Mallory Park

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Mallory Park was a wartime RAF landing ground and then a grass track, before the tarmac circuit opened in April 1956. Surtees, Hailwood and Jim Clark all raced here, and their statues stand by the front gate. Surtees won the non-championship 2000 Guineas Formula One race here in 1962, and British Superbikes was a regular visitor until 2010. Lakes take up about half of the infield, so it's one of the prettiest paddocks in the country.

Track days run for both cars and bikes, and bikes get the longer Superbike layout with Edwina's and the Bus Stop chicanes. The lap is short and old-fashioned, with one corner that's unlike anything else in the UK. Gerard's goes on for about a third of a mile and turns through nearly 200 degrees, and learning to carry speed through it is the whole point of coming here. Running is limited by a council noise order and there's a Sunday curfew, so dates are limited. It's a good, friendly venue for novices, with a short lap that's quick to learn.

A lap of Mallory Park

Layout: Car Circuit, 2.173 km (1.35 miles)

From Kirkby Straight you arrive at Gerard's, which is the whole reason most people come here. It's a long, tightening right that goes on and on. In a car, get fully over to the left, brake with medium pressure around the end of the pit lane barrier on the right, and settle it in fourth. From there it's all about balance. Hold the car on the throttle right at the point where it starts to understeer, and don't scrub off speed by turning harder. On a bike, think of it as two apexes, not one long arc, and expect to spend a very long time on your knee.

Out of Gerard's comes a short straight. On the Superbike layout you'll find Edwina's chicane here, where you have to lose a lot of speed fast. It's easy to lose the front under braking and to highside on the exit, and plenty of riders have crashed there. Next are the Esses, a quick pair of bends that are easy if you're smooth. Brake around the far end of the first access road on the left, then build up the power through the second part. Don't carry too much speed out of them, though, because the hairpin comes up very quickly.

Shaw's Hairpin is the slowest corner on the lap, about 25mph in a car and first gear on most bikes. In the dry you're braking from around 90mph, with the marshals' post on the right as a rough marker. Use the full width of the track on the way out, because exit speed matters for the run back down.

Bikes go through the tight Bus Stop chicane on the way down, so mind your knees on the tall kerbs. Cars get a clear run to Devil's Elbow, a slightly downhill left that's flat in most cars. Move over to the right side of the road beforehand. The run-off is tight, and the mistake is unwinding the steering too early and running wide onto the grass. Keep looking down Kirkby Straight and the car will follow.

Track day tips

• Gerard's rewards patience. Find a steady throttle and let the car settle rather than chasing it with the steering.
• On bikes, Edwina's is the danger point. Get your braking done upright and don't rush the throttle on the exit.
• Shaw's Hairpin gets crowded. Leave space on the inside and don't make late dives on a track day.
• Mallory works under a council noise order with limited noisy days and a Sunday curfew, so ask the organiser about the dB limit before you book.
• Devil's Elbow has very little run-off. Don't push it on your first few laps.
• ACU licence holders can join the regular open practice sessions, which are often on Wednesday afternoons.

Getting there

Mallory Park is just off the A47 between Leicester and Hinckley, by the village of Kirkby Mallory. The M69 and M1 are both nearby, and Leicester and Hinckley have the nearest hotels and railway stations. East Midlands Airport is the closest airport, about half an hour's drive away. It's easy to get to from most of the Midlands, and the M1 makes it a straightforward run from London and the North.