Spectators!! Review your circuit visits!

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 08 Sep 2011, 11:58

(I hope this thread is OK for this sub-forum, it seems to be the place for general motorsport chat)

Basically, I recently started to get into going to racing events again - to be precise, several visits to the Harewood Hillclimb and the Donington Historic Masters last weekend.
My point is, I know a lot of you have been to races all around the world and it would be great if anyone would like to share - and rate - their experiences of a circuit for the benefit of other users who want to visit these circuits. I personally would like to hear about any other hillclimb tracks in the UK.
so;

Donington - I suppose it varies for the popularity of the event, but - parking was fine, nothing wrong. paddock access was pretty much unrestricted. good pathways around the circuit for spectating. I used a couple of the grandstands on the inside, beside the fogarty esses and the main straight and they were well placed. Good placement - and plenty - of portaloos, including disabled ones, and they were pretty clean and tidy.

however - a lot of the inside of the track was blocked off because of ongoing work. some parts have a bit of a "building site" feel although this will go in time. A lot of the paths for spectators were very rough rocky rubble sort of thing and disabled visitors might find that difficult. Photography was not as easy as I would've liked as there was a lot of fencing getting in the way. At the places where there is no catch fencing, you are a bit further from the track so lens choice is crucial. However there are some good spots if you look closely.

Harewood - club motorsport at it's best. usually £10 per person, parking fine, paddock access unrestricted, a couple of decent burger vans etc. You can get very close to the cars as they move around the paddock and head down to the line. Spectator viewing is fantastic, there are several points at the top where you can basically see the whole circuit bar a few trees blocking your view. Down the hill there are some great corners to watch at, such as the esses/chippys complex and country corner. You can also get close to the start line. Photography opportunities are top notch.

however - Down at the bottom there is only one portaloo, which is usually fine unless it is really busy. The trek from the bottom to the top can be surprisingly tiring, and although the circuit is quite small and you can easily visit every part several times in the day you might find yourself a bit worn out.
The only detriment towards photography I would note is that the grass is a bit tall in places and you might find it sneaking into your pristine shot!
In terms of disabled access, there is nothing to stop anyone who wants to visit but having some assistance would be recommended. there are a few steps as you head down. the spectator areas are mostly grass and although pretty even, you would need to watch out as it can get steep in places. furthermore, the portaloo at the bottom is not disabled equipped as far as I remember.

I have also been to Silverstone although it was a while ago and I don't really remember much other than the parking was pretty rubbish and got busy at the end. I have heard it has since been improved, however.

So, share your experiences!

Shadaza · Post by **Shadaza** » 08 Sep 2011, 12:37

Brands Hatch:
Great views of most of the circuit (especially if it is the Indy Circuit). Watching cars tackle paddock hill bend is a must for any motorsport fan. Services are Ok but they are scattered around a bit. Disabled access might be a problem because you have to climb steep hill banks to get the best viewing spots outside of the grandstand. Atmosphere for the big events, especially BTCC is incredible however unless you are a real fan of classic cars don;t go to historic events because there is no atmosphere at all and the drivers don't really race their cars at theese events. I've had no problem with parking or traffic.

Silverstone: I can only speak of a Grand Prix weekend pre the new 2010-11 project but I can honestly see why they considered moving it to Donnington, there is no real great area for General Admission viewing, the facilities (except the Merc shops) are bad. I could not tell what was going on in the race because the assured big screens were too far away/small to read position information. However this being said the atmosphere was excellent and so was the action (minus the godawful Porsche Carrera Cup) If you wish to go to the GP make sure you come prepared and prefrably with grandstand tickets. If you do go for GA make sure you get there early (and I mean like 7.00 or earlier) But overall I wouldn't recommend going to Silverstone for anything other then the F1 Gp, you just feel so far away from the action compared to every other race track I have been too. The public transport system in place is fantastic so I don't recommend driving to the circuit.

Arlington Oval, Home of the Eastbourne Eagles: This is real racing! stock cars on a short oval, you can see 100% of the action, addmitance is cheap, crowds are good but not overbearing, the atmosphere and organisation are incredible and you feel really close to the action(almost too close). Hot food is supplied (vital on a cold day!). If it is dry you will be covered in dust I warn you now! Not really in to racing? There is banger racing too (and sometime even caravan racing!) Traffic can be problematic when leaving, It is not the most friendliest of crowds off the circuit....

Lydden Hill: Home of British rally cross. Viewing is excellent as you can see about 90% of the tack from your car thanks to the large banked slope. Facilities arn't really there per say so I would recommend brining your own lunch and feel sorry for any soul that needs the toilet for the toilets are not pleasant. The Pit Paddock area is almost completley open to visitors which is great. In my opinion the racing at Lydden isn't really that brilliant. The rallycross cars are fantastically quick but overtaking in that series is rare. That being said if one of the Dorrans is racing (track owners) the atmosphere is incredible. If it is a particularly wet day or even icey, be warned that unless you own a 4x4 or something realitvy light weight you may get stuck. Also traffic is a real issue following the end of an event, so either leave a little bit early or hang around for a while.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 08 Sep 2011, 12:47

Crikey I've been to loads over the years! Here we go!

patrick wrote:Donington - I suppose it varies for the popularity of the event, but - parking was fine, nothing wrong. paddock access was pretty much unrestricted. good pathways around the circuit for spectating. I used a couple of the grandstands on the inside, beside the fogarty esses and the main straight and they were well placed. Good placement - and plenty - of portaloos, including disabled ones, and they were pretty clean and tidy.

however - a lot of the inside of the track was blocked off because of ongoing work. some parts have a bit of a "building site" feel although this will go in time. A lot of the paths for spectators were very rough rocky rubble sort of thing and disabled visitors might find that difficult. Photography was not as easy as I would've liked as there was a lot of fencing getting in the way. At the places where there is no catch fencing, you are a bit further from the track so lens choice is crucial. However there are some good spots if you look closely.

