Silverstone - you've got it so right....

Silverstone - you've got it so right....

Author
Discussion

pewe

Original Poster:

648 posts

218 months

Monday 2nd May 2016
quotequote all
Big respect to the Silverstone management for yesterday's (Sunday 1st May) two race meets.

Bikes on the International Circuit and Classic Cars on the National.
Entry was £10 adults and kids free which covered access to both events - only trouble was deciding which to go to and how much time to spend at each....

Also the staff, despite it being a typically cold Northamptonshire day, were friendly and helpful - more that can be said for our visit to a certain West Sussex venue late last year - but I digress.

So keep it up Silverstone you've just become our favourite venue and I'd encourage others to look at this and future events.

There are two slight criticisms - 1)commentary on the International Circuit was patchy given there was only one commentary point. This meant some of the action was missed.
2)Spectator viewing was in some ways restricted due to closed off areas.
I appreciate wider access requires more staff but worth consideration?

BTW the cross-country drive there and back from Reading was "interesting".
Cheers, Pewe.

Edited by pewe on Monday 2nd May 12:39

coppice

8,564 posts

143 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
The staff and infrastructure are excellent, I agree , but as a place to watch racing it is dire. I first went there in 1971 and it wasn't great then but the key difference was that you were reasonably close to the track - so watching F1 cars through Copse and Club (and Woodcote pre chicane ) was mesmerising. But I find the only place really to enjoy watching now is Village and Luffield where at least you don't need binoculars to identify the driver.

If you haven't been to Cadwell please do so - you'll thank me for it ! Nowhere I have been gets you closer to the action , the location is heavenly and the staff polite and helpful - I am mot paid to say this by MSV but I do remember how scruffy Cadwell (and Oulton ) had become before Dr Palmer arrived.

Janesy B

2,625 posts

185 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
Silverstone is really dull to watch racing and always seems to be the coldest place in the country at any given time.

I like Brands Hatch, but it gets to full of council estate dwellers at BTCC events - apart from that it's well organised and the food is half decent and not too expensive. I think Snetterton is my favourite track to spectate at, plenty of good viewing areas and on small/club events you can park right inside the track.

motco

15,919 posts

245 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
Janesy B said:
Silverstone is really dull to watch racing and always seems to be the coldest place in the country at any given time.

I like Brands Hatch, but it gets to full of council estate dwellers at BTCC events - apart from that it's well organised and the food is half decent and not too expensive. I think Snetterton is my favourite track to spectate at, plenty of good viewing areas and on small/club events you can park right inside the track.
I like Brands too but for the journey there from the Thames Valley. Castle Combe is a nice venue for club racing and easy (for me ) to get to and from.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
Silverstone make the best of what they have but it is, in my opinion, probably the worst place to watch racing in the country. Utterly devoid of character, it's an imposing and soulless place to walk around (takes forever to get anywhere), not helped by massive inconsistency in where spectators can go from event to event. It's built for F1, basically.

If I want to watch club level racing (I normally do) somewhere like Castle Combe is head and shoulders above Silverstone (and it's a easy drive from Reading). You're never more than a few feet from the track and can walk the entire perimeter in full view of the track pretty quickly, crowds are always big and it's super friendly and open with no access restrictions.


brabhambt52b

5 posts

101 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
Janesy B said:
Silverstone is really dull to watch racing and always seems to be the coldest place in the country at any given time.

I like Brands Hatch, but it gets to full of council estate dwellers at BTCC events - apart from that it's well organised and the food is half decent and not too expensive. I think Snetterton is my favourite track to spectate at, plenty of good viewing areas and on small/club events you can park right inside the track.
wow didn't know this blog was anti council estate dwellers, where does that come from? what does it matter where someone lives at btcc events? Should they be like F1 and price out people then?

Janesy B

2,625 posts

185 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
brabhambt52b said:
wow didn't know this blog was anti council estate dwellers, where does that come from? what does it matter where someone lives at btcc events? Should they be like F1 and price out people then?
The type that drink Coors light at 8 in the morning and drive cars with 'dirty diesel' stickers, that's the type I mean wink

TommoAE86

2,659 posts

126 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
Silverstone make the best of what they have but it is, in my opinion, probably the worst place to watch racing in the country. Utterly devoid of character, it's an imposing and soulless place to walk around (takes forever to get anywhere), not helped by massive inconsistency in where spectators can go from event to event. It's built for F1, basically.

