Race watching at the track vs on the tube.

[tevake]

I decided to drive the SC down to Phoenix last weekend to check out the Indy cars racing At P I R. I went early to hang with some PCA folks in the Porsche corral before the race.
I enjoyed the company and prerace excitement while in the parking area.
My SC was the only aircooled model to show up, pretty sure from the longest distance away too.
Then went into the bleachers a little early to take in the track and scene.
PRI is an interesting track, 1.5 mile tri oval with modest banking all around except the front straight.
Our seating area was just after the starters stand on the front straight.
All of the preliminaries went well, the Indy series is clearly well organized and presented.
Tho I haven't really followed Indy car closely for some time, I was excited to get to see the race person.

Then they started the cars in the pits right across from where we were sitting, and boy were they loud. The warmup laps unwound and then the start came, and with it the overwhelming noise. Gone were the ability to hear anything of the commentators or to communicate with anyone next to you at less than a loud yell.
The pace was very fast and soon the leaders were overtaking the back markers and from that point it was very hard to follow what was happening in the race. No commentary could be heard to explain the action on track. Even reading the lighted numbers on the cars as they blasted past was difficult in the blur of speed.

During yellow flag periods a bit of the commentary could be heard, but it was hard to get cought up on the developments of the race.

Finally at about the half way point of the race I gave up in frustration and left with ringing ears and and little idea of what was happening in the race.
After leaving I called my Sis in Chino Valley and asked her to record the rest of the race for me.

The next day I dropped in at my Sister's place and watched the rest of the race.
Wow, what a total different experence, with the mix of cameras, clear commentary and manageable sound levels, I could follow the action and understand the developments of the race. Plus get the back story that so adds to the interest of it all.
I even learned some of the earlier highlights of the first part of the race in a recap. These I had missed while watching closely there in person.

I'll admit there were some strong impressions from being there that were not to be had from a broadcast but over all I much more enjoy the experence of viewing from a distance.

I have had a few other at the track experiences that I have enjoyed a bit more.
Especially vintage racing events.

How about others here, any good or other at the track experiences to share?

Cheers Richard

[Tervuren]

For races like that, ear protection is a must.

Some form of web device with a timing page also helps a lot, or, focus on following a few "hero cars" that are the ones you really keep track of.

The amount of visual info a track's score board and present can make a big difference to. Darlington in South Carolina has a set of lights to display the numbers of the top 10. Charlotte has a much much more on display, making it easier to follow.

I personally, prefer to attend qualifying sessions, less crowd.(Not a problem with an Indy race though!)

Being there, lets me pick what I want to see, on TV, you see a replay of a pass happening(if that). You rarely see the work done to set that up.

The way series use degredading tires, it is far more boring to watch these days as drivers are running at 80%.

[LeeH]

There is something to be said for good TV coverage... multiple track positions, in car and helicopter mounted cameras.

I've seen a lot races at Road Atlanta. The sights and sounds are an awesome experience, but you can only ever see one tiny section of the track from any vantage point.

[Bill Douglas]

I don't watch at the track often, so when I do I really enjoy it. I kind of like being in the company of very obsessed car people, and seeing what they are doing with their cars.

[Arizona_928]

I use to have friends that would rent out one of the spots right on the edge of turn 3 at PIR when nascar went through. Was cool seeing the cars maybe 6-7 ft away, and to get hit with flying rubber. Very loud.. One could only enjoy the cars on yellows as that's when they slowed down enough to see...

[A930Rocket]

When I lived in Charlotte NC, I used to go to the track to watch various races. Ear protection and a radio with ear buds was a must. With the radio, you could hear what was going on in real time.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

I've had quite a few good, bad track experiences but as spectator its so much easier to keep track of who is where from the comfort of your sofa but until they invent wall mounted 3D smello-vision then TV is not as good

A few memorable good track experiences are watching a Monaco F1 race from the pitwall, TV comes nowhere close to showing the speed, grid walk about at a few F1 races again the TV doesn't show the tension build up before the lights change, seeing a car I helped design win the Le Mans 24hrs again TV isn't as good at making you feel emotion.