Donington - I've been there countless times over the years, all prior to the attempted F1 bid, and all for motorcycle races, either British Superbikes (BSB), World Superbikes (WSB), or MotoGP. Almost every time I've been, apart from the racing everything has been atrocious. Parking was always diabolical and every time would take hours to get out of the circuit, even when on a bike. Facilities too were very poor, a handful of mucky portaloos in the middle of the infield to cope with on average around 100,000 people. Much of the place would quickly turn into a quagmire as only a few of the paths were either paved or covered with gravel. There was also very few grandstands, even for the MotoGP, motorcycling's premier class. Three completely open temporary grandstands on the main straight were all that was on offer, maybe that's changed in the last couple of years I'm not sure. But certainly one of, if not the worst circuit I've been to in the UK, places like Brands and Silverstone put it to shame.

patrick wrote:I have also been to Silverstone although it was a while ago and I don't really remember much other than the parking was pretty rubbish and got busy at the end. I have heard it has since been improved, however.

Silverstone - What can I say about the place? I only live down the road, I've been there so many times and used to go karting up there when I was 9 or 10. I've been to see the F1 there for the past two years, and really the place just keeps getting better and better. This year around the new start/finish straight things were a little temporary, but it was still well laid out and open, not crammed in to a small space. There are permanent toilet blocks everywhere, although over the F1 weekend sizeable queues still built up. Being almost completely flat too means it's easy to get around, and access to and from the circuit is superb with the near-motorway standard A43 whisking people either north or south of the circuit. The fact the BRDC keep investing in the place is really clear, and a real benefit to the site. The proposed new grandstands for the start/finish and all the associated development around them will be fantastic if it gets the go-ahead and will put Silverstone on an even footing with some of the most extravagant venues in the world.

Mallory Park - it's small, but fun, with lots of access and some good vantage points on the banks around the circuit. The lake in the middle is a nice touch too. Facilities are very basic, I remember the BSB podium was on the back of a small trailer when I went there a good few years ago now, around 2002 I believe, but I was there last year for the Triumph Live event and little had changed on the circuit apart from some additional catch-fencing and some more raised earth mounds for spectating around the back of the circuit. Overall a nice quirky little track!

Brands Hatch - what a lovely circuit, the GP loop through the forest is amazingly pretty and fun to watch from, and offers some cool shade when things get hot and sunny! I think it used to be Jonathan Palmer's MSV company's former flagship track, but not that's switched to Snetterton because of the noise limits imposed on Brands which is a real shame. It's such a nice track and with some pretty good facilities too, I'd still say it's only second best to Silverstone in the country. The only negative I can remember from my time there was the awful long walk from where we parked the bike to the entrance of the circuit!

Cadwell Park - only been there once and that was a good few years back but from what I remember it's very similar to Oulton Park in terms of facilities and spectating opportunities too. Not much in the way of permanent buildings except those in the paddock, but lots of good points to watch from where a lot of the circuit can be seen in one go. Also like Brands there's quite a few trees round the final part of the lap which is good for a shady spot on a hot day.

Oulton Park - very much like Cadwell Park, lots of undulation, hills, etc and quite raw too. Very fun to watch from though and you can get quite close to the track in some places. Facilities are pretty basic, but for the level of motorsport that goes there, completely as you'd expect.

Post by **tommykl** » 08 Sep 2011, 16:13

I've only visited two.

Spa-Francorchamps (obviously): of course, the scenery is amazing, but actually getting to the circuit can be a nightmare, depending on the event's importance and the weather. There is little parking, most of it being around Eau Rouge, the rest lying around 1km from the track. Otherwise, you rely on other businesses' parking spaces. Last time, my dad parked the car in the go-kart track's parking area, near Stavelot, giving us a good two-kilometer walk to the paddock. The facilities themselves are quite good, the paddock is relatively small, but well spaced-out with maps pretty much everywhere. However, there's only one access to the paddock from La Source to Eau Rouge, so you could be up for a pretty long walk if you have access to/want to go to the paddock and you're at the bottom of the hill, as it's about halfway up the steep slope. The food is good, but there's not a lot of choice unless you go to a fancy restaurant in a tent in the paddock. Finally, the toilets are clean and well-maintained, but relatively hard to come by for a 7-km circuit.

Sepang: access is ideal, right off the highway exit, although it's easy to get lost if you try to avoid the inevitable traffic jams. Parking areas are very spacious, but the locals don't seem to care are just park their car right in front of yours, leaving you with no chance of escape. The grass hills at the far end of the circuit are quite good, but there isn't always enough protection against the sun, so bring plenty of water and put on sunscreen! The same can be said for the grandstand area. Between the two main stands is a long stretch called The Mall, where most souvenirs and food are sold, both at ridiculously high prices. The toilets aren't amazing and the food is pretty uninspiring, but the atmosphere is always electric. Finally, thanks to me going to a posh school when I lived there and my brother conveniently being in the same class as the track owner's son, I got to attend the 2008 Super GT race from the VIP lounge. A splendid buffet, live timing, security footage and TV footage were in a room right next to the lounge. Although my whole day was ruined by a violent cold (how did I manage to catch a cold in Malaysia???), if you get the chance to spend a weekend in the VIP lounge, you're one lucky guy.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 08 Sep 2011, 16:59

I have been to a number of tracks, half of which have already been mentioned here - Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Donnington (only for Renault World Series), Rockingham, Thruxton. And this weekend, I shall go to Monza for the first time.

For Silverstone, Brands and Donnington, I don't have much to add, other than I always have a favourite viewing spot at Brands, that being the Paddock Hill grandstand, particularly the Paddock end of the grandstand, and a bit higher up for views of 95 - 99 % of the Indy loop. Also decent viewing at Silverstone can be had at the Maggotts and Becketts grandstand of that sequence plus the new infield loop or Arena i.e. around half the action.

Rockingham always seems to have free grandstand access whenever I have been for BTCC. Pretty much because grandstands make up the only possible viewing as there are so many around half the oval. Good views generally, being able to see 90-95% of the infield (a few dips and buildings obsuring) but all of the oval clearly (would love to go to a meeting where the whole oval is used...). Not much in terms of catering but a more than adequate number of toilets, it seems (although everyone uses them as they leave the grandstands at the end of the day's on-track action).

Thruxton is clearly more of a national track than the others that have all previously hosted major international race meetings. Only been once (in mid-August, about 3 or 4 weeks ago) and catering seemed decent, I can't reallly comment on the loos as I rarely need to use them during the day. The grandstand at the final chicane had pretty good views of around half the action (maybe a little more of them racing on the horizon at the far side of the former airfield).

Will update next week with Monza, if I can get internet access at the Center Parcs in France.

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 08 Sep 2011, 17:48

great stuff guys! enjoy monza dr-baker.

