The Barn closing
Discussion
Not really a big surprise, to be honest. All it will take is for the family of a Lawyer to get a bit of grit or muck flung into their eye by the Jet Car, and the liability claim will put the development budget back five years. All that 'motorsport is dangerous, entry at your own risk' guff on the back of the ticket wouldn't stand up if it was shown that the 'pod letting you stand there was a contributing factor to any incident. Its not as if the view from in there is particularly good anyway. And it looks terrible! Makes the place look like Steptoes yard everytime its photographed or seen on telly. I certainly won't mourn its passing.
One request, can it be a brick faced wall rather than one of those white concrete abominations they have at Avon Park?
In fact, why not take the opportunity to drop the control tower as well and build a proper brick control and media center at the rear of the collecting area? This might have been a better trade off with the planners? I know its all money, but the sport really needs to take that final leap forward, and there is now a real opportunity to completely change the startline area at the 'pod, and the visual image of the sport as a whole.
One request, can it be a brick faced wall rather than one of those white concrete abominations they have at Avon Park?
In fact, why not take the opportunity to drop the control tower as well and build a proper brick control and media center at the rear of the collecting area? This might have been a better trade off with the planners? I know its all money, but the sport really needs to take that final leap forward, and there is now a real opportunity to completely change the startline area at the 'pod, and the visual image of the sport as a whole.
Edited by Jon C on Wednesday 14th March 19:17
I do agree, it is an eyesore, but I remember many many years ago being one of the idiots who completely ignored all the warnings and stayed in there when the jet car came out, only the once mind you!
It has been a part of the Pod for so long, and occasionally I like to watch the faster cars launch from behind so that you can get a true picture of how straight they are running.
It has been a part of the Pod for so long, and occasionally I like to watch the faster cars launch from behind so that you can get a true picture of how straight they are running.
matt172 said:
shame they're taking that down, its like a part of the history of there 
also loved watching the people take no notice of the warnings when the jet car comes out
also loved watching the people take no notice of the warnings when the jet car comes out
I think that could be part of the problem there Matt! H&S don't like people not taking notice.
It is a shame, i have watched some of the best runs i have ever seen in that rusty old eyesore...
flying toilet said:
matt172 said:
shame they're taking that down, its like a part of the history of there
also loved watching the people take no notice of the warnings when the jet car comes out
also loved watching the people take no notice of the warnings when the jet car comes out
I think that could be part of the problem there Matt! H&S don't like people not taking notice.
It is a shame, i have watched some of the best runs i have ever seen in that rusty old eyesore...
indeed, I though it was one of the best places to watch from
matt172 said:
flying toilet said:
matt172 said:
shame they're taking that down, its like a part of the history of there
also loved watching the people take no notice of the warnings when the jet car comes out
also loved watching the people take no notice of the warnings when the jet car comes out
I think that could be part of the problem there Matt! H&S don't like people not taking notice.
It is a shame, i have watched some of the best runs i have ever seen in that rusty old eyesore...
indeed, I though it was one of the best places to watch from
and cheaper than the crappy grandstands!
to be honest I'm suprised it didn't happen earlier
watched some great racing from there but in todays world of health & safety and lawsuits it can't stay
what I would love to see is a stadium style wrap around startline encompassing the tower/signing on etc etc with two entraces for cars to drive in under, gladiator/collesium style
watched some great racing from there but in todays world of health & safety and lawsuits it can't stay
what I would love to see is a stadium style wrap around startline encompassing the tower/signing on etc etc with two entraces for cars to drive in under, gladiator/collesium style
I for one am glad they're getting rid of the barn, especially after reading about the 3k seater grandstand.
Grandstand seating on both sides of the track will be great once it's all sorted and who knows, perhaps the new control/press tower will emerge in a year or two. All we'll need then is some video screens for instant replays
Grandstand seating on both sides of the track will be great once it's all sorted and who knows, perhaps the new control/press tower will emerge in a year or two. All we'll need then is some video screens for instant replays
quarterpounder said:
I for one am glad they're getting rid of the barn, especially after reading about the 3k seater grandstand.
Grandstand seating on both sides of the track will be great once it's all sorted and who knows,
Grandstand seating on both sides of the track will be great once it's all sorted and who knows,
lf Santa Pod builds a new road from the pits onto the road before Podington, the Parish Council will give The Pod the planning permission it needs to build grandstands on both sides of the track.
[blackpianoplayermode].....as time goes by......[/blackpianoplayermode]
Yes, mixed emotions from me, too.
But then again, "time marches on", and it really was very old-style.
"Bedford Council Health & safety told us that no-one can stand behind a car
which is ready to launch" , hmmmmmmm
(So what exactly were the racing fans doing there for 35(?) years ?)
Why does it seem to me that there was a word missing in this sentence,
the word starting with j and ending with t ?
OK, the comments from the speakers when these engines were started in the last years
almost sounded as if they were coming from the H&S Dept.,
but for obvious reasons already mentioned here.
I think it was more dangerous for the folks in the first row when the fuel engines
on 2 or 4 wheels were started in very short distance from them,
more dangerous than debris coming/flying from the burnout area me thinks.
As for an new control tower with lanes coming through,
the maltese startline area looks great and must have been not THAT expensive,
just containers stacked & welded together and cleverly disguised (word?).
Oh well, as times go by, anything that keeps the Pod in action is alright with me.
At least I have my memories & pix, when I came there first in ´90 or so,
there was this turnstile to enter the "Budweiser" grandstand,
in cast iron and even though it must have had 50 layers of paint on it,
still looked like ripped off a victorian age train station..................
