Starting Grid

The paddock at Cadwell is situated well away from the pits, so you have to do a quarter of a lap before getting to the start line.

Coppice and Charlies

The first bend, Coppice, begins the rollercoaster ride. In many cars, this is flat, and the steep uphill afterwards means that momentum is vital. The apex is directly opposite the service road on the right. Try and stay left as you climb the exit into the long 180 degree Charlies. This requires a double apex, once at the kerb on the uphill section and once at the kerb in the downhill slope. The bit in between, where you will drift to the outside of the track on the crest is a real act of faith. Momentum conserved around here will help a lap time more than anything else at Cadwell.

Park Straight

The scenery changes as the track undulates along Park Straight out into open space. The braking point is over the crest of the hill, and it is tempting to brake too early.

Park Corner

Park Corner is a simple 90 degree bend, and very tight on exit. It is important to be very neat here as the downhill section that follows is pretty fast.

Chris Curve

Chris Curve is a long, long bend and you should be accelerating all the way through it. It is quite a featureless bend and the only clue to the line is the rubber on the track.

Gooseneck

The Gooseneck is a legendary corner. A heavily cambered, steep downhill drop, it requires commitment on a fast lap. Leaving Chris Curve, gradually blend your line into towards the right handed kerb, whilst looking left through the tight left hander to find your second apex ahead. You can barely see the exit point of the Gooseneck, so steep is the drop. A clean, smooth entry through the first two apexes is more vital than a heroically fast exit, as a sharp brake follows soon after.

Mansfield

Mansfield is sharper than 90 degrees and turns left after the steep downhill entry. A very, very late turn in and apex is required, so you can be on the power through the exit of the bend. Motorcycles have a chicane here that turns Mansfield into a hairpin.

If you are on the short circuit, hard luck, as you will have to make a hairpin turn through the barrier back to Coppice. If you are on the long circuit, the fun begins again.

The Mountain

The Mountain is unbelievably steep, but doesn't reward heroism. A technically minded driver will be neat into the first left hander, avoiding the kerb. Keep left and clip, but don't hammer the kerb on the right. You now should be on full power for the short straight past the grandstand.

Halls Bends

Hall Bends are my favourite part of Cadwell. Threading through the trees it is more like a country lane than a race track. I suggest walking the track before your track day or race here to get a greater understanding of what is over the crests. You need to play dot-to-dot through the first three apexes as the car transfers weight from left to right and back again. Over the brow, there is one more left hand apex, right in the braking area for the hairpin. Be very careful here in the wet, or in autumn when the track can still be damp under the trees, even on a sunny day. There is no run off if you do miss your braking point.

The Hairpin

The hairpin is actually not as tight as the name suggests. The corner is more like 120 degrees, but still requires a late apex and tidy exit into the very difficult Barn.

Barn

Barn is faster than it looks, but drivers must remember the straight that follows is crucial and ensure that any lifting is done before apex, not after the apex. The corner is blind, and drops downhill. There is a high point to the kerb that helps navigation to the apex, and from there it is a case of unwinding the lock and applying the power back onto another lap of this wonderful circuit.