AndreaModa wrote:Donington - I've been there countless times over the years, all prior to the attempted F1 bid, and all for motorcycle races, either British Superbikes (BSB), World Superbikes (WSB), or MotoGP. Almost every time I've been, apart from the racing everything has been atrocious. Parking was always diabolical and every time would take hours to get out of the circuit, even when on a bike. Facilities too were very poor, a handful of mucky portaloos in the middle of the infield to cope with on average around 100,000 people. Much of the place would quickly turn into a quagmire as only a few of the paths were either paved or covered with gravel. There was also very few grandstands, even for the MotoGP, motorcycling's premier class. Three completely open temporary grandstands on the main straight were all that was on offer, maybe that's changed in the last couple of years I'm not sure. But certainly one of, if not the worst circuit I've been to in the UK, places like Brands and Silverstone put it to shame.

That's a shame to hear, I might think twice about going to the F3 in late sept. The reason it was so good last weekend was because it was pretty quiet and I could just grab a grandstand seat whenever I felt like it. The other good thing about the temporary stand at the esses is that if you go to the top you can see most of the circuit. hmm!

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 08 Sep 2011, 17:50

Yeah I've never been on a quiet weekend, so I imagine it's an awful lot better than when it hosts a round of a motorcycle world championship! :lol:

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 08 Sep 2011, 18:51

Baltimore::
it sure silenced the skeptics in terms of the corners. everyone i talked to on that friday said turn one would be hell for the indycars....and it wasn't.
someone here said there were no passing zones and there were easily 3 or 4. the track surface was shifty in places and stellar in others, which added to the spectacle that is street course racing. the festivities, catering, and showmanship was incredible. and also very important, the parking/traffic situation was sublime. even with 200,000+ spectators, no full lots, clogging, log jams, grid lock, nothing. out of 10, 9.8.

PS:: if you're there next year, try Jimmy John's sub shop under the hilton annex next to turn 12. i ate there 3 days in a row, never got old!

Nessafox · Post by **Nessafox** » 08 Sep 2011, 19:17

Zolder Accessability is relatively good for non-local traffic, due to a cross-section of the highways Leuven-Aachen and Antwerpen-Liège nearby, although that originally was rather the biggest problem, but it has been reconstructed. Accessability coming from Hasselt or Zolder town center is more difficult, because it follows unimportant local roads. Also parking space is a problem point and i used to park myself illegal in the Bolderberg Village. That village is the only sign of civilisation around, altough the Viversel village is closer, there is nothing in that village. Parkings are usually more or less improvised.
The paddock, and the circuit in general is extremely crampy, due to the presence of the Bolderberg-"mountain" on one side and the Viversel-village on the other side, furthermore the circuit is filled up with a camping space, a hill with a chapel and a moto-cross area, so there's not much room. Because of a lack of specators this isn't really a problem, but in the times that there were people, this was a huge problem. Also the people used to walk between the teams trucks and the pit building, they changed that, but it somewhat made the atmosphere less interesting. It is also impossible to walk around the whole track by foot, some parts are simply unaccessable (the motocross-area) or are simply bushes, which makes it theoretically possible, but not advisable. On the other side of the circuit, only the main stand and the first corner are accessible, but you need some alpine-equipment to watch a race from the first corner. There's only two grandstand, an the main stand is extremely outdated, and in bad shape, also the sight is ruined by a low concrete bridge crossing the main straight to the pit complex. The other one are a small stand at the Ickx-chicane and are reasonable. Above the pit complex there are standing places (comparable to what spa has) which are usually the best places to stand. The pitcomplex itself is old and crampy, except for a newer part, that is new and crampy. Also there is a typical Belgian way of building official and vip buildings very randomly. Toilets are in good conditions, but can only be found in the middle of the track, and you have to walk in between teams trucks to find them sometimes, just like the stairs up to the standing places, they are hidden between the teams equippement. Lots of drink stands, but practically all of them are permanently closed. Food stands are only in the center, and there's not a lot of choice. When you're lucky you can find waffles and frites somewhere else, but you have to look for it. My advice will be to walk to the Bolderberg-village. The best view points? Well, the standing places above the pits, the inside of the first corner, the nicest part is the forest-section between the chicane and the Terlaemen-corner (including the Villeneuve chicane) and also the inside of the Bolderberg-hairpin and the Ickx chicane are allright. The main stand is not advisable, and what used to be a good place was the outside of the Ickx, but you can't see trough the fence anymore. Because that part lies outside of the track and people would of course notice that.
When the champ car GP was held, a lot of extra seatings were created, altough most of them weren't at ideal places. My advice would be to buy only a paddock-area ticket so you can watch from the standing places above the pits. (which gives you the freedom to watch both sides of the track) Also typically Belgian are practically unused bridges standing in the way (only that one on the main straight is really used) but that's not as bad as Spa, where you have the unacessible bridge over the Kemmel straight, however i was not informed that it was closed, and coming from the inside of the track, it was a big walk in the forest, up the hill, down the hill, also Spa is filled with an endless amount of paths leading to unacessible areas, or simply nowhere, that's not the case at Zolder, as it is a small track. Zolder doesn't decent maps (the one they have are to fashionable to be usefull) but as distances are short, it's not a problem.
I love Zolder because it's so close, but i can completely understand why nobody else liked it.

Faustus · Post by **Faustus** » 08 Sep 2011, 19:21

dr-baker wrote:I have been to a number of tracks, half of which have already been mentioned here - Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Donnington (only for Renault World Series), Rockingham, Thruxton. And this weekend, I shall go to Monza for the first time.
Will update next week with Monza, if I can get internet access at the Center Parcs in France.

Have fun in Monza dr-baker!

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 08 Sep 2011, 21:49

Faustus wrote:
dr-baker wrote:I have been to a number of tracks, half of which have already been mentioned here - Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Donnington (only for Renault World Series), Rockingham, Thruxton. And this weekend, I shall go to Monza for the first time.
Will update next week with Monza, if I can get internet access at the Center Parcs in France.

Have fun in Monza dr-baker!

Will do! And I cannot believe it has taken about 2 or 3 years for somebody to come up with this thread!

