THE WORLD'S GREATEST DRIVING EVENT - Palmer Sport
THE WORLD'S GREATEST DRIVING EVENT - Palmer Sport
THE WORLD'S GREATEST DRIVING EVENT - Palmer Sport
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<strong>THE</strong> WORLD’S <strong>GREATEST</strong> <strong>DRIVING</strong> <strong>EVENT</strong><br />
WWW.PALMERSPORT.COM
02<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
1.0<br />
<strong>THE</strong> FREEDOM OF PALMERSPORT<br />
<strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> is a full day driving event created by Jonathan <strong>Palmer</strong>, based centrally in the<br />
UK at Bedford Autodrome. It is firmly established as the best corporate motorsport event<br />
on Earth. With 6 miles of track, 4 separate circuits and endless run off, your guests have the<br />
freedom to drive our collection of high performance cars harder and faster than anywhere<br />
else. They will experience one of the greatest days of their lives, and have you to thank for it.<br />
Welcome to <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> 2013.<br />
03<br />
INTRODUCTION
04<br />
JONATHAN PALMER<br />
1.1<br />
A <strong>DRIVING</strong> DAY LIKE NO O<strong>THE</strong>R<br />
I launched <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> back in 1991 with the objective<br />
of providing the best corporate hospitality event in the<br />
country. It grew rapidly by being valued as a powerful way<br />
to help its customers retain existing and win new business,<br />
and its legendary reputation ensured that it would entice<br />
those you really wanted to come. More than twenty years<br />
later <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> has come a long way and is now the<br />
undisputed market leader and recognised as the best event<br />
of its type in the world.<br />
I personally designed Bedford Autodrome to be the perfect<br />
venue for <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>, with four separate circuits totalling<br />
six miles that could be run concurrently, each with huge run<br />
off areas for safety. Without the need for grandstands or<br />
crowd-protecting barriers we can offer our guests unrivalled<br />
freedom to explore, and our philosophy of coaching guests<br />
to go faster than they ever dreamed, striving to improve lap<br />
times in every machine, is more powerful than ever.<br />
And so are our vehicles! The performance of our fleet has<br />
escalated hugely over the years and much of our line up is<br />
now full-on motorsport machinery, like our most recent<br />
addition, the Ariel Atom. And you will experience the<br />
thrill of competition with timing and scoring on all eight<br />
activities and prizes awarded at the end of the event.<br />
Our team of dedicated staff will look after every detail,<br />
leaving hosts free and relaxed to enjoy the day and<br />
develop those all-important business relationships. We<br />
provide the perfect backdrop, with outstanding facilities<br />
and the highest quality food and refreshments.<br />
In one sublime day your guests will drive cars they never<br />
imagined driving, at speeds they never thought possible.<br />
It’s the most authentic motorsport experience available<br />
on earth and one that they will never want to forget.<br />
Jonathan <strong>Palmer</strong><br />
Chief Executive<br />
1981 British Formula 3 Champion<br />
1984 Winning the 1000km at Brands Hatch<br />
1987 Brands Hatch Rallysprint winner, with<br />
Derek Warwick and Martin Brundle<br />
JONATHAN PALMER - MASTER OF MOTORSPORT<br />
Jonathan <strong>Palmer</strong> is Chief Executive of the Motor<strong>Sport</strong> Vision<br />
Group (MSV) which, in addition to Bedford Autodrome and<br />
<strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>, owns the Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Oulton<br />
Park and Snetterton race circuits. MSV’s businesses include<br />
running the British Superbike Championship and the BRDC<br />
Formula 4 Championship. MSV is a private company owned<br />
