Sprinting in the Westcountry

[St Eval]

The Delights of the Westcountry
Hi, I’m fairly new on here, but have been a competitor for quite a few years now. I mostly compete in the Southwest but for the last 4 or 5 years I have been to most of the BSC venues. Now I would like to introduce you to the delights of the Westcountry so that if you are at a loose end during the summer you can come on down and join in the fun. I will start with sprints because I like sprinting best, although this was not always the case.

Sprint Venues

Castle Combe
Very fast, can be run over 3 quarters or 1and 3 quarters laps. The track is good if dry but if wet it does not drain well. I have only spectated at this venue, my first time there will be in March, should have been there last year but the car was not ready in time.

Clay Pigeon
A very tight kart track, full lock is applied twice per lap, we run the whole 1 and 3 quarter lap without getting out of 1st and 2nd gears, you could say that I was not exactly impressed, but it takes all sorts of venues and we were still competitive.

Colerne
Colerne has the fastest straight in the country, of the venues that I have been to and that includes Snetterton and Park straight at Cadwell. The first 2 thirds of the track are really fast , the last third is still fast but more technical, (this is where I lose all the time I made in the first bit).

Llandow
A real fun track with a bit of everything. Two good straights with the exit onto these straights being critical to achieving a good time. The only odd bit is the bus stop chicane, this being a bit fiddly, the other chicane, at the end of the back straight is just fun (kerbs what kerbs?)

Predannack
It must be the furthest west venue in mainland Britain, in fact even the Cornish reckon it’s a long way to travel. Situated on the Lizard peninsula it is not one of the prettiest airbase venues, but what a track. It doesn’t look much until you drive it, it has 3 straightish straights, the first corner is a 90 right with a bumpy approach and a sneaky bump just past mid corner (plenty of spinners here) this requires a novel line to avoid it. The next straight is fast and bumpy, it is actually a tightening curve. The bumps are interesting the forces actually get out of phase, with the backend becoming increasingly airborne (Redmist), but if you are mid track it’s normally ok. Braking for the hairpin is done on a fast curve, made more interesting by a few bumps. After the hairpin comes the smooooth section, a very fast sweeping S, where in our car you can really feel the ground effect and the G forces (this on what I call a straight). After this it’s real heavy braking for a 90 right onto the bumpy start finish straight and into another lap. 2 laps of this super grippy track absolutely brilliant.

St Eval
Along with Predannack , and some of the circuit sprints like Croft and Cadwell, this has to be one of my favourites. Not only is it a good fun track but the clubby atmosphere is second to none. The track itself is again another piece of MOD property. The track is a little bumpy (some say a lot) but we run our car at 40mm ride height and it is perfectly ok. The track has a bit of everything, sweeping bend, elevation change, hairpin, a decent straight and a fiddly bit to finish, Oh and 3 laps, all this coupled with grip levels (in the dry) like I have never experienced anywhere else. I’ve been winding Steve Wilkinson up for years about this place.

Chivenor
This time we have an active RNAS. This being the case most of the track is smooooth, apart from a particularly savage bump on the run to the first corner. This track is the only place that I know about that you are timed not only over 64 feet but also over a standing quarter mile. So you have a sprint and a drag race all in one go and they actually give a trophy for the fastest in each class over the quarter mile. The rest of the track has a bit of everything and is quite fast. The most common complaint heard in the paddock is that it is easy to get lost. It’s ok when you have been there a few times, but I have just heard that they are probably going to change the track layout, doh.

I hope that this is of interest, at least to some of you. I have also done a similar article on the Hillclimbs in our region.

[Pugdriver205]

Chivenor Is AWESOME easily the best place we go to ! Until of course someone manages to get Merryfield back - Thats 2.5 MILES long but until then Chivenor knocks everything else into a cocked hat.

[Dan Friel]

I've always found Colerne to be windy, cold and wet! You'd need a quick car to enjoy yourself.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Dan Friel

I've always found Colerne to be windy, cold and wet! You'd need a quick car to enjoy yourself.

I have enjoyed my visits to Colerne with my 1970 Elan. The only bit I found boring was the long straight - should have taken a book with me! The rest I found very technical and challenging.

It is nearly always going to be windy as it is an airfield - QED.

[Pugdriver205]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

I have enjoyed my visits to Colerne with my 1970 Elan. The only bit I found boring was the long straight - should have taken a book with me! The rest I found very technical and challenging.

It is nearly always going to be windy as it is an airfield - QED.

Nahh its the speed you get up to on airfield circuits that makes me windy...

[St Eval]

Too windy to go to Combe tomorrow as well aren't you. Speed at sprints isn't a problem, it's cattle grids and trees on the hills that are a problem.

[Pugdriver205]

Not windy RR - Its just my that Mark hasn't got my head back yet !

[St Eval]

Went to Castle Combe on Saturday cold and windy all day. Car was good and quick with David driving, good and slow with me driving.

[Pugdriver205]

Weight issues ?? He He

[Z350]

St Eval is great venue and quite fast 100mph is doable at the end of the straight. But Chivenor is something else and I missed doing it last year when they called it off. I hope it's on this year.

[ghinzani]

Are they sprinting at Clay at all this year? Seeing as its a kart track they should really let some of us karters eneter eh? ;-)
Do you guys have the ame noise issues at St Eval as the hire kart place has? Apparently they cant operate on a Sunday now!

[St Eval]

Yes, we ran at Clay Pigeon on 19th April and will be back 4th October. No problems with noise at St Eval as far as I know. We were there on 10th May and back again on 24th May. No comparison between the two venues at Clay we don't get out of 2nd gear and there is no grip. For us St Eval gets us up to about 115mph and there is grip in abundance.
Karts are no longer allowed to play with us, at Clay you would have a big advantage, at St Eval I reckon it would be pretty even and Colerne would be interesting IMO.
If you get the feeling that I don't like Clay, you are correct, but I did used to like Dunkeswell, they have a thing called a straight there.

[ghinzani]

They letting you run on Sundays at St Eval then?

[St Eval]

Yes, All Five events this year are on Sunday.

[ghinzani]

Hmm thats strange, I assumed there wouldnt be any on Sundays because the hire kart circuits apparently been barred from running on Sundays because of noise issues. Would have thought race car engines are noisier than a bunch of Honda GX200s.

[St Eval]

I think that I am right in saying that we run when there are no church services and the Kart track is closer to the Church than the Sprint course.
Newquay Auto sort their dates with the church. Whereas the karts would want to run all the time. And yes our engines do sound nicer than a Honda nicked from a generator.