AdrianSutil · Post by **AdrianSutil** » 08 Sep 2011, 22:41

Silverstone:

Went in 2005 for British GP. Me and my friend had a bronze pass £50 (discount deal!). This gave us no grandstand seats or specially allocated areas, but were allowed to walk around the edge of the circuit for free. The merchandise stands were average to say the least, although every team, even Minardi, had at least 3 stands each. McLaren and Jordan/Midland both had cars on display, and sat inside the McLaren! Also bought myself an official Minardi shirt for a mouth-watering £50! I still own the shirt I'm proud to say!

The support races were fun to watch, apart from the Carrera Cup. And the best viewing I found was either side of Bridge corner and the fast left-right-left-right complex after Stowe. The TV screens unfortunately were poor and hardly visible and the refreshment stands were massively overpriced.

Having said all that, I'd go again in a heartbeat.

Lydden Hill:

I've competed in several track days at Lydden Hill, which is loosely based on Brands Hatch. I only live 15 minutes away so try to go at least 6 times a year. There's plenty of good viewing areas and your free to walk around the pits whenever you like, which is nice. Tickets are around £10-15, depending on what's being held that day. Easy access to the track, as it's just off the A2.

madmark1974 · Post by **madmark1974** » 09 Sep 2011, 09:06

Although I have been to Donington, Silverstone and Brands Hatch, they were in the late 80s and on hospitality packages - for Brun Porsche in the Sports Prototypes (i.e. Le Mans Cars), so not
really too relevant, I do remember the grandstand on the main straight at Donington was pretty much useless but as the track has been butchered I will just comment on the new
Snetterton as it's my home track. When I lived with my parents, my Dad and I used to cycle to the track as it was only 8 miles away, and it used to be free to get in after about 4pm so
we'd just bike up there, watch the last few races of the day then bike home again.

Snetterton is right off the A11 dual carriageway on the Thetford to Norwich stretch, and is also accessible from local B-roads (which is the way I always go so I can't comment on how tailbacked
the main road gets on busy meetings). There's plenty of parking and it's only a short walk to the main paddock area from the main car park. You are able to access both the infield and outside
of the track to spectate. In the olden days there used to be grandstands but these have all been pulled down, and now there are raised banks for spectating, so basically all tickets are general
admission. I have been this year and the new banks I tried (2 of them) give you a good view of several corners, and more if you can get right to the top. I still like to watch from the last chicane
as well though, even though it has been re-profiled and opened out a bit there's always plenty going on there, but you can only really see a couple of corners and the start of the straight from there.
I have two young children and at present access to the spectator banks is on crushed stone pathways, which was quite difficult to push a buggy up (as were the slopes themselves), but it was easy
to find all the spectator areas as they're well signposted. As the track is on an old airfield it's pretty open and always windy there, there's also not much shelter if it's rainy.

At the meeting I went to this year(just a clubmans motorcycle meeting), access to the paddock was totally unrestricted, I'm not sure if it's the same for the big meetings such as the BTCC, BSB
and F3s. Tickets for clubmans meetings are £10 in advance or £13 on the gate, and children under 13 (I think, may even be 16) are free. The bike meeting I went to had 18 races on the Saturday
and 20 races on the Sunday, excellent value when you think a family can get in for £20 for one day. Tickets for the premium meetings are £25 in advance I think.

Also at the circuit there is a Sunday market and car boot, which used to be good but has deteriorated in recent years to about half it's original size. There is also an excellent toy and model shop
which I would recommend you visit whenever you're there - there is a nearly full size F1 car made of lego that the children can sit in, if nothing else!

They also do hospitality, though I think there is only 1 suite, which I have been in, the food and service were pretty good, but the location was just on the start and finish straight and you couldn't
really see much racing action, so it'd be a case of only going in there for food and drink, and venturing outside if you were actually there to watch some racing!

That's about all I can think of to say, I've also been to Bedford Autodrome for a track day which was all very well organised and the track layout (we were on the full size track) is pretty good.

I am hoping to go to Santa Pod for the first time sometime next year - has anyone been there?

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 09 Sep 2011, 09:45

madmark1974 wrote:I am hoping to go to Santa Pod for the first time sometime next year - has anyone been there?

Christ yeah I went there years and years ago now, seem to remember everything being pretty basic, but nothing that you wouldn't expect at smaller venues around the UK. I do remember the grass banking down the right hand side of the strip being pretty good, not sure if its still there though. The noise is incredible though, be careful if you're taking young children because it'll blow their eardrums out if they don't have protection. It's insane!

eagleash · Post by **eagleash** » 09 Sep 2011, 10:57

Not wrong about the noise levels of top-fuel dragsters.

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 10 Sep 2011, 00:58

I've been to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve so far (actually, it was this year, during the downpour). It was a very good experience. The track is easily accessible by the metro and the subways come every few minutes so travel isn't bad. The food inside the circuit was OK but the food in the city was quite good. Me and my Dad went walking around Montreal and the city was decked out in racing paraphernalia. I'm planning for a return trip with my Dad in 2012!

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 10 Sep 2011, 22:52

Has anyone ever been to the Britcar 24h at Silverstone? they're currently doing £35 for a pair and I'm wondering if you can just park the car up all weekend and then waft around the track in a sleep deprived haze occasionally drifting off on a deckchair instead of splashing out 90£ for a camping spot that I wouldn't use. I stayed up for the entire LM24 this year and I was in my bedroom the entire time, so this should be a doddle right

tristan1117 wrote:I've been to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve so far (actually, it was this year, during the downpour). It was a very good experience. The track is easily accessible by the metro and the subways come every few minutes so travel isn't bad. The food inside the circuit was OK but the food in the city was quite good. Me and my Dad went walking around Montreal and the city was decked out in racing paraphernalia. I'm planning for a return trip with my Dad in 2012!

I've heard there are a few spots at the circuit where you can get very close to the track. It always looks fantastic from TV, I'd love to go there

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 11 Sep 2011, 01:46

Eastern Creek - It's alright but not great. Was there for the A1GP event in 2005 aswell as the final V8 round there in 2008. The view from the hill next to the main Grandstand at Pit entry is pretty good as you can see most of the track (Although I have heard the hill at turn 1 is better) and the facilities are alright if you're on the pit straight as most of the merchandise stalls and the like are behind the main grandstand. Getting in isn't that difficult and parking is pretty good but getting out is quite frustrating but not as bad as it was at the next track I'm about to mention.