by Jonathan and Sir Peter Ogden.<br />
After a brief career as a doctor, Jonathan moved full time<br />
to pursue his race driving passion in 1981 when he won<br />
the British F3 championship and then two years later the<br />
European F2 championship. Six years of F1 followed, mainly<br />
1983 European Formula 2 Champion<br />
Sharing a joke with Ken Tyrrell and<br />
Philippe Streiff<br />
1991 Test driver for McLaren<br />
1983 F1 debut with Williams at<br />
Brands Hatch<br />
1987 5th place at Monaco for Tyrrell Ford<br />
2012 1st GP2 win for Jolyon <strong>Palmer</strong><br />
at Monaco<br />
with the Tyrrell team, together with a long career in world<br />
sportscar racing with Porsche, achieving several international<br />
wins and a second at Le Mans in 1985. On retiring from<br />
race driving in 1991 Jonathan <strong>Palmer</strong> focussed on his<br />
business ambitions, whilst also joining the BBC Grand Prix<br />
commentary team for six years, partnering Murray Walker.<br />
Both his sons, Jolyon and William, are carrying on in his<br />
driving tyre tracks and Jolyon is already a racewinner in GP2<br />
and aiming for the title in 2013.<br />
05<br />
JONATHAN PALMER
06<br />
PALMERSPORT AT A GLANCE<br />
1.2<br />
PALMERSPORT<br />
AT A GLANCE...<br />
In one sublime day<br />
you will drive all of<br />
these cars at Bedford<br />
Autodrome in an 8<br />
activity programme<br />
with timing, scoring<br />
and awards.<br />
BEDFORD<br />
AUTODROME<br />
Bedford Autodrome is located right in the<br />
centre of England – just 50 miles north of<br />
London, with excellent road and rail links<br />
and its own runway at Bedford Aerodrome.<br />
ITINERARY<br />
REGISTRATION<br />
Your hospitality suite opens for<br />
registration and the start of one of<br />
the most memorable days of your life<br />
BREAKFAST<br />
A full on day starts with a full English<br />
breakfast. Catch up with friends or<br />
guests before the driving starts<br />
WEST CIRCUIT (1.85 MILES)<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM<br />
PRO KART WEST CIRCUIT PIT COMPLEX AND<br />
TYRRELL SUITE<br />
<strong>EVENT</strong> BRIEFING<br />
A formal introduction with a video<br />
briefing on what you’re going to be<br />
driving and how best to do it<br />
WEST CIRCUIT<br />
NORTH ACTIVITY AREA<br />
LAND ROVER DEFENDER CATERHAM PURSUIT<br />
<strong>THE</strong> DAY BEGINS<br />
Join your team leader and then<br />
board your <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> bus that will<br />
transport you around the venue<br />
NORTH ACTIVITY AREA<br />
PEDAL TO <strong>THE</strong> METAL<br />
Meet your instructor in the first of<br />
the day’s cars, get to grips with the<br />
controls and then put your foot down<br />
SOUTH CIRCUIT (1.50 MILES)<br />
BMW M3 GTP<br />
LE MANS SUITE AND PIT<br />
GARAGES<br />
NORTH CIRCUIT<br />
SOUTH CIRCUIT<br />
EAST CIRCUIT<br />
EVERY GUEST DRIVES EVERY CAR IN ONE PERFECT DAY<br />
LUNCH AND REFUEL<br />
A first class lunch, waitress-served<br />
in your hospitality suite with time to<br />
share those unforgettable moments<br />
NORTH CIRCUIT (1.00 MILE)<br />
ARIEL ATOM<br />
NARDO SUITE AND PIT<br />
GARAGES<br />
RESTART<br />
An adrenaline-drenched afternoon<br />
lies ahead as your confidence builds<br />
and you continue to improve your<br />
lap times<br />
AFTERNOON TEA<br />
Tea with sandwiches and cakes is<br />
served over talks of spins, lap times<br />
and ‘what might have been’ moments<br />
EAST CIRCUIT (0.75 MILES)<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT<br />
WILLIAMS SUITE AND PIT<br />
GARAGES<br />
PRIZEGIVING<br />
Each activity has timed laps and the<br />
coveted <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> trophies are<br />
awarded to the day’s best drivers<br />
DEPART<br />
Guests head home having<br />
enjoyed the most exhilarating<br />
day of their lives<br />
07<br />
PALMERSPORT AT A GLANCE<br />
You can view video<br />
footage and watch<br />
onboard laps in all of our<br />
vehicles at our website<br />
www.palmersport.com.
