Motorcycle trackday guide: Pembrey Circuit South Wales
This motorcycle trackday guide will help you master the lines of the 1.5-mile Pembrey circuit with racing legend, Niall Mackenzie
LIKE Knockhill, the Pembrey circuit in Wales doesn’t have the handiest location in the UK for a motorcycle trackday; however, the rewards are worthwhile when you finally arrive. Here is Niall Mackenzie's motorcycle trackday guide for this tight and technical track
Unlike Knockhill though, this surprisingly fast, and in places, bumpy little track is very flat so riding accuracy and a good handling bike are essential.
Pembrey may only be 1.5 miles long but the interesting layout means there is never a dull moment no matter how many laps you complete. The fast straights mean you can stretch the legs of bigger bikes but 125cc and 400cc riders will have fun on the twisty sections. There is decent runoff all the way round and the all-important bacon butties are superb.
Motorcycle Trackday Guide: Pembrey Circuit South Wales
Sector One
For this motorcycle trackday guide, I'm riding my Yamaha R6, and I was nudging 140mph in fifth gear on the Park Straight over the start/finish line. It’s this area (or earlier on a bigger bike) you need to start thinking about getting stopped for the ultra-tight Hatchets Hairpin. After some very hard braking, you’ll find this is the slowest, tightest corner at Pembrey but if you have a nice wide line coming in and use every inch of track on the exit you should get away with using second gear.
Once back on the throttle, keep yourself out to the edge of the track holding second gear for the short blast into the right of Spitfires.
Sector Two
Once past this apex of Spitfires roll on the gas and short shift to third gear while changing direction for Dibeni Bend, which opens out round the Paddock corner taking you down to the Esses right hander.
The second part of this double left should be squared off slightly so you can get more upright for good acceleration down the right hander that is the Esses. Some riders go back to second here but I like to roll through in third then click back to second for the next right, the Brooklands Hairpin.
Sector Three
I like to get an early apex at Brooklands as this allows me to be more upright sooner on the exit. I can then get hard on the throttle as I head to the outside edge of the track and up through the gears down the Speedway Straight.
Sector Four
On standard gearing, I hold fourth gear through the mega fast right kink at the Woodlands section before a dab on the brakes and clicking back to third for the right-hand Honda Curve that leads onto the finish straight. This is the most challenging and exciting section for me as it is ultra-fast and you need to hold on tight while accelerating over the bumps through the final corner.
This turn also tightens up slightly so it takes a few sessions to set yourself up properly on the approach. It is worthwhile sorting this one out as it makes a big difference to your top speed down the final straight. The start finish straight is quite wide so great for passing but always remember that first hairpin comes up pretty quick!
