What do people out there think to Octagon motorsports increasing the prices of the Fomula 1 Grand Prix to £1200 for a family of four (2 adults and 2 kids). I appreciate Octagon Motorsports gave plenty of notice and sold tickets at this years prices until 15/11/01. They state they want to reduce attendances in order for the roads around Silverstone to cope. I appreciate they are building new roads and investing heavily into Silverstone. The new roads being opened next year but not in time for next years event.
However when have prices ever gone down they seem to increase year on year so will the £1200 they are quoting now continue into the future. I saw something on watchdog which advised that other countrie were paying under £100 for their tickets with capacities upto 100,000 why is it everything in the UK is over priced!
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They will charge whatever people will pay. I would love to see a Grand Prix but a those prices I fear I never will. I will console myself with the odd Touring Cars event.
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Again, another Great British rip off.
I luckily won a ticket to the (?)1997 GP and although the noise/smell and closeness to it all was nice, you just didn't know what was going on over at the other side of the track where you could see that plume of smoke...
I for one, certainally would not rush back.
Far better IMHO to spend a fraction of the cash on a track day pass at Castle Coombe and thrash your motor around. Far more grins per mile!! (Just don't take a company car and have an 'off' - as I did!)
As for £1200 for 4 to goto the British GP? Crazy.
David
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Sounds fun, how much does the track day pass at Castle Coombe cost David?
Cheers!
Dan
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I am a member of a local car club, most of the members don't want to trash their cars around a track so myself and a few select friends have their passes. It is a Cars and Car Conversions Track day it is held sometime in July/August IRRC.
David
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David Lacey wrote:
>
> I am a member of a local car club, most of the members don't
> want to trash their cars around a track so myself and a few
> select friends have their passes.
Yeah. The Opal Manta club do a similar thing. Turn up at CC in any car and have 5 laps for 25 quid.
If watching is your bag most club races at most circuits can be seen for a tenner for approx 10 races. Much better value that British GP.
And no traffic. F1 is a joke.
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I went to the disastrous 'stuck in the mud' 1999 Grand Prix obtained some complementary tickets from someone, anyway the highlight for me was seeing a 4x4 Disco stuck up to is axels in mud!
Yes I would agree the driving experience around track is far more worth the money, but as Octagon motorsports own the majority of the circuits in the UK isn't that telling you something. A business associate of mine hired Donnington out last Friday to the cost of £4000, yes what a great experience I got to drive a number of prestige motors including an Aston Martin 1962 DB4, the latest Porsche GT3 but failed to control my own M3 which I lost control of in the Cranner Curves!
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Ooops that should have been IIRC.
Chasing a BMW M5 around in a SEAT Cordoba was great fun. The 1991 M5 was just too big for the track. He just couldn't get rid of me. When I saw an opening, I went for it (Red mist!) and ended up spinning off towards the armco after entering a corner too quickly in 3rd gear, when I should have been in 2nd. I have never been so scared!
As long as everybody abides by the track rules, then track driving is great fun.
Would make an excellent present for a car nut.
It does also go to show (when spectating) that it it is 90% driver skill that makes a quick lap and NOT a quick car.
David
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David Lacey wrote:
> It does also go to show (when spectating) that it it is 90%
> driver skill that makes a quick lap and NOT a quick car.
Christ yeah! I watched Italian Supercars on the same bill as XR2's. An XR2 can easily stay with a 355 on the track!
Makes vehicle statistic's in the back of Mag's a bit pointless...
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Sounds fantastic fun - know what I'll be hinting at for the TAS to get me for next birthday!
Better get some decent tyres on the Cavalier, then again, that could increase the fun perhaps?!
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Always best to get a set of new tyres before going out on track!
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Dan
Yes - there was a guy there in a Cavalier last time - damn he was entertaining to watch! Coming round onto the start/finish straight at 80mph+ he would be completely sideways/tyres smoking/squealing etc
A delight to watch!
You just kept wondering when he was going to overcook it - but he never did!
Be prepared for your nearside tyres to be completely sha**ed after two sessions though! (Most of the corners are right-handers)
Suggest you take a spare set if you want to get home legally.