Bathurst - The holy grail of Australian Motorsport. I was there for the insane race that was the 2009 Bathurst 1000 and first off it was absolutely freezing that morning and the weather was all over the shot. There was a real buzz around the place all day and the vantage point from the chase was great considering the hilly nature of the track with a big screen on the other side of the track. Facilities in the area weren't that great as most of them are located in the paddock at the back of pitlane a few hundred meters back down the track and the bridge across pit straight can give people like me vertigo (And I'm a student pilot for HWNSNBM's sake :lol:

). Getting in wasn't too bad but I highly recommend taking the Monday off and staying in Bathurst as we spent the best part of 2 hours stuck in Bathurst on the Sunday as we were leaving.

I might be able to go to the Telstra 500 at Homebush this year but it's unlikely. Anyone been to the Homebush track before?

Cynon · Post by **Cynon** » 11 Sep 2011, 01:54

Chicagoland Speedway -- From where I live, it's really easy to get there, but the tricky part is that the fastest way there is a bit of a detour. For people who have never been to an oval race before, a lot of them are designed so you can see the whole track no matter where you sit. The facilities were pretty good, and it turned out a huge crowd for NASCAR and Indycar races when I went. There isn't a bad seat in the place. Just don't buy the food there. There are a ton of ways into the place, just getting out is a bit of a hassle because you might find some people drunk and passed out halfway under your car (true story) or a huge traffic jam that may result in some drunk and/or stupid driver finding themselves embedded in a ditch near the parking lot gate.

Michigan International Speedway -- Anyone who has been to a race here will tell you that there is only one way to get there, and it's one two-lane highway. -_-; That aside, it wasn't a bad place to visit. The first ever NASCAR race I went to was in 1994, at this track, and Michael Waltrip, the biggest tool in ALL of racing punched out Lake Speed (no relation to Scott, Lake Speed is famous for beating Ayrton Senna in karts) for no reason. I remember finding a Mark Stahl (uber obscure NASCAR reject) Matchbox car here during that same weekend.

Chicago Motor Speedway -- The old CART track that resembled a giant paperclip. Easy for me to get to because it was literally in the city of Chicago. I went here for a NASCAR Craftsman Truck series race and I remember it being a pretty good race. Can't remember how the facilities were but I remember having the best seat in the house.

Milwaukee Mile -- You really feel like you're in the past here. At least I did, because it's in the State Fairgrounds. That might have something to do with the track being the longest-operating track in the world... I can't remember what the traffic situation was like getting there, because it was in 1998 and I was asleep in the back of my dad's car the whole way there and back.

Illiana Motor Speedway -- Named because it's right on the Illinois/Indiana border. I went here once and they had about 10 different events in one night. Most of them were total madness, including a figure 8 race and a school bus race on the shorter oval. They also had a hornet race, where all the cars had to be painted yellow and black.... The crowd was pretty good for such a small facility. Clearly, it's not meant for anything other than uber low budget races and the tickets were cheap, but it was worth it.

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 11 Sep 2011, 02:44

so was i the only one from here that went to baltimore?
i mean some guys from a monster truck forum i'm a member on went. doesn't say anything, just mentioning. lol

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 11 Sep 2011, 16:01

nome66 wrote:so was i the only one from here that went to baltimore?
i mean some guys from a monster truck forum i'm a member on went. doesn't say anything, just mentioning. lol

We're a predominantly European/Australian based community so I'm not sure why you'd be surprised about that.

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 11 Sep 2011, 18:26

i mean was sure that at least one person from here would have gone

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 13 Sep 2011, 11:04

Cynon wrote:Chicagoland Speedway -- For people who have never been to an oval race before, a lot of them are designed so you can see the whole track no matter where you sit.

Rockingham in England is just the same, with only a few blind spots of the infield.

Anyway, MONZA!

Went for the first time 2 days ago for the Italian GP. WIll post photos as and when I upload them from my camera. The Parco di Monza is very large, with not many large car parks located within from what I could see, but I saw plenty of car parks outside on the approach for what seemed like park-and-ride schemes. Those who were able to park inside had a torrid time getting out as I walked past many stationery cars on my 1 hour walk back to the coach (although half of that was just from the first Retiifilo chicane to the Parabolica, past the shopping/souvenir 'village'). Can't see much of what is happening on track as you are walking around - missed much of the GP3 race as we were walking from Parabolica to Rettifilo at the time. View from the grandstand? Could see from around around 50-100 yards/metres to the entry to the chicane to Curva Grande. Had a giant screen in front of us showing the world feed so no FanVision required - could follow the race easily on there! Atmosphere was brilliant with people even sitting on stairs on grandstand. Well worth it for that despite lack of large views (worse than Silverstone, Rockingham, Brands and Thruxton!). But Monza has always been about the passion, enthusiasm and high speeds, hasn't it? And that is what you get in abundance there.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 13 Sep 2011, 21:32

Will (hopefully) be going to silverstone at the end of september (!), Britcar 24. May get a long write up

.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 13 Sep 2011, 21:34

patrick wrote:Has anyone ever been to the Britcar 24h at Silverstone? they're currently doing £35 for a pair and I'm wondering if you can just park the car up all weekend and then waft around the track in a sleep deprived haze occasionally drifting off on a deckchair instead of splashing out 90£ for a camping spot that I wouldn't use. I stayed up for the entire LM24 this year and I was in my bedroom the entire time, so this should be a doddle right

http://www.1st-tickets.co.uk/events/britcar.html

JeanDenisAlcatraz · Post by **JeanDenisAlcatraz** » 14 Sep 2011, 16:16

ADx_Wales wrote:
patrick wrote:Has anyone ever been to the Britcar 24h at Silverstone? they're currently doing £35 for a pair and I'm wondering if you can just park the car up all weekend and then waft around the track in a sleep deprived haze occasionally drifting off on a deckchair instead of splashing out 90£ for a camping spot that I wouldn't use. I stayed up for the entire LM24 this year and I was in my bedroom the entire time, so this should be a doddle right

http://www.1st-tickets.co.uk/events/britcar.html

Let us know what it's like if you do go, ADx, because my dad's thinking of marshalling it next year and I might go with him.

As for my circuit:

Oulton Park

I love this place. As has been said, facilities are pretty basic on lower category race days, but you can get by on what they do have. My favourite thing about Oulton is that every corner is different, so if you have a wander you can start at Old Hall (turn 1) and see a very quick right-hander, move down to the fiddly Knickerbrook complex, round to the best overtaking spot at the hairpin, through the woods to the technical Druids right-hander and then over to the final bend at Lodge, where there's a huge dip on the exit to throw out the back end of those caught unawares. It's also perfect for rainy days, because you can set the car on the ridge overlooking Knickerbrook and see about half the circuit from the warmth of the your seat.

