Everybody has something negative to say about Luddenham Raceway. Either the kids marshalling are too young, the track layout is too dangerous, there aren’t enough facilities and resources, or it’s not fun.
We’re blessed in 2021 to have so much access to amateur motorsport at a relatively affordable price. Even more so considering it was so straightforward to organise a good day of performance motoring, which is what Jerry and Daniel did with their collaborative outing out Penrith way.
It was Peter’s first ever day on circuit, and my debut on the tight, technical, hairpin-filled short course. I wrote earlier in the year about my disappointing experience with the Civic at SMP, and was determined to give it a chance in an environment that suited it best.
Peter, on the other hand, all he wanted to do is make sure he didn’t bin it VTEC-ing at 9000RPM.
It all went swimmingly for the both of us. I ended up with a 57-flat in the Civic, apparently shooting myself in the foot with a conservative alignment and no rear sway bar, while Peter demonstrated a bit of raw ability, finishing with a 57.50 at the end of the day.
It could’ve ended badly for him though, ask him to show the clip where he lost the rear on the right-handed sweeper, halting a couple feet from a barrier…
As for addressing all the preconceptions and fears of the track, I think it’s a great demonstrator for slow car fast. Yes the run offs are a bit shallow, there are probably a couple too many hairpins for the length of the circuit and it’s difficult for the bigger machines to stretch their legs, but the layout reminded me a lot of those old club circuits in the UK.
Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, places and designs etched into my memory from years of content consumption of Britain’s finest and laps on sims… Luddenham has a bit of that appeal to it.
There are a lot of slow, sharp corners in which the heavier machinery may find cumbersome, but if you’ve got a car to chuck, there might not be many better places to do it. The speeds are relatively low, and although it is true that the margin of error isn’t high, it truly adds to the sense of the occasion and a competent driver would quickly learn the nuances of the surface, and attack as necessary.
I’d definitely go back again and look to improve, Peter is down too. Too bad I’ve already sold the Civic…
Big thanks for Jerry and Daniel from Go Garage and Benzin Cafe respectively for organising a really pleasant Friday out at Luddenham. These guys are doing great things for the community, particularly the immersion of contemporary culture and lifestyle with the modern automotive landscape.
Keep it up!