08<br />
ARIEL ATOM<br />
2.0<br />
ARIEL ATOM<br />
ATOMIC WEAPON<br />
The sensational Ariel Atom 3, loved by Top Gear’s Jeremy<br />
Clarkson, is the most recent addition to our fleet and<br />
provides a unique driving experience of ultimate exhilaration.<br />
The Atom has nothing but the bare essentials; a frame,<br />
engine, gearbox, suspension and wheels. So it weighs<br />
just 610kg, which means it accelerates, corners and stops<br />
at astonishing speeds. It’s powered by Honda’s amazing<br />
i-VTEC engine that screams to 245bhp at a dizzy 8000 rpm<br />
whilst the Atom’s close ratio six speed paddleshift gearbox,<br />
unique to <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>, means shifts take a barely<br />
perceptible 0.05 of a second.<br />
Of course it has huge grip. But even more importantly it has<br />
huge controllability – opposite lock slides are hard to avoid,<br />
but when they occur an instinctive quick flick of the wrists<br />
will have you howling in delight.<br />
With an expert instructor pushing you to the limit, driving<br />
the Atom 3 is a raw, intoxicating experience that will leave<br />
you grinning from ear-to-ear.<br />
And you’ll leave with a DVD containing superb onboard<br />
camera footage of all your laps as a permanent reminder of<br />
your stunning drive!<br />
09<br />
ARIEL ATOM
10<br />
ARIEL ATOM<br />
NORTH CIRCUIT [1.00mile]<br />
ARIEL ATOM STATISTICS<br />
TORQUE: 210NM<br />
WEIGHT: 610KG<br />
POWER: 245BHP<br />
0-60MPH: 3.2 SECONDS<br />
TOP SPEED: 145MPH<br />
SCORING: FASTEST LAP<br />
TRANSMISSION: 6 SPEED PADDLESHIFT<br />
11<br />
ARIEL ATOM
12<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR<br />
2.1<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR<br />
ROAR PERFORMANCE<br />
Single seater racing cars often feature as part of a corporate<br />
driving event at various other circuits, but are typically modest<br />
machines with rev limited 1600cc or 2 litre engines and old<br />
fashioned mechanical gear levers.<br />
Not at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>. Our Formula Jaguar has a stonking 3 litre<br />
V6 Cosworth developed engine, with 250bhp at 6500 rpm and<br />
a six speed paddle gearshift on the steering wheel. Big slick<br />
tyres in a soft compound provide huge amounts of adhesion, so<br />
both cornering and braking performance are phenomenal.<br />
And with our fabulous, flowing West circuit we have the safety<br />
and desire to allow our guests the freedom to drive fast.<br />
Seriously fast.<br />
When you get back to the pits the car data will be downloaded,<br />
showing your speeds around the lap and how they compare to<br />
a top racing driver. You’ll also receive incredible front and rear<br />
facing onboard video footage of your whole session to take<br />
away on a DVD to preserve the memory forever.<br />
Believe the hype. This is the closest you will ever get to being<br />
an F1 driver.<br />
13<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR
14<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR STATISTICS<br />
ENGINE TYPE: V6<br />
ENGINE SIZE: 3 LITRE<br />
POWER: 250BHP<br />
0-60MPH: 3.1 SECONDS<br />
TOP SPEED: 170MPH<br />
TRANSMISSION: 6 SPEED PADDLESHIFT<br />
WEST CIRCUIT<br />
[1.85miles]<br />
SCORING: BEST LAP DATA<br />
15<br />
FORMULA JAGUAR
16<br />
BMW M3 GTP<br />
2.2<br />
BMW M3 GTP<br />
MUNICH MUSCLE<br />
The standard M3 is a remarkable machine, but at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong><br />
that was just our starting point. Our BMW M3 GTPs have been<br />
stripped of their interior luxuries and equipped with uprated brakes<br />
and lowered, stiffened suspension to provide phenomenal on-track<br />
performance.<br />
Its race-bred 4 litre V8 engine, tuned by BMW’s Motorsport<br />
division, can howl and scream its way to 8500 rpm, a speed most<br />
