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Anglesey Circuit, or Tracmôn in welsh, is located just off the A55 on the west coast of Anglesey in North Wales.
The journey to the circuit along the north coast of Wales provides spectacular view and once at the circuit there are breathtaking views over Snowdonia and the Irish Sea.
The circuit has seen many changes over the years, from being an army base and radar station in 1941 to the Tŷ Croes rally stage and eventually a race circuit in 1997. The current layout was introduced in 2006 when the circuit saw major redevelopments. Now on offer is a 12 metre wide track in 4 different layouts ranging from 2.1 miles to 0.8 miles long appealing to all areas of motorsport. The longest of the layouts is the International circuit which is 2.1 miles long with 11 corners. This layout uses the Tom Pryce Straight, The Hairpin, Bus Stop, The Banking, Church, Rocket and Peel. The Coastal circuit is 1.55 miles long with 10 corners, which include The Banking, Church, Rocket, Peel and Corkscrew. This is the most favoured circuit by most drivers and racing clubs for its technical aspects and straights. The National circuit is 1.2 miles long with 6 corners and offers two of the longest straights, the Tom Pryce Straight and the Start/Finish Straight. Finally the Club circuit is 0.8 miles long with 4 corners. With Anglesey offering a wide variety of layouts with different technical aspects, all forms of motorsport are attracted to this circuit.
Anglesey also caters for spectator by offering a perfect viewing platform at Peel. This small hill is perfectly placed so you can see the whole circuit. The walk from the paddock to this location is at least 10 minutes as you may need to walk the long way round the circuit if the International circuit is being used. When the Coastal circuit is in use you can cut across the Start/Finish Straight and Tom Pryce straight so 5 minutes walk would cover it.
As the Coastal circuit is the most popular layout the following corner by corner guide follows this layout.
Start/Finish.
The start/finish line is not on the named Start/Finish Straight as it is not used in the Coastal layout. Instead it is placed between the Bus Stop and Turn 1. If you are unlucky enough to be at the back of the gird you may find yourself slightly around the latter of the Bus Stop with a difficult view of the lights.
Turn 1
Turn 1 is a lot quicker than it may first appear but be careful not to carry too much speed into the corner as you will find yourself running out of track on the exit, disturbing your entry to The Banking.
The Banking
The Banking is a 10% banked hairpin with a variety of lines. All lines are good but be careful about going high up on the banking as this will drag the car further out, resulting in running out of track on the exit. A good exit is vital as this will dictate the speed you can achieve for Church and in turn the run up the hill to Rocket.
Church
Church is long sweeping right hander where you will need to be on top of your line. As stated above, your exit from The Banking will provide you with the speed for this corner and lead you onto a flat out run up the hill to Rocket.
Rocket.
With a steep incline towards a 90° tight left corner, hard braking is needed as you reach the top of the hill. Several drivers overshoot this corner not realising how tight it is and how fast they are travelling. Luckily, or more like sensibly, the circuit has added a tarmac run off area at the top for those that misjudge the distance and speed. Depending on the type of car you are in, the only indication of the corner on the run up is a small pile of tyres on the inside. After the left hander comes the 180° tight right hander. Between the two is a good opportunity for overtaking those that got the first part of the complex wrong.
Peel
This moderate corner is named after late radio personality, John Peel, who was stationed at the site as part of his national service. Once around the corner be careful not to be distracted by the panoramic views on Snowdonia. Alternatively keep any eye out for those who do get distracted as it maybe worth a try at overtaking before entering the Corkscrew!
Corkscrew
Talk to any driver who has been to Anglesey and they will tell you about the Corkscrew. Coming around the left hander you can see the dramatic drop on the inside of the right hander. This is not the place you want to run out of track and end up on the grass! I’ve seen several cars make a challenge for overtaking here only to lose out again around the Bus Stop.
Bus Stop.
The Bus Stop is the last corner of the Coastal circuit. On the left just before the turn in is the tight entrance to the pit lane. Once around the corner head toward the start/finish line half way down the straight. By Samantha McVey
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