You'll Love Cadwell

by Jennie Stothert, photos © Ralph Gadsby

Copyright Ralph Gadsby

"Oh, you'll love Cadwell" usually accompanied by a knowing smile and often followed by "will you be driving the mountain section?” That was what I heard from almost everyone who had asked me where I was driving next.

I'd never been to Cadwell before, not even as a spectator, so after hearing these words I really was beginning to wonder what on earth to expect.

And what was all this talk of the "mountain"? Surely Lincolnshire is flat? However, within seconds of arriving at Cadwell Park, I realised that it was anything but a flat circuit. I have recently decided that I like tracks with "a bit of topography" so I was quite excited to see the track below disappearing off into the distance and turning sharply up the valley side. This one certainly looked like it was going to be fun!

With two drivers and only one car, the day started with the usual wrangle to decide who gets the keys first. This time I 'won' and was happily celebrating my success... just as the first rain-cloud rolled into view! It seemed that this was to become my first track-day in the rain.

So the car was in my hands for the first session and my second real challenge of the day was actually getting it onto the track. There's no such thing as a "pit lane exit" at Cadwell. You weave your way through a couple of small gaps in a fierce Armco barrier and find your way to a narrow service road sloping steeply down the valley side. I did question a couple of times "is this really the right way?" and "am I really supposed to be going down there?" but soon enough we found smooth tarmac and we were on our way!

It's always tricky to know whether it's better to drive first or second when there are two of you sharing the driving. I find it quite daunting to go round a circuit for the first time. Cadwell was no exception, particularly when I saw the tight turn of Mansfield that I had to get the car around at the bottom of the implausibly steep decline from the Gooseneck. When faced with sights like that you can't help feeling that it would have been more sensible to see the track from the passenger seat first. However, the pace is always leisurely for the first session, as everyone has to feel their way around unfamiliar corners. Gradually the speed started to pick up and I began to feel very much at home.

As I had begun to expect from this circuit, there were a few surprises in store once I was out on the track. The Gooseneck turned out to be a really tricky quick right-left twister that, frankly, I don’t think I got the hang of all day. Apparently there are two schools of thought about how best to negotiate this one, but all I can say is that both of them baffled me completely.

Another corner that I found very challenging was Park. Although not a particularly complicated corner in its own right, it sits at the end of a long straight, immediately after a blind brow. I’d been told beforehand to leave braking until I was over a brow and past all the marker boards. However, I soon realised that it’s one thing to be told that and quite another to do it. It feels very unnatural to hurtle over a blind brow absolutely flat out, with that little voice in your head screaming, “brake, Brake, BRAKE!!”

I found the circuit both great fun and an immense challenge, particularly as the track was wet for much of the day. Every corner seemed to hold its own secrets that took me by surprise almost every time around.

After reading this report, I know what you're probably starting to think, "this is all very nice, but what is the secret to Cadwell, what is all the fuss about?” Well, all I can say is there’s only one way to find out. You'll have to go along yourself next year! And I can promise you one thing... you'll love Cadwell!