engines cannot even reach, yet at which the M3 is never happier.<br />
Coupled to a brilliant seven speed paddleshift gearbox and a<br />
race-prepared chassis, the M3 GTP takes the supercar art to<br />
a new level. And when it’s unleashed on our ultra fast South<br />
circuit the result is truly an incredible driving experience, with<br />
rear wheel drive powerslides there for you to enjoy – and<br />
hopefully control!<br />
17<br />
BMW M3 GTP
18<br />
BMW M3 GTP<br />
BMW M3 GTP STATISTICS<br />
ENGINE TYPE: V8<br />
ENGINE SIZE: 4 LITRE<br />
POWER: 420BHP<br />
0-60MPH: 4.6 SECONDS<br />
TOP SPEED: 185MPH<br />
TRANSMISSION: 7 SPEED PADDLESHIFT<br />
SOUTH CIRCUIT<br />
[1.50miles]<br />
SCORING: FASTEST LAP<br />
19<br />
BMW M3 GTP
20<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM<br />
2.3<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM<br />
LE MANS MASTERPIECE<br />
Our stunning <strong>Palmer</strong> Jaguar JP-LM brings the sensation of<br />
Le Mans to the fingertips of all our guests. It’s as focussed<br />
as any machine can be and provides the most sublime driving<br />
experience – with an instructor right alongside to help you<br />
extract all its mindblowing performance.<br />
We’ve squeezed every last bit of power from its Jaguar<br />
Cosworth 3 litre quad cam V6 engine for staggering straightline<br />
speed, and with downforce pushing those big tyres into the<br />
asphalt and drag-reducing bodywork to help slice through<br />
the air, the JP-LM does the aerodynamic business too.<br />
With all this phenomenal speed, braking ability and grip at<br />
your disposal, it’s the next best thing to jumping into a LMP<br />
prototype and heading off around the famous Sarthe circuit<br />
at Le Mans.<br />
21<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM
22<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM<br />
WEST CIRCUIT<br />
[1.85miles]<br />
SCORING: FASTEST LAP<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM STATISTICS<br />
ENGINE TYPE: V6<br />
ENGINE SIZE: 3 LITRE<br />
POWER: 265BHP<br />
0-60MPH: 3.4 SECONDS<br />
TOP SPEED: 167MPH<br />
TRANSMISSION: 6 SPEED PADDLESHIFT<br />
23<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM
24<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT<br />
2.4<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT<br />
S<strong>EVENT</strong>H HEAVEN<br />
Our Caterham Sevens are sporting a new look in 2013<br />
thanks to the manufacturer’s F1 connections, and the<br />
lightweight British icon remains as popular with our guests<br />
as ever. We’ve featured them on the <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> event<br />
since the very beginning and with good reason: even after<br />
20 years, few experiences ever come close to the sheer,<br />
unadulterated fun of exploiting the Seven’s unrivalled<br />
power-to-weight ratio and instinctive control.<br />
If you’ve ever wanted to learn the art of drifting, the<br />
Caterham is the perfect car to experience controlled<br />
sideways action and raw speed. We exercise these seminal<br />
sports cars on the tight turns of the tailor-made East circuit,<br />
so they can show off their breathtaking ability, tackling the<br />
track in a series of spectacular slides.<br />
Once you’ve discovered the profound pleasure in simply<br />
going sideways, you’ll experience the joy of using this<br />
technique to direct the car, driving beyond the technical<br />
limit of adhesion and controlling what would once have<br />
appeared uncontrollable.<br />
25<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT
26<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT<br />
STATISTICS<br />
ENGINE SIZE: 2 LITRE<br />
WEIGHT: 490KG<br />
POWER TO WEIGHT: 286BHP/TONNE<br />
0-60MPH: 4.8 SECONDS<br />
TOP SPEED: 130MPH<br />
TRANSMISSION: 6 SPEED MANUAL<br />
