Driven : 911 GT3 - Manthey Tuned
Circuit : Half Circuit
Weather : Dry
Driving the half circuit is not quite as straight as the pictures make out, the circuit goes clockwise, pit lane is located to the middle of the bottom stretch, with a series of chicanes all the way on the back section that adds more to the track, but it is still very fast.
Main issue is the quality of the circuit surface which is a classic old concrete runaway, that has seen better days, so as a result my rock hard KW suspension on my 911 was forever bounching around fighting for grip. There are 2 sections of new tarmac, on the last corner and the top chicane which are smooth and grippy which only highlight the problems on the rest of the circuit.
On a Big Thunder event, which had a mix of 911's, Elise, Atoms and few other cars. Run on an open pit lane basis, although they are resticted by virtue of numbers on the track so you can end up waiting a while to get on track and the attempts by the pit lane marshall to feed cars onto the track away from traffic according to their speed was not always that successful.
The great benefit of Brunters is that is really wide so there are a variety of lines (although this is also a disadvantage for beginners) it means you can take the fast corners flat with minimal of turn, although surface debris does have an effect on which line you take, as off line does get very slipperly on loose gravel.
1st corner past the 747 Jumbo parked up, is flat although a balanced throttle early is recommended whilst you build up confidence. The approach into the 2nd corner can up at speeds up to 150mph so a lot of braking is required but it is so wide it can be diffcult to pick a line. There are a few surface changes into and out of the corner and it is best to use the changes in surface as markers for where to turn.
It is very tempting to brake late but don't leave the turning too late even with the width of the track, as it is very easy to quickly run out of track and end up on the grass on the left if you carry in too much speed. Otherwise there are about a dozen lines you can try as the surface at turn 2 is actually quite not as bumpy as the main sections, so a good place to slide the tail out at speed.
The run to the turn 3 and the small chicane complex is rather frustrating as it is completely anonymous, as again you can take in a few different lines and some series speed. The surface starts to get quite bumpy in the braking zone so lighter and earlier braking is recommended, you either aim for the marshall's post and turn and effectively create a gentle double right hander or angle yourself straight at the chicane entrance and brake more into the chicane on the grippier tarmac for what then become a very fast and tight right.
The ideal line through the chicane is not to cut over it as it is quite easy to get a wheel off the ground and then spin, even if it is much faster to drive straight through it. This is probably the most challenging section of the track as it is grippy and a lower gear would seem to suit this complex. The exit is quite fast as you can carry a fair bit of speed out onto the main runaway which again is very wide, so running wide is not an issue.
The laid out cones now swoop the track from the right side to the left for a slow sharp right (2nd gear), which is very easy to go in too deep and run wide. Braking slightly earlier and staying wider on the left for an early and sharp turn in means you have an ideal line all the way to the next left turn, which is quite bumpy. It's flat from this point through the left into the gentle right up the next right, which is still a 3rd gear corner, before the short sprint which goes to the left, before the final 2 right handers.
The normal route for the 1st right hander is to brake slightly earlier to the left before the surface change then turn in and aim for the far left corner that is the final corner.
The alternative (assuming a racing line) is to take the 1st right hander much faster, so no need to brake so much before this turn in, as the bumpy surface is not that grippy. As soon as you reach the turn in point the surface changes to the grippier tarmac, which will enables you to get the rest of your turning or any remaining braking done, although not the right way around i.e. you get the braking done before the turn. Due to the surface changes, you have this faster option. This however can and will unsettle the car, but using the grippier tarmac in this way to your advantage at this point does allow this alternative and faster & shorter entry and hopefully carrying more exit speed to the final turn.
The final corner is the most important corner, as this is what effects your speed all the way to turn 1. A lot of cars turn in too early then run out wide past the apex to the pit entry barrier whilst still trying to still get around the corner. Here the grippy tarmac can be used to ones advantage before it ends. Approach by staying out wide left, brake late and hard, then turn in to the apex so by the time you have hit the apex you have a straight run out and you can then power all the way to turn 1 which will enable you to carry so much more speed out of the corner.
In the end the surface was far too bumpy for my particular tuned 911 and I did only go as the entire front of my car had the protective (Paintshield) film all over it, as stone chips can be a problem from the rough surface.
The circuit is not that technical in view of other offereings but is ideal for a beginner and someone getting used to more cornering speed, although it has a bonus of being a relatively cheap day out as I recall it was only £100 for the entire day. An onsite burger van is good whilst local Petrol are a few miles down the road back on the route to the motorway.
regards