Silverstone Moto Gp .....

[Rusty]

It has been a few years since I have attended any kind of racing meet / weekend trip so this summer a few of us from work booked a days Annual Leave, spent £80 on a "Roaming" ticket .. which wasn't quite as "roaming" as perhaps the name suggests and made plans for Silverstone Moto Gp .... we were not disappointed at any time !

Once the

was out of the garage and ready to go I set off from a rather dark south coast at 0600 hrs on way to a friends house just off J13 M1.... sorry Geoff but it had to be motorway the whole way to get there on time ... clearly an uneventful ride ( no .. the Gs didn't break down, leak diesel or just stop ! ) but you could tell as the sun came up it was going to be a great day !

Bacon sarnies in fresh bread with oodles of brown sauce went down well with a mug of PG Tips before all said assembled chaps ( sorry, no chappesses ) made off for the relatively short ride to the circuit.

Upon our arrival it was clear to see that perhaps we were not the 1st to arrive and indeed there were others who also thought it would be a good day out .....

Nice to see that amongst the usual suspects we had a couple of offspring who were really keen not only to ride pillion but to have a great day out and see for themselves what biking is all about !
Although as you can see Mitch, on the left is still a juvenile ... he's only 16 but 6,4" and busting to get his hands on a bike licence !



So the day went well but £80 for a ticket that you think is going to get you around most of the stands was not to be ... you can "roam" from stand to stand and areas but we went to a couple and thought " Oohh, we'll go and sit over there" .. only to be told by a steward that those seats are paid for or reserved and you can't go and sit there .... but they were in the stands that WE had paid for ! Didn't quite sit right really .. so someone has paid for a ticket to go anywhere but you can't because someone else has paid MORE money to sit in the seats that you have already paid for ! Does that make sense ?

Oh never mind ... no real dramas ...


...........
As you can see it was busy and the sun was shining ... what more did we want ?
The grub was good although as always a little overpriced, with plenty of variety and lots of potential shopping to be done there was something for everyone.




Oh ... the racing ? Nearly forgot ! Just utterly amazing !!    The noise, the fumes, the speed the lean angles, the bikes ... all of it was simply incredible ... Massive screens up and running so you didn't miss any of it, decent commentry and young guys of only what ? 20 years old ? .. making it look so easy !



And when it was all over there was a sort of Red Arrows display team ... which were pretty good I have to say ( in my zero experience as a pilot !!! )



So a good day out really !  240 miles door to door but a little slower on the way home as the whole world had taken to the M1/M25 ... but of course on 2 wheels, whoever makes them, it was a piece of piss. 

[Lonewolf]

WTF is that first photo?  A bloody BMW on the Kawasaki forum, your like a Winston Mk2!


I would like to visit something like that one day, I've never been to any sort of race track that I can remember. I recognise Mickey, why does the guy on the right look so angry. 






Good photos, no scantily dressed young ladies, most unlike you and the gang.

[Winston Smith]

Cheeky boy Mr Wolf!

I did prefer Donington for the MotoGP tbh as it sits in a natural bowl and a 'roaming' ticket did access the whole circuit.

Didn't go this year but it is a spectacle, and like you say, the noise and the smells.....Oh sorry you didn't camp the night

[O.C.]

Cheeky boy Mr Wolf!

I did prefer Donington for the MotoGP tbh as it sits in a natural bowl and a 'roaming' ticket did access the whole circuit.

Didn't go this year but it is a spectacle, and like you say, the noise and the smells.....Oh sorry you didn't camp the night

+1 Donny was/is a better spectator circuit for my money too. I love Oulton, and adore Cadwell 

Gill and I went to Silverston MotoGP in 2011 the weather was appaling (no fault of the circuit) .... we couldn't see who was who due to the fact that we were sat too far away from the action.

And we had to queue for over an hour to get out of the hole.....jusy like I did in 1980   

[Martin#30]

My 12 year old son and I also went for the weekend, and you summed it up very well indeed Rusty. Great experience, great racing, but the organisers are starting to exhibit almost Bernie levels of mercenary tendency so the costs, and the over-selling of the grandstands leave a slightly bitter taste.

Going up on the bike is still a wonderful start to any MotoGP weekend, the weather was kind, and my son enjoyed his first long pillion ride. He tells me he particularly enjoyed the lean angles and the filtering past Lambos/Ferraris etc in the Sunday morning traffic chaos. Another lifelong biker in the making I feel.

Last time I went to MotoGP in the UK was 1998, so I can now proudly state that every time I go to the GP in england, Scott Redding wins  I think he needs to sponsor me to come each year ......

Cannot think how, but I also seem to have ended up with a few photos of the Hertz girls manning (womaning?) the grid at the start of each race. I have decided I lurve yellow Lycra 

Martin.

[winnsworld]

My partner, Elaine, and I also went for the weekend (well Sat and Sun) at a cost of £110 per ticket for reserved seats in Woodcote A, which also includes roving grandstands. However, as has been said, okay to stroll about and try various seats on the Saturday but not a chance on the Sunday.

Luckily, our seats gave us a great view of the overtaking at the end of the Hertz straight and subsequent bends!

Obviously went on the bike. Why would anyone want to go in a car and sit in all that traffic?

Observed a few other GTR's but didn't get to speak to any of their owners.

I've only ever been to Silverstone and typically Brands Hatch (cos I live closer to the latter) but will definitely make an effort next year to visit some of the other circuits you guys have mentioned. For BSB I expect.

[Kwikasfuki]

Cannot think how, but I also seem to have ended up with a few photos of the Hertz girls manning (womaning?) the grid at the start of each race. I have decided I lurve yellow Lycra 

Martin.

We need pics 

[Charlie747]

 

We need pics 

[Winston Smith]

 

[Martin#30]

We need pics 

OK, as you all asked so nicely 

My pictures are nothing compared to those that the professionals captured on the day, so I shall just link a couple of those so you can see why I suddenly think Hertz may be my preferred rental car supplier .....





Martin.

[Rossendale Rider]

Number 3 please Cilla 

[stoketim]

number 3 please Cilla 
then 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10,10,11,12 not 13 that would be unlucky 

[Kwikasfuki]

I wouldn't blame you if you missed the entire GP.

[O.C.]

What sort of bikes are they then   

[Boomer]

What sort of bikes are they then   

Ones you would ride and ride if you could only afford them.