EAST CIRCUIT<br />
[0.75mile]<br />
SCORING: FASTEST LAP<br />
27<br />
CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT
28<br />
LAND ROVER DEFENDER<br />
2.5<br />
LAND ROVER DEFENDER<br />
<strong>THE</strong> ULTIMATE OFF-ROADER<br />
If you‘re hoping our Defenders will give you time to<br />
relax between racing cars - think again. Unless you<br />
apply as much skill, concentration and bravery in the<br />
mud as you do on the track you’ll have no chance of<br />
successfully negotiating your way down rock-strewn<br />
paths, through rivers and up slopes so extreme you’ll<br />
scarcely believe any mere car could scale them.<br />
You’ll climb so steeply that all you can see through<br />
the windscreen is sky, and plunge off what appears<br />
to be the edge of the world. You’ll negotiate tracks<br />
covered in impossible-looking boulders, ford rivers<br />
and take on our infamous see-saw, using nothing<br />
other than the weight of the car at the pivot point<br />
to tilt the platform so you can drive down the<br />
other side.<br />
If you put your faith in our rugged Defenders and<br />
listen to your instructor, you’ll emerge the other<br />
side lost in admiration for a great British institution<br />
that for over 50 years has remained unequalled.<br />
Just like every car at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>, in its chosen<br />
field, it is the best of the best.<br />
SCORING: HIGHEST SCORE<br />
29<br />
LAND ROVER DEFENDER
30<br />
CATERHAM PURSUIT<br />
2.6<br />
CATERHAM PURSUIT<br />
PISTONS AT DAWN!<br />
SCORING: BEST OF THREE COMPETITION<br />
You’ll be timed or scored on every activity at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong><br />
but this is one with a difference: a head to head contest<br />
against one of your colleagues on two identical mirror image<br />
courses with straights, hairpins and a mini roundabout.<br />
It all looks deceptively simple at first, but then the F1-style<br />
lights count down and it’s GO as you blast from the start in<br />
one of our Caterhams, balancing grip against power on our<br />
soaking wet surface as you slip and slide against the clock!<br />
Of course you’ll want to go as fast as possible, but with the<br />
dividing line between hero and zero being often a millimetre<br />
too much throttle applied a millisecond too early, you’ll need<br />
to apply maximum concentration for perfect powerslides.<br />
And you’ll need plenty of finesse, too, not least for that<br />
innocent looking roundabout: master smoking doughnuts<br />
and you’ll beat your opponent every time in this best of<br />
three competition.<br />
NORTH ACTIVITY AREA<br />
31<br />
CATERHAM PURSUIT
32<br />
JP-LM SUPERRIDE<br />
2.7<br />
SUPERRIDE<br />
(OPTIONAL)<br />
The JP-LM SuperRide is our only optional activity at<br />
<strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>, and will redefine the expectations of even the<br />
biggest adrenaline junkie.<br />
This is a rare opportunity to experience truly mind-boggling<br />
speed in the hands of one of our finest instructors. Not<br />
only are our SuperRide JP-LMs driven at genuine race pace,<br />
they’re even faster than the cars our guests drive, with<br />
increased grip from fatter tyres, more downforce from the<br />
bodywork and another 15 per cent power. And the experience<br />
will be preserved forever as every lap will be recorded and<br />
presented to you on a DVD at the end of the event.<br />
You will leave us realising just how fast a racing car can really<br />
be driven – and with a new appreciation for how extraordinarily<br />
talented our instructors are.<br />
33<br />
JP-LM SUPERRIDE
34 A <strong>THE</strong>ATRE OF DREAMS<br />
3.0<br />
BEDFORD AUTODROME<br />
A <strong>THE</strong>ATRE OF DREAMS<br />
Fourteen years ago, former F1 driver Jonathan <strong>Palmer</strong><br />