My bad track experiences seeing on a big screen a driver have a huge crash thinking he was dead and the cause was because a part I'd designed failed. At Imola having a crowd of over enthusiastic Italian fans surge towards the garage and protecting the car from being stripped by using fire extinguishers and the odd fist swing. I had to hit the door button, 50/50 chance of letting in everyone or closing the doors. Got the right button by luck and when they shut it was like being in a zombie movie with the banging on the door and people peering in through the windows. Seeing a driver fall out of the cockpit of a F1 inshore race boat in Italy when it was 50ft in the air doing its 2nd 360 flip thinking he is dead, I'm responsible for boat safety and I'm going to jail for the rest of my life as the law in Italy does not believe in accidents. Again I've never $hit my pants watching TV

As for good at track experiences as a spectator a top fuel drag race, Group B rally cars, Le Mans classic, Goodwood Festival of Speed all need to be seen for real.

Bad TV experience, watching a world championship disappear live a few corners from the end of the last lap of the last race, that put me in a bad mood for a few days. Not TV bit CCTV seeing a rear wing I'd designed come off at high speed almost destroying the car. Not so good TV experiences, I forced myself to watch the last Formula E race, more boring than a boring thing, no over taking no noise and no smell so at the track it must be even worse.

Good TV experiences are a lower resting heart rate while watching the action and not having to travel and get stuck in traffic to watch a race

I was captivated by the last America's Cup and a big Isle of Man TT, Pikes Peak, Bonneville Speed Week fan so these are on my bucket list to see live as the spectacle of speed for real must be mind blowing

For me the track is a must, was trying to sum it up with the picture of the blind guy, holding onto a catch fence with a couple of race cars in the back ground but couldn't find it.

[onewhippedpuppy]

The cool thing about being at the track is sensory overload. You don't get that on tv. I greatly prefer watching racing in person. I also am not a huge driver fan, so I typically don't care who wins. Except for sport car racing, where I just root for the Porsches.

[KFC911]

Live verses TV for sporting events/races....enjoy both, but they are totally different experiences...if I really want to watch a big event and analyze the finer aspects of what's happening, I prefer watching on TV...alone

That said, I've seen many folks attend an event for the first time that they had no real interest in....get caught up in the excitement and are hooked.

[VFR750]

Hearing protection is a must. Then it is easier to hear the announcers. Especially with the radio headsets

If you want an immersion experience do the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona. Sounds, smells, drama, food and drink, sunrise, heat and cold, bonfires, sleeping in the trunk of a car....

Oh and a lot of walking, watching, team sadness when the car breaks early, or late, or in the middle of the night. Excitement when the last hour approaches. Teams ecstatic and teams crushed. Used brake pads smoking on a table.

So out of the ordinary life. So much more memorable than all of last week combined.


Years ago Wife and Kids piled in the 911 so we could enjoy corral parking for imsa racing at lime rock.

Now, looking forward to the xfinity race NHIS in July. Need better headsets....

[ckelly78z]

I went to the June NASCAR race at MIS (Michigan International Speedway) a few years back, and enjoyed the experience, but agree with your assesment. It way too loud, way to crowded, and way too hot just sitting there in the sun. We were within 5 miles of the track 1.5 hours before the race, and actually missed the start because of stiffleing traffic crawling at 5 MPH and horrible parking.

I would like to give it another shot someday, but show up early and bring good headphones.

I do like going to the local sprintcar races, browsing around the pits, and watching the short qualifiers, and feature races.

[Bill Jennings]

I have watched motorsport live and on TV all my life. I only watch it on TV when I cannot get to the track.
I grew up just a few miles from Brands Hatch and used to sneak through the fence to get in.
Used to watch club racing, BOAC 1000 km endurance, drag racing and GP's. Pretty much anything really!
In recent years I borrow my old SC that I owned when I lived in the Uk go down to the Nurburgring, drive a few laps then watch the 24 hours there then have a few more laps a couple of days later before dropping the car off then flying back to Oz.
This year went to the Bathurst 12 hours after dicovering it on TV the year before. It was much better live but I really did not appreciate how difficult this track is until I drove it the next day. It is usually a public road when not a track with a 60 km speed limit but there were no cops the day after so I was able to give it some gas in my C3 in between track personnel packing up from the day before.
Best experience ever was going to Le Mans the past two years watching Porsche catch up then win all the trophies.
The experience of visting the Porsche pits, the exotic classic car show before the race, and the thrill of visting mulsanne, arnage and the dunlop curves throught the 24 hours beats the TV coverage hands down in my opinion.
The emotion I experienced during the lap of victory I will never forget.
Another highlight was bumming a ride in an impact bumper 911to Le Mans the past two years and meeting othe porsche nuts to share the experience with.
Cheers
Bill

[tevake]

Yep better ear protection is a must, plain earplugs didn't cut it.
Some of the PCAers at the corral were unpacking their noise canceling headsets with radio scanners.
This seems in retrospect like the way to go.
This particular track presents some pluses and minuses, you can see the cars all of the way around the track as well as hear them. The banking seems to keep the sound contained. The nature of oval racing is constant speed, throttle only feathered a little going into turns if at all. So relentless near full throttle running.

