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Bedford Autodrome
http://www.bedford-autodrome.com
Thurleigh, Bedford
Bedford Autodrome is located approximately 10 miles North of Bedford town centre and 20 miles East of Northampton. Postcode for GPS: MK44 1NP (Mill Road, Sharnbrook)
Designed from scratch by former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, the venue contains four entirely distinct circuits and over 5 miles of track laid out across a 384 acre site, with vast run-off areas that provide optimum safety. There's no motor racing at the Autodrome.
West Circuit. Length 1.7 miles. Width 15 and 12 metres
South Circuit. Length 1.3 miles. Width 10 metres
North Circuit. Length 0.67 miles. Width 10 metre
East Circuit. Length 0.73 miles. Width 10 metres
Gran Turismo Circuit. Length 3.6 miles. Width 15, 12 and 10 metres
Hotels: The Bedford Swan Hotel, Bedford Park Inn (Moat House) or the Bedford Travel Lodge
Some laptimes and a guide from EVO Oct 2007 here (jpg)
Bedford Autodrome, RMA, June 2002
An
excellent day out organised by Ian Gilbody (thanks Ian!).
Even the weather was brilliant - in
spite of the weather forecast!
All newcomers to Bedford were told to report for the first briefing of the day which was to be held at 8.30! I wonder why they didn't tell me this before I'd booked and paid! This was actually quite a good thing, as the first hour of track opening was then speed limited to 50mph, to allow us newbies to find our way around the track with little danger to ourselves or others.
The first good news of the day was that the complete Gran Tourismo circuit was open - all 3.6 miles of it!
Before going anywhere, all cars were noise tested (there was also on track noise monitoring). Noise limits were enforced (Static 101 d(B)A measured at 0.5 metres @ 4,500 rpm, Drive by 87 d(B)A measured 20 metres from centre line of car), at least one car was not allowed on track.
| I did a few laps of
trying to remember what 50mph was in kph - this seemed especially
slow compared to the speeds I had been doing up the motorway
to avoid missing the early briefing ;o)
|
 |
The track was an interesting mix of sharp hairpins and a nice long speedy stretch for the Ferraris to show their muscle on. There was also very little to hit (apart from other cars!) if you got it wrong. I think there were about 100 cars booked in for the day (me being the only woman driver registered!), but the track was quite large and never felt crowded (even when I did get stuck behind the Ferraris slowing down for the first hairpin :o)
Just before lunch I did half an hours instruction with Piers, who pointed out the correct lines to take and gently told me what I was doing wrong. This was a great confidence booster and I felt a lot happier on my laps after that (even managing to overtake the M3 which I was especially pleased with).
Around about lunchtime the track was closed - no one was quite sure if this was a scheduled stop for lunch or what - but we all trekked off to the reception building to get some lunch anyway. I was running low on fuel by this time too. There is a pump on the track - but fuel is priced at £1 a litre =:o
So after lunch it was back to the track. I was pleased that my suspension seemed to be holding up fine this time.
So what more can I say!? - all afternoon driving in the sun :o)
Bedford, SELOC, Jan 2004
Bedfords
first trackday of the season. Reconstruction work on part of the
circuit had not been completed in time due to the bad weather, so
we were given a cut down version of the circuit, plus the normal
pit area was not available. As the day was not up to the usual standard,
participants were offered a replacement day in Sept.