If I had one criticism, it'd be the lack of access down to the hairpin. You can see it from Hill Top and the chicane, but it'd be nice to go and stand on the exit and get close to the overtaking there.

Has anybody been to a meeting at Anglesey? What's that like?

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 14 Sep 2011, 17:16

Someone I know from the podcast I've done lately has been a marshall at Silverstone lately... I will give you his feedback forthwith.

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 14 Sep 2011, 21:46

ADx_Wales wrote:
patrick wrote:Has anyone ever been to the Britcar 24h at Silverstone? they're currently doing £35 for a pair and I'm wondering if you can just park the car up all weekend and then waft around the track in a sleep deprived haze occasionally drifting off on a deckchair instead of splashing out 90£ for a camping spot that I wouldn't use. I stayed up for the entire LM24 this year and I was in my bedroom the entire time, so this should be a doddle right

http://www.1st-tickets.co.uk/events/britcar.html

yeah the websites are useless for info though. just going to slog it all night with a camera and bag of coffee

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 15 Sep 2011, 01:11

Knockhill: It's sh*t. Can you confirm you understand the message?

Scotland's only "premier" motor racing venue is a pathetic wee diddy track not fit for international motorsport of any description. No wonder Britsh F3 splits off from Brit GT for the weekend the latter turns up.

David AGS · Post by **David AGS** » 15 Sep 2011, 10:50

Albert Park:

My home town. A great track for me. Although its not in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, it is very easy to get to via public transport. The track is maybe 15-20mins from the CBD with a tram. Organisers prefer to access the track via public transport, as parking is extremely limited and extremely expensive.

Facilities are good, but you have to remember it is a street circuit, so everything is tempory, so it goes all down pretty much first thing Monday morning.

Ticket prices are I think pretty good. For $99aus is for general admission for race day, and pretty much allows you to view everywhere apart from the grandstand/paddock club etc. During the programme they have many events, highlighted by the very popular V-8 Supercars, and Paul Stoddart regulary runs his 2 seater Minardi's round.

Food is okay, reasonably priced for sporting events (which is usually higher than average). But there are many hills to observe, many signts to be seen, and there are many LCD big screens to watch races.

People say though, that Adelaide was still so, so much better!

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 16 Sep 2011, 17:28

JEREZ

Been there for the 1997 European GP; my dad and and I did get there late (almost just for the race) and couldn´t get to see around, plus the circuit´s been vastly improved lately. Anyway, even though there´s a lot of parking space and a highway leading to the circuit, we had to leave the car parked at the side of the road since the car lot was already full, but it didn´t mean more than a 2 km. walk to the main entrance. The exit was a bit of a nightmare and it gets very crowded. Seat locations are great, the atmosphere is fantastic and, since it´s not very expensive, it´s recommended to get a seat somewhere to follow the action, better if it´s at first corner or grandstand. Giant screens are well located. Couldn´t remember about using a toilet but merch and food stalls were all around (obviously at ridicously high prices); there´s a hotel in front of the track and it hosts a good restaurant for those who can´t stand a hot dog or a sandwich...
The advice is to get there early and try to exit the track in the oposite direction and drive the local roads to avoid traffic jams. Obviously only at big events (currently Spanish Motorbike GP only). Otherwise, be sure to get plenty of water and suncream as it tends to be very hot and sunny in this region of Spain!

Yannick · Post by **Yannick** » 17 Sep 2011, 09:32

As a kid, I was trackside for the qualifying at the Norisring event twice. That track is closest to where I lived at the time, but since it's a temporary track, it only holds a race once a year. That was during the 80s. Parking is available and traffic is not a problem because of the nearby soccer stadium. The paddock is usually stretched out along the banks of the Dutzendteich pond and since the main feature race is of DTM, it is accessible very well because DTM likes to have fans around.

That is different for F1 and I quickly realized that when we went to Spa in 1992. At this time, it was still a non-permanent circuit so on the Wednesday before the race, we got the chance to drive around with our own car up Eau Rouge (but had to yield at the top for regular traffic coming from the bypass route) and then drive the nonpermanent section from Les Combes down to Stavelot corner. That was mighty impressive. I had no drivers license yet, but with this experience, Spa has been my best circuit on race sims ever since then. We picked rooms in the Stoumont area in both years we were there but in the first year, we had to find out where is the best place to park. There used to be a side road to a neighbouring village which entered the track at the end of the grandstand on the run coming down from La Source. The official parking lot used to be located there, in the fields. That is far from ideal when you have a wet race, a small car and impatient SUV drivers surrounding you. One of them caused minor damage on our car. Crazy fool that *shakes head*. Just like us, it took him an hour to get to Stavelot in clockwise direction on the old track to where they directed the leaving traffic.

When we returned for 93, we did not want to park there again so we went looking for alternative routes which we could use to make the trip to the Stoumont as quickly as possible after the race. We parked in a free parking space in downtown Francorchamps for that and the route in question led past the cemetry. Go figure it out for yourself with a map if you want to go there. We took this route to the track every day in the morning and that's where I first met Peter Sauber when he overtook us in his Mercedes. That was a bit more fun than when I overtook 16 Porsches at once on the German Autobahn in my parents' Toyota (!)
However, to get from Francorchamps to the track, you need to walk for at least 20 minutes which is downhill before and uphill after the race.

In 1992, my mother and I managed to sneak into the well-guarded paddock of Spa and I managed to get some autographs from drivers and team bosses, most of which are notable to the F1Rejects community. The book is in my parents' place and I'd have to look up which ones are there but I remember Eric van de Poele, Emanuele Naspetti, Ivan Capelli, JJ Lehto, Gianni Morbidelli, Ukyo Katayama and Nigel Mansell, who had just become champion the round before. I was lucky in 93 to get some autographs from members of the Sauber team (I can't remember which ones) from the Thursday pit walk (which is no more).

I cannot recommend anything as far as toilets and catering are concerned when it comes to Spa since they have rebuilt the track into a permanent facility since then.

