Circuit Length (Miles):
2.1270

Situated in North Yorkshire it is a former military airfield and it is also the far north’s most popular circuit. Totally refurbished in 1997. Provides excellent viewing especially from the banks between Sunny and Complex as well as Hawthorn Bend.
Croft is looking like to be one of Britain’s premier circuits.

Start / Finish

• The start / finish straight

Clervaux

• After the start / finish straight riders are met with the first bend which is usually fast in and slow out section
Surface is slightly uneven, causing problems when wet
Riders usually turn in quite late as turning in too early or braking too late tightens the line
The apex is easily sighted and riders usually hug the right hand kerb as tight as possible to allow more room on the exit
The exit is fairly straight heading towards Hawthorn

Hawthorn

• Going into Hawthorn riders will aim left of the track to take the 1st apex where the long painted kerb is
After this apex riders will flick the bike to the right and move across to the right hand side of the track ready for the main apex
The bend continues for some distance but riders do not usually open the throttle fully until they have cleared the small dip in the surface
The surface is quite uneven after the dip going towards the Chicane

Chicane

• Driving hard slightly uphill towards the Chicane the track continues to turn awkwardly
Riders will touch the brakes slightly as the turn itself is shallow
Riders will look for a straight line here clipping the apex midway
Road falls slightly away on the outside of the apex and the surface can be slippery when wet
Riders will aim to run out to the prominent kerb where the rally cross track joins on the outside
The earlier riders turn the bike, the harder they can drive the bike into the straight as a fast drive out is crucial heading towards Tower Bend

Tower Bend

• The straight is a fast one going towards the Tower
There is a kink on the left hand side before the Tower which tends to throw riders naturally onto the inside line
Riders will want to remain on the left hand side of the track and will usually brake just as they see the shallow crest
The track is undulated so riders can expect the rear end to shake
The bend is more than 90˚ and the turn in is late
The actual apex is late just after the crown of the low kerb
Riders need to keep tight to the kerb here as this makes most of the camber
The tarmac has been repaired on the apex
Coming out of the apex riders will put the power on as early as possible and will use all of the track on exit
The track opens up but there is no outside kerb and there is a significant drop off the edge of the track
Riders will start to move the bike over to the right hand side ready for Jim Clark Esses

Jim Clark Esses

• Ultra fast section and is usually taken flat out.
The view of the bend is obscured by trees on the inside
The Esses can usually be taken at full speed
Approach is slightly uphill and should be made on the extreme right
Riders will usually hold the right kerb until the 2nd apex is in sight then they will throw the bike in as hard as they can
The late turn in will ensure that riders will apex late
Riders will aim to keep as far left as they can once past this apex
Another late apex is needed as the riders speed will be fast but to make the apex at all, riders will turn the bike in hard and fast
Riders will allow the bike to move over to the left of the track and will need to hold this line going into Barcroft

Barcroft

• Going into Barcroft the track is slightly downhill, which allows for even more speed
Braking is not usually needed (apart from the fastest machines)
There is no precise turn point, but riders need to turn smoothly
The apex is about two thirds along the inside kerb
Riders will allow the bike to run wide aiming for the end of the service road on the left
Sunny bend will be in sight and it will be necessary to come off the throttle ready for Sunny In

Sunny

• Sunny is a double apex called ‘Sunny In’ and ‘Sunny Out’, and is faster than it looks
Sunny In arrives very suddenly and riders need to have the bike steadied ready for the hard braking
Entry into Sunny In will usually see riders on the outside kerb about three quarters along before squaring the corner
Riders will drive out hard moving across to the left hand side ready to go into Sunny Out
This apex is late about two thirds round the inside kerb
Again the drive out is hard and many riders will nearly end up on the grass if using too much throttle

Complex

• Riders will have the throttle wide open on the straight towards the complex
They will ease themselves over to the right ready for the left hand bend
Riders will usually brake late in a straight line then turn in late
Riders will be well over to the left on the apex ready to approach apex 2
The second turn feels really late, and riders should ignore the false apex where the obvious feature is the prominent inside kerb, and stay over slightly to the left
Riders will let the bike run close to the edge of the track and isn’t as fast initially but will pay off on the exit
Going into the 2nd apex riders will be on the power
The exit is quite long and progressive pulling back to the right for the entry into Hairpin

Hairpin

• The approach is really the exit from the Complex
Most riders will move over to the right ready for the late turn in
The apex is slightly late just beyond the head of the kerb
Exit is quite wide allowing a variety of lines
Riders will open the throttle as soon as possible - basically it is slow in and fast out driving to the start / finish straight