Mallory Park

Church Road, Kirkby Mallory, Leics LE9 7QE www.malloryparkcircuit.com

Mallory is a very popular East Midlands circuit, and although mainly used for motorcycle racing, also hosts touring cars, superbikes and Formula Three. Historically this was a venue for the transatlantic races where Barry Sheene and others gained their reputations.

At around 1.3 miles it is one of the shortest circuits in use – indeed it was originally built as a one mile oval. But it has been reconfigured and extended over the years to include a hairpin and the Bus Stop chicane, which is a section almost guaranteed to create some thrills and spills. A scooter is actually one of the fastest things through the hairpin and Bus Stop section where small wheels make them far more nimble than big bikes.

Being a smaller circuit, far more of it is visible at any one time, so if you pick your viewing spot carefully you will be able to see half the track or more and follow the race as it unfolds.

Basically the lap consists of a fast end and a slow end, so is a test of riders for sure. The ‘fast end’ features the dauntingly long Gerard’s bend, which is a real test and those with big balls can be seen riding around the outside at very high speeds. At the other end of the circuit Edwina’s chicane may be used to slow riders down a little (depending upon the circuit option in use ) before the John Cooper Esses which can be a very fast right hand / left hand flick as riders then climb uphill to the hairpin which is where there can be a lot of out-braking manoeuvers and then the slow left-rightleft of the vicious Bus Stop chicane.

For spectators, the hairpin and Bus Stop have a large bank alongside accessible from the outside of the track layout, and it’s a popular place from which to watch... but be ready with a camera because there are often fallers at this technically tricky sequence of bends.

However, to get the best experience from the car park take the footbridge into the centre of the circuit and enter the race paddock where you find racers spread all over the spacious paddock. In the centre of the paddock, alongside the track, is an octagonal viewing platform – a popular place to see the two main straights from.

If you walk through the paddock to watch from the inside of the circuit at the start of the John Cooper Esses the right-hand sweep is very fast and when the race scooters come bearing down to it, it’s an incredible sight… real ‘heart in the mouth’ stuff as it’s hard to believe they will make the bend at the speeds they carry (some don’t!).

In the centre at the lowest point (the paddock is sloping) you will find the popular cafe which does a great breakfast and lunch at reasonable prices.

Remember to take a coat – Mallory is often a degree or two colder than the surrounding area! There are some local village pubs that are nice if you are stopping over.