Also Castle Coombe has a great canteen/restaurant. Sausage Beans and chips with a cup of tea is my fave. Excellent service and reasonable prices.
Just remember to eat AFTER your track runs otherwise you may regret it. Keeping your car on-track may become secondary to keeping your brekkie in your tum!
(Forgot to mention - you can also take a passenger around on the CCC track days. Makes some great in-car action with a video camera! No helmets required (but advisable, I guess..) but all bare skin must be covered. Take a jacket.)
David
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>there was a guy there in a Cavalier last time - damn he was entertaining to watch! Coming round onto the start/finish straight at 80mph+ he would be completely sideways/tyres smoking/squealing etc
Sounds not far off how my car handles normally - think I'll have fun though might save buying the new tyres for AFTER I've had a go at it. Can't see my dad lending me his V8 kit car for the day for it (hint to father if you're reading this!) unfortunately...
>Just remember to eat AFTER your track runs otherwise you may regret it. Keeping your car on-track may become secondary to keeping your brekkie in your tum!
Comments noted and taken on board - very sensible :-)
>(Forgot to mention - you can also take a passenger around on the CCC track days...but all bare skin must be covered.
Hmm - not entirely sure my other half would enjoy that particular jaunt in the car, and as for bare skin.....
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I took a party to Silverstone last year, the year of the mud. It was chaotic, traffic control was poor to non-existent, the whole circuit was filthy, the gents were a disgrace. When we did get to walk on the track, we were herded around and sneered at by the crowd control bods as though we were criminals instead of paying customers. It was a shambles and I kick myself for shelling out the cash to go.
The race was a brilliant experience, relished by all. McLarens were on excellent form.
To add insult to injury, there followed a stream of letters from the organisers saying that they had never seen rain on this scale before and it was a one-off and couldn't be planned for. Well, tough, it had been raining for weeks before, what did they expect?
I'll never go to Silverstone again, I'll stick to a few visits to Croft which is 20 mins down the road, and anywhere else that takes my fancy.
As for £1200? Stuff that for a game of sojers.
Phew! That's better now ...
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The year of the mud, this was before Octagon motorsports managed Silverstone. It was only taken over last year when Brands Hatch were refused planning permission to extend its own track!
So not the fault of Octagon.
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OK thanks for the info, but I'm afraid mud sticks ....
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For £1200 you could fly a family to America and see the Daytona 500 or Indy 500.
You will find experience far more entertaining , you can talk to the drivers ,walk around the pit lane and during the race see just about the whole circuit from your seat.
If you want to see F1 cars go to a test day , entrance is free.
I would like to do some track days next year (thinking about a MK1 MR2) any suggestions for a novice ?
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Steve - there will be many MR2's at CC at the track days. Make sure you reserve a copy and gen up on things beforehand.
It is very addictive though.....
David
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£1200 would buy you about 50 family tickets at somewhere like Arena Essex for the Hot-Rod racing. I know it's not quite the same as F1 but quite often it's much more fun plus you can see the whole track, the cars are evenly matched and the racing is good. Quite an experience seeing 32 Sierras tearing around a 400m track!!! And the kids enjoy chatting to the drivers who wander around and have a hot-dog and coffee in the crowd when they're not racing. Just good cheap fun!
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Gary,
I strongly suspect that spectators at the event are now so secondary to the global exposure / TV rights income that it will not be too long befor major events are held with an invited audience only (who will probably still have to pay, of course !!). Very sad, but even back inthe '80s when I was lucky enough to be working in a series that was a regular support race to the British GP, so we had our race on Saturday and had all necessary centre tickets, we still came home to wath the GP on the box because one saw so much more.
Regards, Adam
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They are charging that kind of money to save us locals from the traffic??
PLEEEEESE
Simon Butterworth
Bugbrooke
Northants
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Apologies if anyone has already mentioned this but try going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It cost £27 to get in this year and you get a brilliant day out. I am sure you get much closer to the cars than any F1 meeting.
Cheers from Jase
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