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This is a write up from a members visit to Croft on a LoT day in 2006.
The circuit was brilliant! It's flat, airfield style, so like Bedford, Silverstone. Whereas Bedford can be monotonous and unchallenging because of radiused bends one after another, this was challenging and far more technical with a great mix of slow, medium & fast bends. Although it's a racing circuit, the preferred method of run-off is tarmac and tyre walls (well back), so sessions aren't stopping every couple of minutes because someone's in the kitty litter for a minor indiscretion.
Here's "my lap". I'm no driving god, this was my first time at this circuit and drive a 170bhp S1 with CR box, on Advans & Ohlins, so this description should suffice for most folks as a starting point, in the dry anyway. Would be good to have the text available as you watch a video of a lap that's posted online.
Crossing the start/finish in 4th, brake for Clervaux at the end of the pit exit dotted lines (you can be more daring later), changing down to 3rd before the bend. As confidence builds, you find you can brake into the apex as a slight advantageous camber quells oversteer and drift naturally across onto the kerbs the other side at the exit, onto what appears to be a left-hander before the Hawthorn right-hander. In fact, get the line right through Clervaux and you can straight through the left bit (unnamed) before approaching Hawthorn. Hawthorn starts tight and unwinds so the apex is really early and you can allow yourself to go really wide under power. At first, I was grabbing 2nd before the kink and taking 3rd during the exit of Hawthorn (running out of revs), but later in the session with a better line in and more confidence in the amount of road available on exit of Hawthorn, was keeping 3rd from Clervaux onwards. Unwinding from Hawthorn takes you immediately into the Chicane, in theory a right-left but in practice a straight through, over the kerbs, and gather it up before the right-side edge of the circuit on the way out (there's room). Notably, it's best to have a balanced throttle through the kerbs rather than accelerating, but under power either side. Less firmly-damped cars (mine's on Ohlins) e.g. S1 Koni, S1 LSS, std S2 may find they can't use as much kerb which means going round the bends a bit more, to the detriment of speed onto the straight.
Power out of the Chicane towards Tower, taking 4th, there's a gentle curve left before lining up on the left side for Tower bend, a right-hander. Brake around 100yd board (later as time goes on), down to 3rd and make time to balance the car on the throttle before turning in to Tower. If ever there was a slow-in, fast-out corner, it's this one as the exit speed is crucial for the back part of the circuit. Overbrake and you'll be understeering all the way through the corner and hence late getting back on the power. Coming up are the Jim Clark Esses which can be taken flat with a bit of commitment. I was taking 4th just before the turn-in to the left-hand first part and keeping hard down all the way through the right-hander's exit.
Stay on the power to Barcroft, another right hander. Very fast, this is the ballsiest corner on the circuit! Initially you'll lift before Barcroft while you suss the line and gain confidence, but eventually you'll be nearly flat (with stickier tyres, some will be flat). On entry you can drift left across the white line for an extra wide line and take a little bit of kerb through the apex. In fact my limitation on speed was not my cahonas through the bend itself but the ability to slow enough for the next right hander. You may find yourself backing off slightly for Barcroft just so you have enough braking for the next bend, so some experimentation is called for. Those on stickier tyres (and under 200bhp) may be flat from Tower onwards and still have enough retardation to turn in successfully for the bend after Barcroft.
That right hander after Barcroft is known as Sunny In and is paired with, remarkably enough, Sunny Out - another right hander. Really a double-apex bend but completely different radii for each part. Sunny In is probably a 2nd gear bend in a std ratio box but I couldn't decide between 2nd & 3rd all day. Take 2nd and you run out of revs halfway through Sunny out when you really don't want to be changing gear. Sunny out is a power-out corner with some helpful camber to aid your determination. Exiting Sunny and onto a straight, you might have time to grab 4th before going back down to 3rd for the first part of the Complex, a left hander.
The apex for left-hand Complex 1 is really, really late (you'll spend at least a session finding it!), so you can take a wide line in. In fact no sooner have you apexed Complex 1 then you're hard on the brakes and down into 2nd for the tight Complex 2 right-hander. Complex 2 is tight in, with room to unwind and accelerate out. If you can Left Foot Brake it would be useful here as you'll need to limit
under steer and yet stay on the power before squirting down to the left-hand Hairpin, where LFB is also useful. Out of the hairpin and up the gears to complete a lap.
Important: I CAN IMAGINE THAT IN THE WET, THIS CIRCUIT WILL BE DIFFERENT TO THAT WRITTEN ABOVE. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the circuit can describe which bits get treacherous in the wet and/or cold.
Facilities on site are rather primitive if you're used to,
well anywhere really! Catering consisted of a burger van (you
had a choice of onions or no onions on your burger...) There's
not a proper restaurant so lunch is spent sitting beside the car
or on the grass.
Words kindly provided by Graeme Kidd (GCCK)
Hotels & Fuel
Please u2u me if you have any sugestions.
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