Neither can I say much about my visit to Hungaroring where we tried to sneak into the paddock on Thursday, too. We found a destroyed fence underneath we could crawl through onto the track on one of the stands in the 3rd to last corner. Then we crossed the track and ran away into the infield woods from Hungarian marshals who had seen us and probably wanted to remove us from the property. We reappeared in the escape road of Turn 2. Walking round Turn 1, we walked into the pit exit, got ourselves a nice pit walk where I took some photos of the cars being assembled and entered behind the pits at the upper end of the pit building. However, the paddock area with the team hospitalities was a level below and all sets of stairs leading there were guarded by security. Walking around between the trucks behind the pits, we got caught by an official who asked us for our paddock ticket. Of course, we didn't have any. So he sent us out across the bridge leading across the front straight. We tried to turn around and hide somewhere but there was no way of escaping him. Once on the main grandstands, we checked out our seats and then quietly went to the hotel. I was not involved in the parking at all because we went there with a travel agency by bus, but there is only one access road to the parking lot of the circuit and things don't just move slow on the way out, but on the way in as well.

Enjoy! ;-)

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 04 Oct 2011, 21:27

Silverstone
Finally got back to the circuit to attend the Britcar 24 from sat-sun. Coming from the south-east, and as others have mentioned the A43 is great and while the traffic wasn't bad at all the area was still obviously well laid out and access to the Circuit was fine.
Luckily I had infield parking access (technically outside of the new circuit bounds but inside the old circuit area) which put me nicely next to the national straight near the wellington bridge. The parking area was spacious and plenty of room, especially for a 24 hour event, to set up anything around a car should you need to.
The infield paddock area was very well laid out with perfect access roads and plenty of freedom for joe public. Obviously it depends on the event, but I was free to roam just about anywhere bar the actual circuit, pitlane and inside the garages.
The non-grandstand viewing facilities were rather good. The banked section on the inside of copse was decent, comfy grass to sit on and you could see cars coming out of the pitlane and also bombing round the first corner at the same time. Along the main straight (the classic pit straight) foot viewing was alright near the copse end but obviously most of the space was taken up by grandstands. Around the outside of luffield there is a stepped concrete viewing area which I also thought was pretty good but obviously the concrete nature means you would need a chair for extended viewing.
The grassy banks up either side of wellington bridge also provided good views, both towards luffield and down to aintree. My final favourite foot viewing spot was down at village corner, where you could get close to the cars and watch them both speeding around farm curve and then braking hard for the village/loop complex.
In terms of grandstands, well Britcar only had about three open (more on that in a moment) but by far the best was the south-facing one inbetween maggots and aintree - which provided great views of both the village complex, maggots/becketts and distant views of the southern parts of the track. You could probably also see copse and luffield over the back of the stand. The two on the main straight were fine, very roomy and good but limited views.
Disabled access appeared to be great with many purpose built ramps and specific viewing areas.

The downsides; Firstly, and this may be down to Britcar or whoever pays for the security or cleaning, but having one grandstand open at night and three open during the day was pretty unacceptable, surely the fact that it was a lower-key event meant that they could have opened a few more. I have heard many other similar complaints from spectators at the event.
Secondly, there was a lot of very confusing and irritating metal fencing (the temporary type) placed in seemingly random areas that made moving about by foot just that little bit more annoying, especially when one has been going for over 30 hours. I felt that it had been placed in a manner that prevented people moving from the north to the south of the circuit, and I made the decision early on that I would stick to the north area - which leads me on to my third protest-
Signage, directions etc could have been better. While the facilities were good, being unfamiliar with the circuit meant that I often found myself annoyingly far from a toilet and the map boards didn't help. They also could have done with highlighting the foot routes around the circuit because, as I said, it just seemed like too much hassle to get down to the southern section.
Finally, and I don't understand why big circuits do this, but what is with the horrible lumpy rubble paths? Both silverstone and donington have these on outer, pleb viewing areas, and while I know they've both had building work done recently and it could be unfinished, it doesn't half make a mess of your feet after a few hours (or 24-30 in this case!!)

All in all the circuit impressed me more than I thought it would, I thoroughly enjoyed the event and the supporting races and it's a must if anyone wants to see a less crowded silverstone after the restrictive grand prix.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 05 Oct 2011, 18:42

Patrick, I think I know why they limit the grandstands, probably down to littering or something more important. However my issue was the stands were too high up and too far away from the track. I would have HATED watching an F1 race there. The 1st Tickets campsite was "Sold Out", some of the non-grandstand areas were decent enough, Dont know how dangerous the grassy knoll between Farm curve and the loop, but that was also a decent place to view from. I was also amazed at how many places I could wander into without being told off!

Walking from the campsite behind the old starting straight to the new infield section was quite tiring, if only the Cycle shop in the business complex would rent out bikes for the weekend.

I was there with The Online Racing Association, we were supporting the #52 Toyota MR-2 sponsored by Forza Motorspot 4:

They were sharing their garage space with "The Gadget Show" who were running a "Virtual" 24 Hours on the same track on an r-factor simulator with the most realistic wheel and seating arrangement possible. Unfortunately the majority of the people who turned up to the garage turned up for The Gadget Show and not the team actually racing.

There was also a VW Golf which had almost nothing done to it (visually) Started 50th, and finished 13th, it made the least amount of Pitstops during the race! unlike the MR-2 which had every problem under the sun, literally.

In the last hour I ended up in the Silverstone Medical Centre...

...the combination of sweat and recently applied suncream eventually making its way to my right eye, what a fool.

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 05 Oct 2011, 20:04

I had heard about the Gadget show thing but didn't really feel like spending much time around the garages (which was probably a mistake as I heard they were great at night)
The golf was amazing, when daylight hit I realised it was one of the few cars to have been consistently going round while others went AWOL. Just one of the best parts of endurance racing to see lesser cars outperform.

P1060830 by pwrc, on Flickr
I have heard that it was also driven to and from the circuit!

Sorry to hear you ended up in the medical center, I hope you didn't miss the finish? The atmosphere in the stand across from the line was lovely, every car got a big round of applause - with the biggest going to the golf and the smart fourfour!

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 05 Oct 2011, 20:23

There was a Smart ForFour?