Cheers (till May),
Benni
Oh yeah, the Main Event 07 will go down as the "last appearance of chicken man"...
Yes, mixed emotions from me, too.
But then again, "time marches on", and it really was very old-style.
"Bedford Council Health & safety told us that no-one can stand behind a car
which is ready to launch" , hmmmmmmm
(So what exactly were the racing fans doing there for 35(?) years ?)
Why does it seem to me that there was a word missing in this sentence,
the word starting with j and ending with t ?
OK, the comments from the speakers when these engines were started in the last years
almost sounded as if they were coming from the H&S Dept.,
but for obvious reasons already mentioned here.
I think it was more dangerous for the folks in the first row when the fuel engines
on 2 or 4 wheels were started in very short distance from them,
more dangerous than debris coming/flying from the burnout area me thinks.
As for an new control tower with lanes coming through,
the maltese startline area looks great and must have been not THAT expensive,
just containers stacked & welded together and cleverly disguised (word?).
Oh well, as times go by, anything that keeps the Pod in action is alright with me.
At least I have my memories & pix, when I came there first in ´90 or so,
there was this turnstile to enter the "Budweiser" grandstand,
in cast iron and even though it must have had 50 layers of paint on it,
still looked like ripped off a victorian age train station..................
Cheers (till May),
Benni
Oh yeah, the Main Event 07 will go down as the "last appearance of chicken man"...
nitromaniac said:
lf Santa Pod builds a new road from the pits onto the road before Podington, the Parish Council will give The Pod the planning permission it needs to build grandstands on both sides of the track.
I guess they have their reasons but have the council expanded on why this would need to be done ? It also seems odd that the pod announced that the 1000 seater currently erected would be moved across to the banking side later this year
Benni said:
Oh yeah, the Main Event 07 will go down as the "last appearance of chicken man"...
Thin end of the wedge is my view.Dont want to be mr negative, but honestly, in this current culture we live in, how long do you really believe cars can race with open exhausts ?
Bruntingthorpe has just fallen to the nimby brigade, world famous Monza is under the same attack.........
I *really* dont mean to sound negative, but I do fear for the future of our sport as we know and love it.
The fact that the pod even has to abide by planning is bizarre in my view.Who can see the stands from their bedroom ?
IF there is ever a motorsport (in Europe) that is going to be sacrificed
for "environmental" reasons, guess wich one it will be ?
So do it, and view it, as much as you can,
you might be witnessing the final years of
"combustion-engined, nitro-guzzling, fire breathing, bone-shaking quartermile madness".
The lack of REAL BIG sponsors and TV coverage
that makes the sport (and the community in the pits) so sympathic and friendly,
could be the governMENTAL knife in the back in the not too far future.
In Germany even more than in the UK, I am afraid.
Cheers,
Benni
for "environmental" reasons, guess wich one it will be ?
So do it, and view it, as much as you can,
you might be witnessing the final years of
"combustion-engined, nitro-guzzling, fire breathing, bone-shaking quartermile madness".
The lack of REAL BIG sponsors and TV coverage
that makes the sport (and the community in the pits) so sympathic and friendly,
could be the governMENTAL knife in the back in the not too far future.
In Germany even more than in the UK, I am afraid.
Cheers,
Benni
maybe the real reason for closing the barn is:
people cannot see the bald patch on back of Pricey´s head getting larger then
people cannot see the bald patch on back of Pricey´s head getting larger then
quarterpounder said:
nitromaniac said:
lf Santa Pod builds a new road from the pits onto the road before Podington, the Parish Council will give The Pod the planning permission it needs to build grandstands on both sides of the track.
I guess they have their reasons but have the council expanded on why this would need to be done ? It also seems odd that the pod announced that the 1000 seater currently erected would be moved across to the banking side later this year
lt would releive the traffic jams on the current road and allow the big transporters an easier way in and out of the pits. Although building this new road would be very expensive.
I can’t say that I’ll mourn the passing of the Barn as I reckon that it physically looks like it was thrown up by a monkey overnight and if I farted at it too hard it would fall over.
Also it’s an eyesore and causes massive congestion to the human traffic moving from one side of the strip to the other – something that (IMHO) the Pod have failed to satisfactorily address for a number of years, despite the excellent improvements made elsewhere
Having said that, it pisses me off that these do-gooders from the Local Council seem to think they have the right to dictate to the general public (aka “the electorate”
what is good for us and that as a result of this decision the hundreds of people that have chosen to watch from there are now being denied the opportunity to decide for themselves if it is safe to do.
However, given the events at last year’s Eurofinal’s when the guy was struck by something that allegedly detached itself from a racecar, then it’s hardly surprising if the HSE and Local Council’s safety guys have got the whole place under the microscope.
Also it’s an eyesore and causes massive congestion to the human traffic moving from one side of the strip to the other – something that (IMHO) the Pod have failed to satisfactorily address for a number of years, despite the excellent improvements made elsewhere
Having said that, it pisses me off that these do-gooders from the Local Council seem to think they have the right to dictate to the general public (aka “the electorate”
what is good for us and that as a result of this decision the hundreds of people that have chosen to watch from there are now being denied the opportunity to decide for themselves if it is safe to do. However, given the events at last year’s Eurofinal’s when the guy was struck by something that allegedly detached itself from a racecar, then it’s hardly surprising if the HSE and Local Council’s safety guys have got the whole place under the microscope.
Edited by Bowler on Thursday 15th March 11:16
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