Motorsport Spectators Survival Guide!

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tomhart9

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I'm sat here watching the British F1 first practice session, in the height of British "summer" peering through plumes of spray. I the realise I'm going to be at Brands Hatch in a week and two days for the Formula two and GT International Open :dopey:
If this weather keeps up I have no idea what I'd take!
So I'm taking this opportunity to ask what are your survival tips, not just in the wet, in general.

I'll start off with a few obvious and update them when I see fit:

  • Bring your own food: Everyone knows at any event, the food is always expensive, poor quality and often comes with massive lines! I suggest bringing your own picnic.
  • Sun protection: Self explanatory: Sun cream, hat, sun glasses
  • Chairs: Race days/weekends often come hand in hand with staying in the same place, if you can bring afold up chair and save your legs for the walking!
  • Pack light if you want to move around a lot.
  • Always be prepared, always take essentials with you, no matter what weather you're expecting.
  • Waterproof footwear, no one likes wet feet.
  • Bring your favorite camera! Don't forget about enjoying the race though...
  • Take advantage of what the venue has to offer: Paddock access, autograph signings etc
 
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A little tip I have is that if you are on grass and have enough room then bring a small £9.99 tent from tesco. Gives you shelter from the weather and they are so portable when folded up into its bag.

Always bring a flask of hot drinks, and your own food since it costs a fortune at race tracks. Me and my dads personal choice is to go to a supermarket the day before and buy tonnes of Onion Baji's and Samosa's.
 
Always have a rain poncho with you, along with your own food & water. Its also a good idea to take a picnic blanket with you, so you can sit on it, put your stuff down on it etc... :)
 
If at a rally event gumboots are a must, your pair of chucks will not suffice on wet grass and if you're going to fall aim for the area not covered in cow poop (true story though I missed the poo) sunblock is a must and keep hydrated
 
Yup. I second the gumboots/wellies thing. It's most unpleasant getting regular trainers soaked through in the first 15 minutes of being at a waterlogged race and then having to walk around in them for another eight hours or so. If the weather is looking really crap, bring gloves too. Once your hands get cold it's hard to warm them up again.

I'd generally try and pack as light as possible, but then I don't like to remain in one place when I go to races. Beyond my camera, I'll have the clothes on my back and some money, and that's about it. It's no fun lugging loads of stuff around with you all day. If you like to remain in the same place though, go nuts. Chair, tent, food etc, whatever you like.

I know it's expensive, but for the sake of a few days I prefer to buy stuff from burger vans than carry loads of food around with me. If you eat at off-peak times the queues aren't so bad anyway - it's obviously going to be a bit busy if you eat at the same time as everyone else.
 
On the sun protection front, I would say to bring twice as much sun screen as you think you need, and make sure you re-apply frequently. I'm pretty sensitive to this, as I burn easily. But I would also say 4 of the 5 worst sunburns of my life were at the race track. The combination of almost no cover whatsoever, sun beating off all of the hard surfaces, and being thoroughly engrossed in the action can let it sneak up on you. I've learned with age to take the "better safe than sorry" approach and it's been a number of years since I've had a bad burn. But it was a tough lesson to learn.

homeforsummer mentioned he likes to take photos. It seems like everyone has a camera in their phone these days, but bringing a camera and/or binoculars out to the event to capture the action and have a better/closer up view are always a good idea.

If you are driving out to the track, make sure the car has plenty of fuel in it, in case you get stuck in some long lines on the way out. And it's a good idea to leave some extra water and snacks in the car, for the same reason. Finally, it's not a bad idea to park further from the track so that you are closer to the exit on your way out, even if it means a longer walk in. And when you park, do your best to position your car for an easy exit. You don't want to get stuck way in the back corner of a lot, if you can help it. Sometimes you are left without a choice on this front, depending on how the traffic is being directed. But even something as simple as backing into the spot so you have good visibility and can pull out more easily is a good idea.

Last thing I would say is to bring cash, as you cannot count on ATM machines being at the track, and you can't count on concessions, souvenir stands, etc. accepting credit cards. Keep it in a safe place, of course, but it can really come in handy to keep things sped up and convenient for you.
 
If you're after good photographs, as well as looking for the shots noone else will think of, look for the TV cameras - they are where they are for a reason.

If you're going to a rally, take a compass and map of the area around the stages. And, of course, as with all rallies, always make sure there is something solid between you and the oncoming cars.
 
EDK
homeforsummer mentioned he likes to take photos. It seems like everyone has a camera in their phone these days, but bringing a camera and/or binoculars out to the event to capture the action and have a better/closer up view are always a good idea.
Click to expand...

Hmm, this is personal preferrence but I feel you need to do this with some restraint, after all half the reason you're at the track is to watch the cars on the track! Its all too easy to spend the entire day taking pictures and not watching any of the action!
Sometimes I intentionally leave my camera in the car so that I'm not constantly trying to get nice shots when I should be watching the action. The best time I've had at races is when I've just stood/sat and watched the cars for hours on end analying their lines and watching each driver handle their cars.

Of course for some people taking pictures all day is their idea of a great day out so it is personal preferrence. But something to consider anyway.

I think the only tip I can add to what has already been said is:

-If and where possible, always take full advantage of paddock access and have a good look and wander around. There is so much to see and hear in the paddock. I love that you can just wander around overhearing drivers conversations with engineers or even manage to actually chat to drivers or team personnel. My highlight of the year is wandering around the paddock when the BTCC arrives at Oulton Park. You can see things ranging from teams repairing cars (and dumping smashed bits of carbon fibre in a pile on the floor) to marshalls/drivers practicing an emergencey extracation.
 
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Agree about the camera part for a competitive race series that you follow. I'm also a big fan of historic races, like the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca that are run in conjunction with the Concours D'Elegance. At that race, pictures of cars you might see once in your life are a priority.

Also agree with your paddock comments. Up close on the car is like nothing else. I remember going to Indy races in Portland growing up, getting autographs from the likes of Penske, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan, and AJ Foyt.
 
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In the last week I've been at Watkins Glen for five days (First for Grand-Am and now for SCCA). In such a hot place, water is a must. I always pack my own water and keep a bottle with me wherever I go.

Another tip is to never outdo yourself too early. You don't want to wear yourself out on the days that lead up to the main event on Sunday as this will ruin your experience. I learned last week when I spent the first two days at the track running around snapping pictures and taking video. By Sunday, I was whipped, and didn't bother to do much of anything other than sit atop the main grandstand (Which was a bummer as it was a six hour race).
 
Thanks everyone! Some good tips :) Looks like it IS going to be showery on Sunday :scared: :lol: Hopefully I'll be able to get through it now! :sly:
 
If you're paranoid like me, you'll steer well clear of the food stands, especially ones with meat products, and you'll also develop a bladder and bowels of steel to minimalise one's use of the toilets. :D
 
• Go once, enjoy the atmosphere.
• Watch on TV from then on.
 
Based on your waterproof footwear:

1. Take a second pair of socks with you so you can change in case you get wet feet! I just came home from the DTM event at the Munich Olympic Stadium (btw: awsome!!!!!!!!). The tickets we had were not for seats covered by the roof, and we got soaked (not that we cared, but still).

2. Take a few of those disposable rain coats with you, you can get them at any drugstore for next to nothing. Saves you from having to get ripped off for the damn things at the venue (again, with hindsight... ;) )

Have fun!
 

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