower, and make sure you do your warm up laps each time you go out. not sure which group you’ve booked into but bear in mind other people are on different machines, potentially running wets etc so ride your own ride and be less tempted to do the ‘well he can do it, so so can I’.
ease up on your pace compared to a dry day but try not to go too far in other direction. you can still corner/brake and accelerate quite hard, just try and do them all progressively and feel for the bike potentially moving around. if you keep your pace up your tyres stay warmer and you get more grip.
use hanging off to keep the bike more upright rather than to get your knee down.
keep your grip on the bars light as you would in the dry. people get nervous in the wet and grip too hard, which unsettles the bike (rigid arms and body fight the front, and translates the movements to the rest of the bike).
sounds daft but try and smile, helps you stay relaxed.
because going as fast as the next bloke is less of a priority, it should give you more of a chance to work on technique. set your corners up early, settle the bike etc. if you’re comfortable in the wet, you’ll go well in the dry
I’ve been in many a track day medical centre…The most memorable one was at Donington because there was an absolutely gorgeous student nurse working there attending to my badly bounced bonce.
Wish I’d got her number…Might have to crash at Donington again
Love Cadwell, but yep, it does seem small when you’re riding it, I’m sure it’s actually bloody massive.
