Cadwell changes?

[JimW]

Heard a story that Cadwell was going to be altered/developed; perhaps with the intention of getting bigger events there?

Any advances on this rumour? When does the bid for the GP go in?

Regards

Jim

[Rob29]

Please not

[carsten.meurer]

was sad enough to hear that the right hand apex tree ( doesn't that sound
great !? ) had been moved !

the less gets changed at cadwell, the better ! apart from the paddock
maybe...

looking for a bigger event, i would advice to do a timewarp classic event
there ! what better venue ?

[blackx]

Originally Posted by JimW

Heard a story that Cadwell was going to be altered/developed; perhaps with the intention of getting bigger events there?

All in line with JP's plans for world domination


Seriously though...

Would be nice to see Cadwell improved but not to the extent that it gets spoiled...

Its a fine line sometimes and lets hope that it isnt crossed..

[COLIN STUBBS]

theres talk of a new commentators hut going up to replace the one demolished by a beemer years ago. be nice if its in a spot where they can see a bit more of the track!!

[Redracer77]

we raceed there a couple of weeks ago and think it is a great circuit. Good for people to watch and a great venue. But please get rid of the grass paddock and bring it in line with all other circuits.

[graeme]

I was aghast at the changes a few years ago, but I think they have inmproved the circuit - you can now really attack Hall Bends, knowing that's there's a little run off around you. And we can all go "in my day..."

[Suze]

Only thing I heard from JP was in the long term they're looking at tarmacing the paddock so it's not grass / mud.

[Chris Roden]

Agree totally, leave the track alone but improve the paddock.

We were there in the rain a few weeks ago and, by the time the car was back on the trailer, it looked like it had done a few Rally stages.

[Suze]

I love the track, but we were there in May and it was fine for the test day when it was sunny but by the last day in the rain it was a real mess. (It's his grass we're ruining!). Maybe some of the bumps in the paddock area right on top of the hill could be "ironed" out too - would maybe be useful even if the tarmacing won't happen for a while.

[Dave Brand]

Rumours I've heard include widening of the run-off between the Hairpin & Barn - I'm told land on the outside of the circuit has been purchased to facilitate this, but it will need a lot of infill to bring it up to the level of the track. I'm told that originally the plan was to move the circuit in by the required amount, but that would have meant felling trees on which there was a preservation order. I've also heard that plans exist to widen the circuit to enable the bigger events to be run there. I must stress than all of the above is rumour!

Maybe one of the Cadwell regular marshals knows more?

[graeme]

Improving the drainage on the pit straight would be good - it floods badly after a bit of rain, leading to either stoppages or crashes...

[Chris Y]

Perhaps a better solution to the 'pit' situation might bring more top-level motorsport to Cadwell. Currently the pitlane is all but isolated from the paddock, and is really just a small strip of tarmac that the race officials park on

I would guess that there could be two solutions to that, but both would involve huge wedges of money. Either the assembly area and surroundings would have to be bulldozed to make room for pit garages, etc., or a new pitlane could be constructed on the outside of the start/finish straight, and a road leading around to it from the paddock. Can't see either happening really.

[TheNewBob]

A new pitlane on the outside would make spectating very difficult, as it is now it's great to watch the race starts from. Plus unless the pit entry was somehow blended into barn corner then it might get a little dangerous. The tarmac in the paddock is something of a necessity though.

Cadwell is impossibly beautiful, so I hope they don't spoil it too much. But I guess as far as development is concerned, it could be a victim of it's own beauty - to make big changes will more than likely mean destroying at least one of the many things that makes the circuit so special and unique...

[Suze]

TheNewBob makes a good point - it is beautiful, and developing it has the possibility of taking some of that away. I would've thought constructing a new pitlane on the outside of the start / finish straight would be hugely expensive just due to the nature of the land - and if you built the pitlane where the assembly area is, that'd have to be moved back, moving the paddock back etc (but hey, there's the land there....).

Pitlane on outside of start/finish with a linking road may also not work - you wouldn't make the dash from assembley area to the pitlane on foot! It's bad enough trying to leg it down the hill as it is....

[Chris Y]

Perhaps not as unworkable as you think. After all, if you're in the 'outer paddock' at Rockingham, or even Brands, you have to drive down a fairly long road to get to the pitlane. Hence the popularity of pitbikes, or even hitching a lift in the race car.

However, yes, you're correct about the geography being the major stumbling block to any development on the start/finish straight. The only other place I can think of would be the current assembly area though.

[JohnMiller]

I'd like to see Cadwell left well alone, but if you must have new pits surely it should be on the top, in the park part of the circuit, near the gate.

Would make the club circuit have more meaning then too, but would probably mean less use of the fantastic Mountain Circuit.

[Suze]

Can't say I've been to Rockingham for about three years now, and never had any actual "need" to be in the pit lane there. Brands have just done it by car from outer paddock to the inner bit. Just wonder if at Cadwell it would be an unnecessary hassle.

Even with the current assembley area - surely it wouldn't be big enough? Maybe knock down the diner / cafe / whatsitcalled bit so the pit area would be the current assembley area, diner and rejoin after the chicane? (Can't remember where the next corner is though in relation to the chicane....my lap in course car didn't get round that far!).

[novicecross]

I don't think you could rejoin just before the hairpin. That would be a mess.

[graeme]

Maybe a tunnel under the present track crossing before Hall Bends would solve a lot of this??

[Suze]

The hairpin...that's what it is! Thanks

So nope, that wouldn't work.

[COLIN STUBBS]

yep. we dont need anything too radical that spoils its charm. commentators position,do summut with the drainage on start/finish straight,put back the grandstands at charlies and mansfield,and maybe push the banking back a little in a place or two. and grade/tarmac the paddock. and keep the entry fees down!!!!!!

[KennyG]

The last I heard was to increase the track width by 4ft to benefit 4 wheel racing. They can do this within the existing boundries.

[Dean Watson]

Ive heard that the track width is to be increased by between 3" and 3' with the main width being added to the start straight, the rest of the circuit only needs a few inches to bring in line for btc and the likes (banger racing back to cadwell!!!).
As for the pit lane it cant really be run out from barn as on the out side there is the pond with a fair drop which runs along to where the start line is where the gradient on the outside suddenly changes to uphill. On the inside comming out of barn is the old manor house which i believe has a protection order which means it can not be demolished. I suppose race control could be moved to outside the start straight and the current pitlane lengthend and front only opening garages put right up to the banking.

[Tim Falce]

I don't agree with widening the track. All tracks have their own characteristics and the track width is one of the things that's so special about Cadwell.
I know the width on the start straight is a pain for cars, but only when you start the race, after that it's no more a problem that the rest of the track.
Leave well alone I say.