HAREWOOD GRAVITY GAMES
This IS the racer's Mecca. Two days of descending a tricky course in the company of the best in the UK
You can start arriving from around 4:00 PM on Friday to set up your camp and kick off an exciting weekend! The evening is all about reconnecting with friends and meeting new people. At some point, someone will organize a mass order from the local pizzeria, and you can always count on the more seasoned campers to have a few drinks on hand. If you need to stock up on food supplies, there’s a 7-11 Tesco in nearby Collingham. Plus, don’t miss out on the showers—such a great bonus for this event!
Saturday kicks off with scrutineering and signing on, so don’t forget to bring your proof of insurance (no exceptions!). A safety briefing and course walk is set for around 10:00 AM. Harewood features four categories of gravity racers: gravity karts (think soapboxes), speckarts, gravity bikes, and skaters (luge, inline, and longboard). At some point on Saturday, bikers will tackle their timed runs, while the rest of us enjoy our runs that aren't clocked. How many runs each kart gets? That’s all up to the driver’s stamina! Most participants get in at least 10 runs. The track wraps up around 4:00 PM, and you won’t want to miss the BBQ starting at 5:00 PM! It’s held in the clubhouse halfway down the hill, which provides a cosy shelter if the weather turns sour and a venue for the popular music quiz. As night falls, everyone will start making their way back up the hill for a few more drinks and some good old socializing. By midnight, most groups will have headed back to their tents or vans. There’s loads of space for camping, so if you prefer an early, quieter night, just pitch your tent at the far end of the field!
Sunday morning may kick off a bit slow, but don’t worry! Depending on the weather, you can expect to get 4 to 5 timed runs before 3:00 PM. After that, there’ll be about an hour of untimed runs. Race control at the start line will keep you posted on the latest times and a leaderboard showing the fastest karts. Unlike Saturday, there’s typically a coffee and food wagon on-site, so you won’t have any trouble refueling. If you happen to have a breakage or crash, help is always around in the form of advice, labour, or spare parts to get you back on track. At the end of the day, there are awards for all sorts of fun categories, so even if you don’t set the fastest time, you might still walk away with a memorable momento!
At the start, you’ll want to angle your kart diagonally across the track to make the most of that camber. As you dive into the first easy left-hander, get ready for the steepest part of the course. You’re looking at a nearly straight 200m dash down to Farmhouse Bend, which has a pretty steep gradient of about 13%. There’s a little hut on your left and a utility pole to keep an eye on as brake markers when you get close to the corner. Some say you can skip braking altogether, but that’s totally your call. Just be sure to stick to the left side of the track for as long as you can. The clipping point for the bend is further round than you think, so don’t be surprised if it’s several meters past that pole on the inside.
Rocketing past the farm buildings, you hit Orchard corner, which is a sharp 90-degree left. A quick brake here is a good idea. Then throw in a little right jink before you hit the 150m straight leading up to Willow corner. You can take this flat out—no brakes needed—just like for the rest of the bends on the course. The stretch between Willow and Country is almost level, so your speed will drop a bit. After rounding Country there’s a 100m drop before you reach Chippy's, a bend that tightens up over the last 10m. Hold on tight and try not to take out the timing gear as you cross the finish line! Slam on those brakes right away because there are usually some karts parked up, waiting for a lift. The tow to the top can get tricky, especially with that long flat section before the hillclimb start line. Keep the towline taut to avoid everyone getting bunched up and causing a whiplash situation. Once you're on the hill, it’s all smooth sailing back to the pits!