Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch lies at West Kingsdown near Sevenoaks in Kent and has belonged to Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision since January 2004. According to Wikipedia its origins go back to 1926, to a natural hollow on farmland that cyclists and motorcyclists used as a grass track; in 1950 a tarmac surface was laid for 17,000 pounds and the racing circuit opened on 16 April 1950. Today there is the Grand Prix circuit at 3.916 kilometres with nine turns and the Indy circuit at 1.944 kilometres with six turns; the Indy circuit sits entirely inside a natural amphitheatre. At Paddock Hill Bend the ground falls away on an eight per cent gradient. The British Superbike Championship has raced here since 1991. The operator lists its own bike trackdays and bike track evenings in the calendar; the booking line is staffed Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, and the landing page does not quote prices. Our record holds asphalt, a technical character and 3916 metres - that is the Grand Prix circuit. The plunge into Paddock Hill Bend tempts you to clamp onto the bars, and that is exactly what costs you your forearms after a few laps. Top of our cause list is: the main cause is gripping too hard. Loose arms and a centred attack position take the load off your forearms - light hands, heavy feet. That is a starting point, not a guarantee.