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BHPC Calendar 2011
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Hedgehog View Drop Down
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Points: 27 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hedgehog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 October 2010 at 5:12pm
I spoke to Mountbatten re the possibility of using the track for a BHPC race and they seemed open to the idea.  You can see the track which is banked on google maps http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=PO2+9QA&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Portsmouth+PO2+9QA&gl=uk&ei=EHy4TMKhI9mS4gaep6n0DQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ8gEwAA 
 
There is also parking and facilities which get a 5 star rating on reviews.  See http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/sightseeing-national/mountbatten-centre/269159/
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Points: 625 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KeithD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 October 2010 at 10:48pm
At less than a mile from the ferry port, it's the track with the shortest cycling distance from my house. So I guess it's my local track - so it gets my vote! :-)
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Points: 940 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Yowie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2010 at 3:48pm
Been past it so many times, but never knew there was a cycle track there.  I assume its the grey track we're looking at for cycling on, is it banked at all?
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Points: 1606 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Adrian Setter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2010 at 7:45pm
Originally posted by Hedgehog Hedgehog wrote:

I spoke to Mountbatten re the possibility of using the track for a BHPC race


Well, it's been a long time since we had an event in that part of the country. 

Do you know what the surface is like?  The google aerials give the appearance of there being quite a lot of patching, much of it done as strips across the track, perpendicular to the cyclists' line of travel.  As we found last time out at Welwyn, that can make life quite interesting even at the speeds of the faster part-faired riders, let alone at those Slash, Lee and Co. attain.
Challenge Hurricane - MicWic Delta (Front half) - Burrows Ratracer
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Points: 940 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Yowie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2010 at 9:16pm
Originally posted by Adrian Setter Adrian Setter wrote:

Do you know what the surface is like?  The google aerials give the appearance of there being quite a lot of patching...
It appears to me that the surface has been completely redone.  Perhaps as part of recent refurbishment of the whole centre.    See:-
www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=mountbatten+centre+portsmouth+cycle+track&s=rec
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Points: 2543 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fards Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2010 at 11:42pm
looks a very nice surface 
How big is it?
 the aerials make it look quite long, or the athletics track very very short. 
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Points: 95 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote deejay Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 October 2010 at 2:25pm

It’d be great if we could have a race in Scotland.  I remembered cycling past Knockhill race circuit (slightly north of Edinburgh) on an audax, and it’s the only race track I can think of at the minute.  I’ve just had a quick look on their website http://corporate-entertainment.knockhill.com/corporate-venue-hire.php , but it looks like it might cost a fortune to hire it – up to £12,000 per day in peak season (down to £2,000 per half day in January!)  I’ve not yet managed to make it down to a BHPC event, so I’m not sure what sort of tracks/facilities are required to stage a race.  Knockhill also have a kart track http://karting.knockhill.com/karting-information.php which might be more affordable.  As a matter of interest, how much do the current venues typically charge?

 
Oh, I've also seen this - again, north of Edinburgh. http://www.crailraceway.co.uk/hire.htm It looks to be a dis-used runway with track and drag strip.


Edited by deejay - 19 October 2010 at 2:30pm
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Points: 940 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Yowie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 October 2010 at 2:34pm
I have also always wished that the motor racing circuits could "do us a deal" because I think that many of the UK tracks offer superbly challenging tracks for us to ride on.  They are also the circuits we may be familiar with.  I for one am especially fond of Cadwell Park as it is uppey-downey and local to friends and family.  It has also claimed much skin and bone in the past , so I have a score to settle Evil Smile.

I think that due to track-day demand they are all too costly, that is unless we can strike a deal from which they also gain some intangible benefit...
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Points: 556 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jes@gcre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 October 2010 at 2:40pm
The problem is that it wouldn't benefit them when they can have a track day instead (which is what the circuit is for after all) and bring in serious revenue.
 
Sorry to say, many of these places run on a shoe string as it is due to how expensive motor races are to run. If this was not the case then they wouldn't be so "basic" in their spectator facilities I guess.
 
But has anyone tried Mallory Park?
There are cycle races there during the week so they are sympathetic.
Racing is life...
Anything which happens before or afterwards is just standing around waiting to race....
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Points: 1606 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Adrian Setter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 October 2010 at 3:43pm
Typically we can afford to get onto motor sport circuits only if there are either restrictions - such as the number of days when they are allowed to make a noise - or lack of demand which mean that they would otherwise be sitting completely unused.  We can't compete with the rates that people will pay for motor use.
 
I haven't tried Mallory Park, and I can have a go, but experience with other tracks doesn't leave me optimistic.  Snetterton, for example, hosts bike racing on weekdays (evenings IIRC) but there's no chance of getting on at an affordable rate at weekends, when it is fully-utilised for motor sport.
Challenge Hurricane - MicWic Delta (Front half) - Burrows Ratracer
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