Cadwell Park
is a motor racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England, 5 miles (8 km) south of Louth. It is owned and operated by Jonathan Palmer’s Motorsport Vision company.It is sited across a steep-sided valley, giving rise to dips and crests. The circuit features sharp changes in gradient, including one section called The Mountain where bikes can become airborne by up to several feet. Its mix of challenging corners has led to its nickname as the Mini-Nürburgring.
Located in the Lincolnshire Wolds, Cadwell Park was established in 1934 by Mr Mansfield Wilkinson of Louth. His sons originally used the land for racing their own motorbikes against each other and this evolved into the circuit which it is today.
In 1953 the track was lengthened to 1.3 miles (2.1 km), upon the invitation of the 500 cc motorcycle-engined Formula 3 to race in a traditional bike meeting. Around 30,000 spectators attended that particular race.
The original track grew to the current 2.25 miles (3.62 km) layout in 1962 and hosted the British F3 series the next May. Some of the bends are named after family members e.g. Mansfield, Charlie and Chris.
Cadwell is now considered too narrow for high level car races, although Club motorsport associations such as the BARC and 750MC still hold meetings.
Competitively, it is primarily used for motorcycle racing, with the Bennetts British Superbike Championship round being the most popular event on the circuit’s calendar, taking place on August Bank Holiday weekend each year. In 2010, for the first time, it will host an additional BSB meeting on the weekend of 22/23 May.
The British Superkart Grand Prix is also now an annual event.
