Oulton's Druids Corner, need advice

[butzi]

Hi guys, I'll be going to Oulton with Easytrack on 1st July. I've only been there once and loved the track. However Druids still confuses the hell of me. On my circuit guide it says you don't need heavy braking, well, I scared the pants out of myself the last time I braked a little less than "oh shit" type braking!

After Knickerbrook, I put the power on all the way up Clay Hill, and as soon as I make a left turn at Water Tower toward the Druids turning point, I had to brake hard to make the turn. Am I doing something wrong? What am I supposed to be doing after the the left turn at Water Tower? ?heavy brake ?light brake ?just lift off ?keep the power on???

Will appreciate the advice from the more experienced chaps. BTW, my car is a 993 C2, standard tyres and brakes, and a shit driver.

[GarrettMacD]

butzi said:

Hi guys, I'll be going to Oulton with Easytrack on 1st July. I've only been there once and loved the track. However Druids still confuses the hell of me. On my circuit guide it says you don't need heavy braking, well, I scared the pants out of myself the last time I braked a little less than "oh shit" type braking!

After Knickerbrook, I put the power on all the way up Clay Hill, and as soon as I make a left turn at Water Tower toward the Druids turning point, I had to brake hard to make the turn. Am I doing something wrong? What am I supposed to be doing after the the left turn at Water Tower? ?heavy brake ?light brake ?just lift off ?keep the power on???

Will appreciate the advice from the more experienced chaps. BTW, my car is a 993 C2, standard tyres and brakes, and a shit driver.

Are you turning in too early??? And then running out of road on the exit? Do NOT apex on the first set of kerbs, you want to miss them by about 8 to 10 feet, the real kerbs for your clipping point are on the next set, about half-way down. If you make this your clipping point the car will ease out onto the exit kerbs, and you should be on full power by this point, on the run down to Lodge.

Your Porker is a heavy car, so you may need that bit more braking on entry.

Just remember: Slow in, Fast out


And, on the run up clay hill, get as far over to the right as possible, the turning point is in the middle of the service road, just after the bridge.


Even better would be to get some instruction when you're there. You'll be quicker, safer and you'll enjoy it a lot more!

[mmm-five]

Are you perhaps forgetting that it's a double-apex corner and going in too early/late?

It only needs a quick medium or a longer light 'dab' of say 15% of your current speed and then get balanced for the corner.

[jacobyte]

Water Tower requires a good line through it in order to have the correct approach to Druids. If you are offline through Water Tower, the car will be unbalanced under braking for Druids, so this is perhaps what is happening to you.

As has been mentioned, keep right over the hill on approach for a good flowing line.

Entry into Druids is very quick, usually only requiring a dab on the brakes, and a well balanced car can carry lots of speed, but the exit does come at you rather rapidly with little run-off and a nasty bump.

Best of luck.

[chassis 33]

How's the line up Clay hill? I was taught aim under the OK in Yokohama at the bridge, then aim for the tall tree on the outside of the circuit before the left kink. Into Druids miss the first apex by maybe 6ft, catch the 2nd apex then let the car drift out to the kurbing and becareful of putting the power down over the slight crest, the back end goes light and can send you hurtling backwards to the infield.

The first time I almost did it 'properly' I was scared witless, the next time round the instructor leant across and held the wheel on the line he wanted me to take, the third time past was glorious, although I'm sure I'm nowhere near the limit of what's possible!

Regards
Iain

[wee_skids]

It's a fast corner - 4th gear in my race car. Before you reach druids make sure when taking the corner before to get car right next to the inside kerb. Then I tend to not follow the white line on the left of the track as the road curves to begin druids but brake in a straight line after the previous corner apex and aim for my turn in point.
After that it's a positive turn in and missing the first kerbs totaly, power hard down by then. The exit is just before the rise and you should be well into full throttle by then.

Just rememebed! Here is a link to a lap from inside my car, lines may not be spot on and I've improved by 4 seconds over the lap since this was filmed but it may help:
www.justgofaster.com/gallery/gallery/tonys_mg/oulton-lap.wmv

Tony

[butzi]

Thanls guys, I'll give it a try. As for instruction, I just wanted to have some idea of the track so when I do get instruction I can concentration on the driving and not where I'm going. Very much looking forward to it.

[werewolf]

phone no. for easytrack please. Would like to do this day if places available

[Simon Mason]

This is the sort of thing that can be spoken about until blue in the face but it will make no odds at all because your driving a lump of dynamics with its own mind on a corner with 15+ different potential scenarios from you in combination with said lump.

Frankly any half decent instructor should sort this problem for you in 2 laps flat. Make sure you book a session with whoever they have on the day for as early as possible. It will be beat any written advise.

[rs666]

Went out with the easytrack instructor on Friday, very helpful.

A few laps onboard and I had all the lines and turn-ins sorted, well worth the £30.

[mrontheropes]

I haven't done Oulton for over a year, but did hundreds of laps in a CSL. I was reaching around 120mph after the left-hand WT kink, and had to wipe off 30mph for the Druids corner. That's as quick as I dared go at the time. I think the BTCC boys carry about 100mph through the corner.

I think the circuit guide is often written for F3 style cars (note the bit about Island and not needing to brake, try that in a fast road car, lol)

[butzi]

werewolf said:

phone no. for easytrack please. Would like to do this day if places available

I think that day is fully booked, but there's another one in early August. Not sure about the no. but they have a web site, www.easytrack.co.uk

Edited by butzi on Monday 12th June 20:11

[tony.t]

mrontheropes said:

I haven't done Oulton for over a year, but did hundreds of laps in a CSL. I was reaching around 120mph after the left-hand WT kink, and had to wipe off 30mph for the Druids corner. That's as quick as I dared go at the time. I think the BTCC boys carry about 100mph through the corner.

I think the circuit guide is often written for F3 style cars (note the bit about Island and not needing to brake, try that in a fast road car, lol)

Pretty much spot on.

Druids is much faster than you intially think but I need to brake quite heavily in my 964 as it's at near 120mph at the right hand kink and I need to lose a good 40mph to turn into Druids without understeer.

From the instruction I've had I think it's fair to say it's not really a 911 sort of corner as it's fast in with a long strech to the apex and relatively short exit. If you're clever you can trail brake but otherwise in a 911 it's slow in and matter of waiting for the apex. You'll lose ground to front engined or FWD stuff here but nevermind the next corner is Lodge and you'll leave them for dead

[werewolf]

Thanks butzi. Shame its booked up and think i'm in Rome in August.Will most prob pop up as it's local to me.Might take helmet if anyones giving pass rides.Any offers?

[butzi]

If you fancy a slow scenic ride then come and say hello.

[werewolf]

may take you up on that butzi.Thanks for offer.