spent more than twelve months painstakingly designing<br />
the world’s most versatile, safe, and thrilling motorsport<br />
complex: Bedford Autodrome, with four tracks totalling<br />
six miles of tarmac comprising endless straights, flat out<br />
curves, challenging bends and slide-inducing hairpins.<br />
The whole philosophy behind <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> and what<br />
makes it so different to any other motorsport event is<br />
that we want you go as fast as you possibly can. This is<br />
why Bedford Autodrome was created specifically with<br />
corporate driving – and not motor racing – in mind. There<br />
are no barriers, concrete walls or grandstands to avoid,<br />
just endless run-off and acres of grass.<br />
With the reassurance of knowing there’s nothing to hit<br />
but the rev limiter, and a professional instructor sat right<br />
alongside, you will have the confidence to push our cars<br />
and yourself harder than you might ever have thought<br />
possible. And by running four circuits simultaneously we<br />
can keep your waiting time to a minimum and maximise<br />
your time behind the wheel.<br />
Of course, you’ll still have an opportunity to catch your<br />
breath and the chance to relax in one of our stylish<br />
and comfortable trackside hospitality suites, swapping<br />
stories and comparing lap times before you’re whisked<br />
away for the next chapter of your day at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>.<br />
ANTI-CLOCKWISE<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.1 0.2<br />
0.3<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
NORTH CIRCUIT EAST CIRCUIT<br />
The North circuit features the most recent addition to<br />
the <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> fleet – the mindblowing Ariel Atom.<br />
The long straight and challenging corners give you<br />
the space to really exploit its unbelievable speed and<br />
handling abilities.<br />
CORNERS: 7<br />
CARS: ARIEL ATOM<br />
SUITES: 1<br />
GARAGES: 8<br />
ANTI-CLOCKWISE<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.1 0.2<br />
0.3<br />
SOUTH CIRCUIT<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
The South circuit is home to the muscular BMW<br />
M3 GTP. It includes the full range of 2nd, 3rd and<br />
4th gear corners, and for a true adrenaline-charged<br />
challenge, nothing beats the first high speed<br />
chicane, as you flick left and right at 90mph!<br />
CORNERS: 9<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.1 0.2<br />
0.3<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
[ 1.00mile] [ 0.75mile]<br />
[ 1.50miles]<br />
CARS: BMW M3 GTP<br />
SUPERRIDE (EXTRA)<br />
SUITES: 1<br />
GARAGES: 8<br />
CLOCKWISE<br />
The sinuous East circuit was designed to suit<br />
our Caterhams, and you can test their pace and<br />
agility to the full here. The masses of run-off area<br />
means overdoing it leads to nothing more than an<br />
innocent spin on the grass.<br />
CORNERS: 8<br />
CARS: CATERHAM 7 SUPERLIGHT<br />
SUITES: 1<br />
GARAGES: 8<br />
ANTI-CLOCKWISE<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
0.1 0.2<br />
0.3<br />
WEST CIRCUIT<br />
0.2 0.3 0.4<br />
[ 1.85miles]<br />
The longest of the four, our West circuit includes<br />
the main pits complex of 20 garages. The layout<br />
features some fabulous sweeping corners where<br />
you will experience corner speeds of 100mph, right<br />
on the limit, in perfect safety.<br />
CORNERS: 12<br />
CARS: FORMULA JAGUAR<br />
PALMER JAGUAR JP-LM<br />
SUITES: 2<br />
GARAGES: 20<br />
35<br />
A <strong>THE</strong>ATRE OF DREAMS
36 PALMERSPORT HOSPITALITY<br />
3.1<br />
BEDFORD AUTODROME<br />
HIGH SPEED HOSPITALITY<br />
The <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> experience extends beyond our four race<br />