If I want to watch club level racing (I normally do) somewhere like Castle Combe is head and shoulders above Silverstone (and it's a easy drive from Reading). You're never more than a few feet from the track and can walk the entire perimeter in full view of the track pretty quickly, crowds are always big and it's super friendly and open with no access restrictions.
Completely agree with that. I returned from Japfest last week and can confirm the above 100%. Last year Japfest was at Combe and I loved every minute there and everyone seems pleased to go.

motco

15,919 posts

245 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
Janesy B said:
brabhambt52b said:
wow didn't know this blog was anti council estate dwellers, where does that come from? what does it matter where someone lives at btcc events? Should they be like F1 and price out people then?
The type that drink Coors light at 8 in the morning and drive cars with 'dirty diesel' stickers, that's the type I mean wink
If you ever went to any of the Renault World Series free race days at Donington or Silverstone you would see what he means I think. You could sit in the stands (free of charge) and watch whole families eat sufficient junk food to sink the Bismark and then 'Dad' would go off and come back with plastic pints of beer. All this would be before the lunch break! I have no idea where they lived but they certainly weren't on the bread line.

coppice

8,564 posts

143 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
Echo BTCC comments ; never see this lot at Croft except for BTCC events. Effing and blinding at max volume , always beer o'clock , olympic level belching and generally obnoxious.

That's just the drivers of course- don't get me started on the crowd.....

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2016
quotequote all
TommoAE86 said:
Completely agree with that. I returned from Japfest last week and can confirm the above 100%. Last year Japfest was at Combe and I loved every minute there and everyone seems pleased to go.
I wondered how Japfest went, clearly got too big for Combe but I imagined much of the atmosphere could have been lost going to Silverstone.

pewe

Original Poster:

648 posts

218 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
quotequote all
Whilst I accept most comments the point I was trying to make was that for £10 a head to see two different forms of motorsport is outstanding.
Agreed the spectator experience isn't fantastic but the days they took away the straw bales and baling twine to keep spectators off the track (Charterhall 1950's) and stopped you taking in scaffolding to erect your own grandstand (Silverstone 1960's) we spectators have been pushed further and further back - so much for the dictates of elf and safety....
If you want to get really close to the action try Doune Hillclimb where the car are almost passing along under your feet..
Cheers, Pewe.

RichB

51,434 posts

283 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
quotequote all
Silverstone is indeed a dreadful place to watch motor racing. It's always cold and has far too much wire fencing segregating the spectating areas plus as has been said, one is 50 yards or more away from the cars! Your barbed comment about Goodwood is unfounded. Yes it's expensive but for a £50-£75 for a general entry ticket but you get to see world class historic racing on a track where you can still stand at a wooden fence (with straw bales) only feet away from the action. By and large you can get up close to the cars in the paddock and personally, I have always found the team of staff who man Goodwood events nothing but polite and helpful. For basic club racing I am a fan of Brands Hatch and I love my weekends at Goodwood.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
quotequote all
Yep plenty of circuits where you can still get very close to the action.

Most of the hillclimb venues have superb access, Goodwood FoS is nothing more than a few straw bails and a bit of rope a few feet back from the tarmac.

This is the biggest run-off area at Castle Combe, therefore the furthest point back for spectators (and the fisheye exaggerates the distance):

Castle Combe Circuit - Rallyday 2011 by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

Janesy B

2,625 posts

185 months

Wednesday 4th May 2016
quotequote all
I like the look of Castle Coombe, just nothing in the calendar to tempt me to make the 2hr drive.

TommoAE86

2,659 posts

126 months

Thursday 5th May 2016
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
I wondered how Japfest went, clearly got too big for Combe but I imagined much of the atmosphere could have been lost going to Silverstone.
Nail. Head. In terms of what was on show it was fantastic with hundreds more cars, but it seemed poorly arranged and there was no atmosphere. Our stand was up on top of a tarmac bit and there was a huge bit of grass just down from it where we could put our cars. Instead we had to juggle our cars into the tiny pitch! frown

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Thursday 5th May 2016
quotequote all
Janesy B said:
I like the look of Castle Coombe, just nothing in the calendar to tempt me to make the 2hr drive.
Autumn Classic: https://castlecombecircuit.co.uk/race-days/autumn-...
Rallyday is also a fantastic event, busy though: http://www.rallyday.com/

motco

15,919 posts

245 months

Thursday 5th May 2016
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
Janesy B said:
I like the look of Castle Coombe, just nothing in the calendar to tempt me to make the 2hr drive.
Autumn Classic: https://castlecombecircuit.co.uk/race-days/autumn-...
Rallyday is also a fantastic event, busy though: http://www.rallyday.com/
I'll second the Autumn Classic. I went last year and it was a fabulous day's racing.

MyVTECGoesBwaaah

820 posts

141 months

Thursday 5th May 2016
quotequote all
*Cough* Cadwell Park *Cough*


Seriously though, hall bends is very close to the action. wink

coppice

8,564 posts

143 months

Friday 6th May 2016
quotequote all
Indeed- see post #2. In fact there isn't really anywhere at Cadwell where you don't get shockingly close. Including , ..ahem..Coppice where you stand on a bank 5 m from a bend which a quick Clubman's car will take above 120mph .