Can't agree more about the impressions of being there, the speed seems more intense, the close quarters running after restarts mind blowing. Really make you appreciate the skills, talent and focus of the drivers!

Someone mentioned the sensory overload, I guess this is part of what did me in. Don't think I would enjoy a loud rock concert like in the day either. Sucks getting old!

I did camp at Lagund Seca for Ten days last summer for the vintage racing of Monterey week and so enjoyed the overall experience there. So much going on besides the racing, which was very good. The paddock area is very entertaining, the people interaction fun especially in the camping area.
Ditto in being at Le Mans for the Classic a few years ago. Wouldn't have wanted to miss that for the world.

I guess it comes down to selecting the right venue and event, and being well equipped and prepared. Race on!

Cheers Richard

[Brian 162]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

I went to the June NASCAR race at MIS (Michigan International Speedway) a few years back, and enjoyed the experience, but agree with your assesment. It way too loud, way to crowded, and way too hot just sitting there in the sun. We were within 5 miles of the track 1.5 hours before the race, and actually missed the start because of stiffleing traffic crawling at 5 MPH and horrible parking.

I would like to give it another shot someday, but show up early and bring good headphones.

I used to go to MIS as well in the late 80's early 90's. I used to get he same seats in the infield grandstands (long gone). I agree it was LOUD. The traffic on US 12 was insane. We used to stop at a diner 10 minutes from the track. You had to be at the track by 10 am or you'd be stuck in gridlock for hours.
With the traffic getting worse and hotel gouging I stopped going.
I'm thinking of going to the Nascar all star race in Charlotte in May.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by KC911

Live verses TV for sporting events/races....enjoy both, but they are totally different experiences...if I really want to watch a big event and analyze the finer aspects of what's happening, I prefer watching on TV...alone

That said, I've seen many folks attend an event for the first time that they had no real interest in....get caught up in the excitement and are hooked.

I would have to agree, live events are a much more visceral experience, the sights, the smells, the people...
My dad got free tickets to the NASCAR Fontana race and I took my friend who is a huge NASCAR fan... even he said he was good for 10 years to see another live race.

I much preferred going to VARA or NHRA live but would spend as much time in the pits as I would sitting in the stands.

I love parking my butt on the couch with a cold one and watching NFL on a Sunday afternoon... dropping a couple hundred bucks to see a game live? Not going to happen!

[911SauCy]

Thank you for your participation. Don't forget your complimentary beverage on the way out.......

IMHO: Trackside is the way to go.

Noise
Feel (of the noise)
Smell
Sight

TV, advertisements and announcers are a niusance to the raw experience of mechanical device and man traveling past, performing a symphonic dance of skill, finess, and brute force.

[rattlsnak]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

The cool thing about being at the track is sensory overload. You don't get that on tv. I greatly prefer watching racing in person. I also am not a huge driver fan, so I typically don't care who wins. Except for sport car racing, where I just root for the Porsches.

^^ This. No doubt you get better view points from better camera angles on TV, but the noise alone always gives me goose bumps.. It does also depend on the type of racing. I have been to a few NASCAR races and I will never go again. It was an obnoxious, ear ringing, headache type of noise where I have been to the Indy 500 and IMSA races and it's music to my ears!

[JacobS911]

I love going to races! One of the things I miss most about living in Ohio. I would go to Mid-Ohio every year for Rolex and the American LeMans series/Indy car. It was always great weekends. Plus usually GT3 cup races were there too. The sounds and smells of race fuel can't be enjoyed on TV It was fun walking through the paddock and seeing all the teams working on the cars incredible the amount of work that goes into those things in between practice/qualifying/racing. Plus as an added bonus you get to see the PCA corral and others that show up. I'll watch on TV, but think for me going there sights/sounds/smell just much better in person.

[tevake]

Oh and about that trackside beverage, 8.50 for a but light, the price will choke you if the Bud doesn't .

[stomachmonkey]

When I hit TMS I wear headphones with a built in receiver tuned to the tracks broadcast.