Whilton Mill (National)
It’s where most of the BUKC testing is done. More track guides to follow
Basic Track-Guide
by Niki Richardson
When starting out for your first time in a Club100 kart or at Whilton, the best thing to do is to take it slowly and build yourself up lap by lap.
Turn 1 & 2 (Oblivion & Crook):
Turns 1 and 2 are both fast corners and can be taken flat out by very experienced drivers in the dry, but, as a beginner, please don’t attempt this at all. The key to being quick through the fast corners is getting the line right and being very smooth on the steering wheel.
From the right hand side of the start-finish straight, come off the throttle early before the corner (you shouldn’t need to brake at all, unless it’s wet) and coast the kart into the corner’s apex. You want to position your kart as much to the left hand side as possible once past the apex. From here, you can accelerate a little bit before coming off the throttle once again and coasting into Turn 2 (Crook). Once you clip the apex of Crook, put the power down and use all of the width of the track on the exit.
Turn 3 (Fine Lady):
A kink, not really a corner, take flat out, always.
Turn 4 (Christmas):
One of the key braking zones. This is a really good corner to get to grips with heavy braking and how the kart feels under heavy braking.
Brake in a straight line (always). Advanced drivers will brake at, or close to, the marshal post on the left but as a beginner you should brake much earlier to start with then every lap, brake a little bit later and a little bit harder.
When you’ve finished braking, turn into the corner and put the power down once you’re past the apex.
If when approaching the apex, you find yourself going too fast, make sure the next time you come to the corner that you brake a little earlier or a bit harder.
Conversely if you’re going too slow into the corner, and feel you could quicker, then the next time you come to the braking zone, brake a little bit later and / or a bit harder.
PS. Great corner for overtaking!
Turn 5:
Not labelled on the track diagram but it’s a flat out left hand kink. You’ll want to position yourself all the way over the left on the exit as much as you can to ready yourself for the hairpin.
Turn 6 (Inkermans):
You’ll notice a change of surface in the tarmac and you can use this as a reference point to mark where to brake. To start with, you should brake nice and early before the change of surface remembering to brake in a straight line. Come off the brake and coast into the hairpin’s apex. Once you’ve hit the apex put the throttle back down and pull the kart over to at least the middle of the track to get ready for Zulu.
Turns 7, 8 & 9 (Zulu Chicanes):
The first corner of the Zulu chicane should be easily flat because you won’t have that much speed from the exit of the hairpin. However if you’re feeling like you’re going too fast, just come off the throttle before you turn-in and this will help steady the kart.
You’ll want to bring the kart to the left a little after the apex of the first part of Zulu as this will help you apex a bit later into the right hand kink. Again it might help to come off the throttle a little bit to steady the kart.
Once you’re past the apex of the right hander, you’ll want to turn in early and use all of the painted kerb on the inside on the left to maximise the amount of speed through this last part of the Zulu chicane. Again, come off the throttle before turn-in if you feel you’re going a bit too quick. The important thing is to try to put the throttle down as soon as you’re past the apex as this will allow you to take that speed with you all the way up the back-straight.
Turn 10, 11 & 12 (The Boot):
As you whizz down the back-straight, you’ll notice a marshal post on the right hand side of the track. Use this as a reference to manage your braking point. To begin with you’ll want to brake really early, way before the marshal post. Every lap try to brake a little bit later and a little bit harder. The very top drivers will be braking pretty much on the marshal post, but please do not try this.
Once you’ve finished braking, turn into the first part of The Boot ensuring that your kart doesn’t drift to the right further than the mid point of the track on the exit. The reason for this is that you have to compromise the speed through the first part of The Boot, in order to get a good sling shot through the right hander which is probably the most important corner of the track.
You’ll want to pull the kart to the left a little then aim for the apex of the right hander. Coast into the apex of the right hander then once past the apex plant the throttle. Advanced drivers will be able to take this right hander flat out so long as they have had a good line and are positioned well over to the left of the track after the entry into The Boot.
The final right hander of The Boot complex is really a continuation of the first part of the right hander. You don’t need to worry clipping the apex of this right hander, instead let the kart naturally drift to the outside of the track and be smooth to keep the speed up. You’ll now be heading to the final corner of the track.