circuits. Our entire site has been engineered to offer you and<br />
your guests comfortable surroundings, all-weather protection<br />
and catering of the highest standards at every turn.<br />
So the very first thing that happens when you reach us is a<br />
full English breakfast of the kind you’d receive in a fine hotel,<br />
enjoyed at your own team table in a modern hospitality centre.<br />
After a short video briefing, giving you the lowdown on the<br />
day ahead, you’ll be introduced to your dedicated team leader:<br />
your guide to <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>, who will be with you every step of<br />
the way.<br />
From the hospitality suite you’ll be smoothly transported in a<br />
couple of minutes to the driving activities in one of our fleet<br />
of six bespoke <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> buses. When you arrive at our<br />
trackside suites, you’ll find them equipped with comfortable<br />
seating, plasma screens, warm toilets and Wi-Fi connectivity.<br />
They’re also fully stocked with a wide range of drinks and light<br />
bites so you can relax and refresh between driving sessions.<br />
After an adrenaline-filled morning you’ll return for a superb<br />
two course lunch and then again at the end of the day for a<br />
traditional afternoon tea while you wait to see if you’re one of<br />
our lucky trophy winners.<br />
We operate a staff to guest ratio of better than 1:1 and there<br />
will always be someone there to help answer any question.<br />
We apply the same attention to detail across every single<br />
aspect of <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong>. It’s our job to ensure you experience<br />
one of the most memorable days of your life.<br />
37<br />
PALMERSPORT HOSPITALITY
38 PALMERSPORT ENGINEERING<br />
3.2<br />
BEDFORD AUTODROME<br />
ENGINEERED FOR PERFECTION<br />
Maintaining a fleet of over 100 vehicles to <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong><br />
standards is a monumental task – every single one has to<br />
be fit and ready to be driven to its limit all day, every day.<br />
This is why we employ a team of over 30 engineers, most<br />
hand-picked from top racing teams including Formula 1.<br />
We don’t just replace consumables like tyres and brake<br />
pads - our cars follow a rigorous schedule of maintenance<br />
where parts are lifed and replaced regardless of condition,<br />
just as they are in the safety-dominated aircraft industry.<br />
By applying such standards we can ensure that our cars<br />
are not only supremely reliable and safe, but as identical<br />
as they can possibly be. Equality of vehicle performance<br />
is a vital component in the <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> experience: if you<br />
win one of our coveted trophies, you’ll know it’s because<br />
you were simply the fastest driver out there.<br />
39<br />
PALMERSPORT ENGINEERING
40 PALMERSPORT INSTRUCTORS<br />
3.3<br />
PALMERSPORT INSTRUCTORS<br />
<strong>THE</strong> BEST IN <strong>THE</strong> BUSINESS<br />
One statistic says it all: despite the stringent requirements and<br />
qualifications required to be a potential <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> instructor,<br />
just one in ten will prove to be good enough to work for us.<br />
How good? Well chances are you’ll be sat alongside an<br />
experienced racer whose CV includes such highlights as driving<br />
in the British Touring Car Championship, or a hotshot who’s<br />
on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of world motorsport. We<br />
don’t like to boast, but F1 champion Lewis Hamilton is just one<br />
member of an illustrious list of drivers that have instructed for<br />
us at Bedford Autodrome.<br />
But simply being a prodigious talent behind the wheel is not<br />
