Driving tips

Turn 1 – Madgwick

Using the start/finish straight, move the car fully to the left so your braking area runs up the edge of the circuit. Braking will be a longer distance with a gentler pedal to avoid upsetting the balance of the car. The turn in point on a track day will be the red arrow, usually in fourth gear and this corner allows you to experiment with the momentum carried into the apex because as you turn, the track is climbing up a slope. Too slow in and you can get on the power early to make up, too fast and you delay the application of the throttle.

There are two apex points for this corner. A sideways, sliding car, perhaps on crossply tyres with use of both apex points, a modern car on grippy tyres will deliberately miss the first yellow and black apex board by about one and a half car widths. Either option will have a line about half a car width left of centre over the crest and then peel close to the second apex. Power is usually applied just before the crest if momentum in is correct. Passing the second apex, unwind the steering lock and keep gently adding the power. In the wet, with powerful rear wheel drive cars watch for traction loss over the bump.

Keep left along the following straight in the dry but move towards the centre of the circuit in the wet to avoid the worst of any standing water. Usually, you’ll be up to 5^th gear along this straight.

Turn 2 – Fordwater 

Turning from the left-hand side of the circuit at the red arrow or potentially half a car length early in a good handling car, steering inputs need to be very smooth due to the high speed. Lighter faster cars may need to slow down with a small brake/lift before the turn. Run wide of the apex in the wet due to a puddle on the apex, and tight to the apex in the dry. Once turned, gently get back on the power to load the car up through this fast bumpy section and avoid lifting off the power on exit.

Relax steering lock and let the car take itself out full to the left. At this point, you cannot see the next corner so build confidence to stay on power and stay left for the first 100 meters past the green exit arrow. Now the red turn arrow for St Mary’s part one will come into view and once it does aim just to the left of it to create a straight line approach down the centre of the circuit. This will help create more stability under braking.

Turn 3 - St Mary’s

Braking for St Mary's part one will usually be up to six car lengths before the board just after the slight crest and not too heavy to avoid unsettling the car and drop down to 4^th gear. Turn from the far left-hand side of the track just before the red arrow aiming for the apex on the right, early on the power and aiming to exit only as far as the middle of the track. This lets you move back to the right-hand side of the track in a short distance to open up the left turn at St Mary's part two.

Using the brake board on the right-hand side as a marker, a short firm brake can be used, while looking through the corner for the apex. Avoid the kerb and be aware of the track dropping away from the car as you apply the power reducing grip. Hold the apex for an extra car length if running out too wide too soon on exit, which should be fully right just after the bottom of the dip, marked by the green arrow. In the dry, work on carrying momentum in fourth gear through the left-hand part two, maybe third in the wet.

Turn 4 - Lavant

From the bottom of the dip, on full power move back to the left of the circuit as you go up the slope. This should let you start braking down the left-hand side of the circuit in a straight line usually half way between the brake and 50 board. Third gear in the wet or the dry is needed. Look for the apex board before you turn by looking through the corner and work hard on accuracy to this key apex. This makes space for the car in the middle of the corner where being off camber the car wants to run wide very easily delaying power application.

Use the boards to create a flowing, sweeping turn, not a fifty pence piece and start to apply power just after the first apex, continuing to progressively add it all the way through the exit of the bend. Avoid the painted kerbs in the wet.

Small kerb on the right can be missed by about a cars width, hence no yellow/black apex board.

Keep adding power carefully and unwind steering to take the car fully out to the left next to the green arrow board.

Turn 5 - Kink

Move back to the right smoothly staying on the power and use boards to guide you through the kink. Just after the green arrow board (six car lengths) a darker patch of tarmac is visible and this is the point to start moving the car back to the left aiming at the number 50 board at the end of the straight, which creates a straight line for the braking for Woodcote corner.

Turn 6 – Woodcote

Using the 200 or brake board depending on car type for the start of the braking, usually finishing at the first red arrow, also dropping down to third gear.

Don't be tricked into turning at the first red arrow, this is merely the point to ease off the brake, keeping left through the initial kink and at the second red chevron add a touch more lock to reach the apex on right, keeping off the kerb and applying the power. Unwind the lock to let the car run to the left, the flat kerb can be used in the dry by experienced drivers. Stay on the power in third gear up to the braking point for the Chicane.

Turn 7 – Chicane

Short firm brake to either a late turn at the red arrow across to the right-hand wall section of the chicane or earlier more gentle turn to diagonally peel across to the same point. Turn back to the left-hand chicane wall with option 1; create a diagonal line between the walls with option 2. Build confidence to shave walls and not leave too much space as this compromises exit space.

Once the left-hand chicane wall has been reached unwind the steering, run up the right-hand side of the track, and feed the power in progressively.