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 05 Oct 2011, 21:13

#92 Smarts4you Racing

I belive it racked up the most amount of time spent in the pits for penalties for "exceeding the limits of the track"

PLAYLIFE · Post by **PLAYLIFE** » 06 Oct 2011, 00:34

Albert Park – 16 visits, 1996-2011
My home city! Albert Park is a 4 day event despite F1 only taking to the track for 3 days. On Wednesday, there’s a pit-lane walk for grandstand members so you can catch the teams practicing pit-stops and spot the odd driver.
Plenty of on-track action with plenty of support races and other off-circuit activities happening – usually looking at 4 serious categories other than F1. V8 Supercars are always there and the other categories vary: Formula Ford, Formula 3, Australian Porsche Supercup, GT, F5000, V8 Lites, Ute racing, NASCAR). On average, there’s probably about 10 minutes between activities so there’s always something to watch. Golf course area is nice for a stroll and the historic car area is great to get up close to some classics. The food is not so great and bloody expensive, but I think that’s more to do Australia being pricey these days than anything else.
Views, you don’t really get to see much, perhaps part of a straight or at most 2 corners. Lots of walls and trees in the way so for viewing it’s not spectacular.
Atmosphere: 5/10
Viewing: 5/10
Value: 7/10

Adelaide – 9 visits, 1987-1995
Pure street circuit and wow, what an atmosphere! Despite being a Melbournian, I have to say that Adelaide was far better!! Partly helped as it was the final race of the season so the teams were more relaxed and thus it was easy to get bits of car and team apparel. Views were similar to Melbourne, doesn’t help when the track is lined by walls so you’d at best see parts of a straight or 2 corners at most. Also helped that was I able to get paddock passes easily so spent a lot of the time in the garages (mostly Ligier). Final race in 1995, we got 205,000 people – HUGE!
Atmosphere: 7/10
Viewing: 4/10
Value: 6/10

Hockenheim – 1 visit, 1982
A very European feel, seated just before turn 1. The stadium atmosphere was superb. It was a bit of a dark weekend obviously with Pironi’s accident on Saturday, but Tambay’s win in the sister car alleviated some of that. The Germans were passionate although probably not as much as now. The view was good in that I could see the start/finish straight and then the blast away into the forrest. Would love to go back there some day for a race, especially with this big German F1 field.
Atmosphere: 6/10
Viewing: 6/10
Value: 5/10

Spa-Francorchamps – 3 visits, 2004, 2006 & 2011
Been to a few different categories here, F1, Superbikes and 1000km of Spa. Incredible circuit, the scenery is breathtaking and the sense of history really makes a difference. Watching F1 cars dart around, up and down the huge elevation changes is mind boggling, it really must be seen to be believed. The weather can put a dampener on things (excuse the pun) but for those true hardcore fans such as myself it makes it better cos it drives away the riff raff! The views are incredible and you can see multiple parts of the circuit if in the right spot. I love the place.
Atmosphere: 9/10
Viewing: 8/10
Cost: 2/10

Monza – 1 visit, 2011
Incredible, the aura of the place is spine-tingling. Especially if you walk the old Alta Velocita banked circuit… it is surreal, especially if it’s not a Grand Prix weekend, the eeriness of a quiet race-track is alarming! But the atmosphere is second to none, the tifosi really make a difference here and you have the sense that you belong to a group of 100,000 people who are as hardcore passionate as you about F1 (and Ferrari). Temperature made it a little uncomfortable but the amazing food and cheap drinks (relative to Australia!) on offer makes it very bearable. The views are great, seeing cars screaming along at top speed and then braking into slow chicanes makes for great opportunities to take photos, as you see drivers getting it wrong a lot. A must!
Atmosphere: 10/10
Viewing: 7/10
Cost: 4/10

Sepang – 1 visit, 2008
Uncomfortable! It is so hot and humid it really is a battle against the elements. However, given how cheap the tickets were (I paid $150 AU for a 3 day grandstand pass in the final corner tower) and the view you get, you can’t get better value anywhere else. I could see the cars over the crest into turn 5 then through turns 6, 7, 8, 9 – they disappear over the crest then re-appear after turn 11 then out of sight. Then down the long back straight, around turn 15 and then blast down the front straight. I think it’s almost half the circuit you can watch a car drive around, fantastic!! Friday, was able to get into the media area of the Tower since there's no one at the circuit so could take great photos and videos. The place lacks atmosphere however which really puts a dampener on things. Food is good and everything cheap, would definitely go again!
Atmosphere: 2/10
Viewing: 10/10
Cost: 10/10

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 06 Oct 2011, 16:26

PLAYLIFE wrote:Monza – 1 visit, 2011
Incredible, the aura of the place is spine-tingling. Especially if you walk the old Alta Velocita banked circuit… it is surreal, especially if it’s not a Grand Prix weekend, the eeriness of a quiet race-track is alarming! But the atmosphere is second to none, the tifosi really make a difference here and you have the sense that you belong to a group of 100,000 people who are as hardcore passionate as you about F1 (and Ferrari). Temperature made it a little uncomfortable but the amazing food and cheap drinks (relative to Australia!) on offer makes it very bearable. The views are great, seeing cars screaming along at top speed and then braking into slow chicanes makes for great opportunities to take photos, as you see drivers getting it wrong a lot. A must!
Atmosphere: 10/10
Viewing: 7/10
Cost: 4/10

Wow! The second review of Monza based upon this year's GP! It was indeed hot but the passion and enthusiasm made up for it, as it also would have done in the downpour in 2008. And Australia must have been expensive - we paid (well, my dad paid) €14 for two roast pork rolls... And drinks' prices were typical of captive markets, ie. not cheap. But definitely worth a visit.

PLAYLIFE · Post by **PLAYLIFE** » 06 Oct 2011, 23:21

dr-baker wrote:Wow! The second review of Monza based upon this year's GP! It was indeed hot but the passion and enthusiasm made up for it, as it also would have done in the downpour in 2008. And Australia must have been expensive - we paid (well, my dad paid) €14 for two roast pork rolls... And drinks' prices were typical of captive markets, ie. not cheap. But definitely worth a visit.

The prices at Monza for me were cheap relatively speaking.
Going back 3 years ago, in Oz they were selling souvlakis for $18 AU each (€14)! Absolutely nuts. The ticket prices though are cheaper, for the best grandstand are $500 AU (~€360). I paid €350 for my grandstand at Monza at the first chicane, and it was partly obstructed by a photographers stand. The most expensive grandstand seat at Monza was from memory around €500-600.

So I guess the Aussie promoters make their money back on perishables rather than outright ticket prices.