MiniMoto Racing Association of Great Britain

View Larger Map


Sidecars Run: Clockwise.   Circuit Length: 1.125Km

Weather? See Here!

Whilton Locks
Daventry
Northants
NN11 5NH

Tel: 01327 843822

How to get to the track
Exit the M1 North at junction 16 and take the A45 signposted towards Daventry. When you get to Weedon traffic lights turn right, northbound, up the A5 towards Rugby. Go along this road for about 3 miles and at the top of a hill turn right where it is signposted Whilton and Lt Brington. Go under the railway bridge, over the canal and then over the M1 before taking the third entrance on your left into Whilton Mill. The circuit is now on your right.

Click Here for RoadMap

A Lap Around Whilton Mill
by Trevor Randall

Whilton Mill is a picturesque, fast, grippy track with a very smooth surface and large saw-tooth kerbs. The track is highly technical and the fast way around requires a late turn in technique as many of the corners do not open out on the exit like other tracks.

Turn 1 (Crook) is a high-speed left-right sequence, where exit speed is paramount as the following straight is uphill. From the far right of the circuit, past the start/finish line, turn into the fast left, maybe with a small lift of the throttle, and apex late just off the high kerb. Let the kart drift to the centre of the track before attempting the right-hander flat out. Do not be tempted to turn into the right too early as you will run out of road on the exit and end up on the grass. Instead turn late and keep tight to the right side kerbing for two to three kart lengths before releasing the steering lock for a smooth exit.

At the end of the uphill straight is the Turn Two right/left complex (Christmas corner). This is a tricky corner to get right every time as it is very inviting too turn in too early and to fast. Brake and turn in late, from the far-left side of the track, taking full advantage of the gradient available to shorten braking distance and get the kart turned in to the right-hander. Do not use all of the road on the exit, use about two-thirds so that the left-hander becomes easier thus allowing the kart to be positioned correctly for the following tight right hand hairpin. In the wet, speed in the left needs to sacrificed even further to accommodate the hairpin.

The hairpin (Inkermans) requires heavy braking and an aggressively late turn-in as on the exit you will need to quickly get back into the middle of the track in order to negotiate the Esses properly.

The Esses (Zulu) constitute a fast left (flat out!), followed by a similar right, which must be sacrificed so that the final, tighter, left can be turned into later enabling the power to be put down earlier and more decisively onto the back straight. The trick with the Esses is not to be over the edge on the first two parts and be ultra smooth exiting the final left section. A lot of time can be gained here by not over driving and smashing the kerbs.

Stay on the right hand side of the straight in preparation for the final section of corners, a 90-degree left followed by three short right-handers increasing in speed. The track has a lot of grip in the 90 degree left but again; do not be tempted to over do it. This corner requires medium braking and the exit must again be sacrificed for a late turn in to the following slow right. Stay off the huge kerb and exit mid circuit. If possible, move to the left of the circuit into the pit lane entry before very smoothly turning right into a wide arc around the first right. There is no need to apex the kerb on the second right-hander (The Boot), just keep your foot down and be smooth here using the outside line, but be careful not to put a wheel on the dirt.

If the previous two rights have been done properly, some speed needs to be knocked off before turning, again quite late, into the final right (Pits corner). This is a faster corner in full view of the pit lane, so don't overdo it! The exit here is very wide, but does end in a tyre wall and fence, unlike most of the track where run off is simply a grass field. A smooth exit here is vital to both lap time and gritted teeth overtaking manoeuvres into the mega-quick Turn 1 complex.

Source: UK-Go-Karting