enough. Even more important is the ability for our instructors<br />
PALMERSPORT INSTRUCTOR ROLL OF HONOUR<br />
to establish a rapport with our guests, to quickly understand<br />
their levels of experience, confidence and expectation. The<br />
most rewarding thing for them is to see every guest progress<br />
and gain the maximum satisfaction from their time in the cars,<br />
through encouragement and coaching, from whatever level<br />
they might start.<br />
So our instructors need to be supremely fast but also possess<br />
outstanding teaching and communication skills to inspire them<br />
to achieve what they never thought possible, whilst recognising<br />
when others have reached their limit.<br />
It’s little wonder so few make the grade.<br />
LEWIS HAMILTON ROB HUFF JUSTIN WILSON OLIVER JARVIS STEVEN KANE<br />
F1 WORLD CHAMPION WTCC CHAMPION F1 & INDYCAR DTM & LE MANS 24HR BTCC & ALMS<br />
41<br />
PALMERSPORT INSTRUCTORS
42 PALMERSPORT TEAM LEADERS<br />
3.4<br />
PALMERSPORT TEAM LEADERS<br />
NOTHING IS TOO MUCH TROUBLE<br />
Every guest at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> is part of a team and every<br />
team has its own leader - a highly experienced member of<br />
our staff who will be with you from start to finish, ensuring<br />
the entire event runs like clockwork.<br />
Your team leader will explain every activity, when you will<br />
be driving and what you need to wear. Most importantly<br />
you never need to worry about missing a precious drive in<br />
the cars – there’s no queuing here, just a highly organised<br />
schedule which your team leader will smoothly implement!<br />
You can just relax.<br />
If you have a query or concern on any matter, whether<br />
it’s choosing the correct size of helmet or needing a more<br />
comfortable seating position in the car, you’ll be put at ease.<br />
43<br />
PALMERSPORT TEAM LEADERS
44 PALMERSPORT BOOKINGS<br />
3.5<br />
<strong>EVENT</strong> BOOKINGS<br />
IT COULDN’T BE SIMPLER<br />
GUEST PROGRAMME<br />
Every guest takes part in every activity at <strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong> and<br />
drives each car for the same amount of time, whether a private<br />
individual or part of an exclusive corporate booking. There’s no<br />
complicated menu of items to choose from and the only optional<br />
extra is a SuperRide in our JP-LM two seat race car.<br />
We operate our events six days a week (not Sundays) and can<br />
even arrange half day or evening programmes in a selection of our<br />
vehicles. Gift vouchers can also be purchased as a reward or to<br />
incentivise your sales team.<br />
Our Account Managers will be happy to talk you through price<br />
and date options. Once your day is booked our team of Event<br />
Co-ordinators will then liaise with you on every detail.<br />
To discuss your requirements<br />
call 01403 733 999<br />
email sales@palmersport.com<br />
or visit www.palmersport.com<br />
07:45 HOSPITALITY SUITE OPENS<br />
08:00 REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST<br />
08:30 <strong>EVENT</strong> BRIEFING<br />
09:00 <strong>THE</strong> DAY BEGINS<br />
09:15 <strong>DRIVING</strong> COMMENCES – GO, GO, GO!<br />
12:30 LUNCH (EXACT TIMINGS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)<br />
13:30 RESTART!<br />
16:40 PRIZEGIVING<br />
17:30 GUESTS DEPART<br />
FOR <strong>THE</strong> WORLD’S<br />
<strong>GREATEST</strong> <strong>DRIVING</strong> <strong>EVENT</strong><br />
CONTACT US<br />
TEL: 01403 733999<br />
EMAIL: sales@palmersport.com<br />
WEB: www.palmersport.com<br />
45<br />
CONTACT PALMERSPORT
<strong>Palmer</strong><strong>Sport</strong><br />
The Old Post Office<br />
Worthing Road, Southwater<br />
West Sussex, RH13 9EZ<br />
Tel: 01403 733999<br />
Fax: 01403 733222<br />
Email: sales@palmersport.com<br />
WWW.PALMERSPORT.COM