| The new chicane is on the Dean Straight, approx where the words 'viewing area' are.
Only cause I'm off work and nothing to do....here's my view of the track. My comparison is with the CB5 which will be down on power, suspension and tyres on DD bikes, but similar enough to get a feel for it.
Start/finish straight is flat out and includes the Folly kink which is a corner of sorts, but it's very exciting to be leaning over full on the gas. The start is great going around this bend, with 5 abreast flat out with nobody on any real racing line - very exciting.
As you approach Avon Rise and the left hander, you have to decide where you're going to brake. The faster boys may leave their braking really late here and carry a load of corner speed into the left hander, but most will ease off a bit, balance the throttle and tip it in to the left, which means you're braking with the bike lent over having been flat out - scary, but a great place to make up time.
The problem is, this is the all important approach to Quarry which is the most difficult and probably most important corner on the track IMHO. A bad position going around the left will put you out to the right and too close to the apex for the fastest line, but depending on who is around you, you may actually have to be there to block people behind you. It is possible, particularly in the first lap, to head straight for the apex and out-brake everyone on the correct line and block their fast exit. Of course, this puts you in the wrong position for a fast exit and importantly, the corner does tighten up and many find themselves dancing with the grass on the left as you exit. Late turn in, hit the apex and hard on the gas if you can otherwise, you'll be out-dragged down Farm Straight to the Esses. If you get Quarry right, and you're dicing with someone on a similar bike and skill, it may be possible to hold a defensive line all the way to the finish.
The Esses are typical of any chicane. Again, you can go out to the left and take the classic route, but beware of people like me who tend to just go straight for the apex, out-brake you and force you onto the grass on the left. Doing this does mess up you're exit a bit. The exit is all important here again as you are now hard on the gas down a very short straight to Old Paddock Bend.
OPBend is a lovely fast corner and possible to take flat out if you get the right line. You must get from the right coming out of the Esses, over to the left for a late turn in as you're full on the gas and there is little room for error here. If not, you find yourself too far over to the left on the exit, feathering the throttle with almost no run-off area.
From here, it's flat out down Hammerdown into Tower. I find this a tricky little bleeder and was taken a few times by people with more guts than me. It's hard on the brakes and a little bumpy as I recall and again, only has a few hay bales between you and the tyre wall. This is a good overtaking place. It's very tempting to turn in too early here, so leave it late, get early on the gas for the run up a slight hill to Bobbies.
It's possible to get a better drive out of Tower and out-brake people into Bobbies and as it's one at a time through it, so you often get a bit of paint exchange and grass tracking here.
Coming out of Bobbies, again it's hard on the gas all the way around Westway which is more of an extension of a straight than a real corner as your're flat out.
Next up is the new chicane about three quarters of the way down Dean Straight. It's worse than Cadwell's new chicane. It's basically a piece of tarmac about six foot wide that looks like you laid it yourself on your driveway at home. There is a barrier in place all the way across the existing tarmac. This forces you to be very late on the brakes and was the sight of many accidents last year. It's one bike at a time and the drive out of the corner is critical. Gearing choice is important here as it is just possible to get earlier/harder on the gas than the guy in front of you, slip stream them around the corner and down the very short straight to the finish. There were a few people who came out of Camp in the lead thinking they'd won only to be beaten by a tyre width on the line.
Camp itself is flat out on the CB5, but a little scary as the back wheel is shuffling about a bit, it's a typical CB5 leaning off pose that is required here to try to keep the bike as upright as possible. There's not much run off again and there were a few accidents here last year as people either slid off or made contact trying to stay too close for the run to the line.
If not the last lap, it's flat out again heading for Quarry.
I've never ridden one, but depending on your gearing, a 583 may top out down the straight, but there's a compromise with the fact that there as so many corners linked together and a good drive out is essential if you don't want to be passed on the way into the next one.
Good places to watch - on the bank above the new chicane as you can see the approach, the chicane itself, the finish and all the way to Avon. Quarry is worth a short walk to and it's possible to keep walking and go all the way around the track. I quite liked watching at Tower as there is a lot going on and you're fairly close to the action.
Ah, wish I was going myself now.
Best of luck everyone, hope it stays dry.
WeeJohnyB  | 
02-Jun-2005, 13:43 
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