Turn 13 (Pit Bend):
One of the most fun, but now the most dangerous corners on the track. It’s very fast and also has a massive monster kerb on the inside. DO NOT touch this kerb as it may damage the kart, your ribs or spine and throw the kart off balance and make you spin.
As a beginner, you should come off the throttle as you’re coming up to the corner, and let the kart coast into the apex. Once you are past the apex you can pin the throttle and use all of the track on the exit to keep your speed up.
As it is a fast corner, you need to be very smooth with the steering wheel.
Finally:
As a general rule, you should be very smooth with the steering wheel through the fast corners. Try not to the yank the steering wheel as it will likely cause the rear end to lose grip and you’ll spin.
In slow corners (such as the hairpin) you will find that you can be much harsher with the steering wheel without going into a spin.
Advanced Track-Guide
by Niki Richardson
You probably don’t need any advice but here goes!
Turn 1 & 2 (Oblivion & Crook):
If you get the line right, you can take turns 1 and 2 flat out. The key is making sure your kart is positioned all the way over to the left after the apex of turn 1.
urn in early to Turn 2 (Crook) as if you get the line wrong you’ll end up in a very bumpy part of the corner which will cause you to bog down.
Turn 3 (Fine Lady):
Errrrrr, it’s not a corner is it?
Turn 4 (Christmas):
You can actually brake very late into Christmas because it is up hill. Use the marshal post on the left as a reference point to judge your braking. On a grippy day you can brake at the marshal post.
Some drivers will brake later and take more speed into Christmas allowing their kart to drift all the way across the track on the exit. This obviously compromises the speed through the left hander but that usually isn’t such a big deal because you’re straight into the hairpin.
Others will find that if they take a little less speed into Christmas, it will allow them to take more speed through the left kink. This is probably more important when running on the International layout as any speed gained thought that kink is carried all of the way down towards the heavy braking zone at the bottom of the hill. However for the National layout, it is probably ok to compromise this left kink in order to brake later into Christmas.
Turn 5:
Not labelled on the track diagram but it’s a flat out left hand kink. You’ll want to position yourself all the way over the left on the exit as much as you can to ready yourself for the hairpin.
Turn 6 (Inkermans):
You’ll notice a change of surface in the tarmac and you can use this as a reference point to mark where to brake. Brake on or near this change of surface and turn in all the way over from the left. On the exit, you’ll want to bring your kart to the middle of the track to take the first part of Zulu flat out.
Turns 7, 8 & 9 (Zulu Chicanes):
Different people have different ways of taking the Zulu chicanes. The key is to position your kart after the right kink slightly (middle corner in Zulu) to the right so that you can have a good line through the final corner of Zulu. Some drivers will have a quick stab on the brakes to help turn their kart into the left hander leading on to the back straight.
Others will try to keep it flat all the way throught with perhaps a little lift off just prior to the last left-hander. You can actually use all of the painted kerb on the inside in the final left-hander leading onto the back straight so don’t be afraid to turn-in early.
Turn 10, 11 & 12 (The Boot):
Use the marshal post on the right hand side of the track as a reference to manage your braking point. The fastest drivers will be braking pretty much on the marshal post depending on conditions.
You’ll want to ensure that your kart doesn’t drift past the mid point of the track on the exit of the left hander going into Boot. Bring the kart quickly over to the left so that you can take the right hander flat out. This is the most important corner on the track because if you can get this right, you take that speed with you all the way down the straight. Ignore the second apex of the right hander, instead letting the kart run all the way to the edge of the track.
Turn 13 (Pit Bend):
One of the most fun, but now the most dangerous corners on the track. It’s very fast and also has a massive monster kerb on the inside. DO NOT touch this kerb as it may damage the kart, your ribs or spine and most importantly it will slow you down which we don’t want.
Just be really smooth in this corner, using all of the track on the exit. You might want to steady the kart with a little little off depending on how settled the kart is.
On the exit make sure that you do not run all 4 wheels over the white line otherwise you may be penalised.
