2014 Blancpain Endurance Series

[Rodger Davies]

Anyone got a top 5 or 10 please?

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Anyone got a top 5 or 10 please?

Korjus/Meyrick/Demoustier/Ortelli/Osborne/Nash/Wolf/Ramos/McMillen/Premat.

[Rodger Davies]

Ah, Demoustier. That's why it's so sodding slow...

[BudLightJaguar]

Merc sounds like single-cylinder 4-stroke dirt bike.

[Rodger Davies]

Kane looks like he's closing.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Kane looks like he's closing.

It's to the point now where Soucek is clearing the way for Kane. This has been an amazing race!

Edit: Bentley leads! Excellent move from Kane.

[Rodger Davies]

Great race, great day, great fun. Such a shame no one else seems to realise. Was nice to hear a cheer at Woodcote when the Bentley made its move, but was practically empty everywhere else it felt like. Weather stayed dry, which is possibly the biggest surprise.

[gregc]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Great race, great day, great fun. Such a shame no one else seems to realise. Was nice to hear a cheer at Woodcote when the Bentley made its move, but was practically empty everywhere else it felt like. Weather stayed dry, which is possibly the biggest surprise.

Agreed on all counts, but especially the bit in bold. Though I must admit my ticket was a last minute purchase, had a great day. Really good racing, and there might not have been that many of us there in the grandstand when Kane made the overtake but it felt great to be there for it. I was on my feet cheering with the rest

[TF110]

I watched the race, amazing comeback for the Bentley. That thing is a monster! A joy to see that big body able to take beatings and keep on going.

[Hans Stuck Fan]

Whilst sparse, that's the most people I've seen at a Silverstone BES event.

Have been meaning ask to a couple of years now but just why does the Aston V12 sound like it's being strangled?

[J Jay]

Behind the Bentley victory, perhaps the next best thing about the race was the utter anonymity of one Vadim Kogay ...

Seriously, well done to him for doing an unspectacular job

[rich07]

Great to see Bentley win. Kudos to the M Sport team

[The Fat Clerk]

Fantastic race but crap commentary, where do they get these cretins from?

[P3ndula]

Originally Posted by Hans Stuck Fan

Whilst sparse, that's the most people I've seen at a Silverstone BES event.

Attended Saturday this year and last year. Felt busier last year. Quite a few Indians watching Karthikeyan in Auto GP. Doubt I'll go next year. Quite a chore getting there from London. The circuit should provide buses from Northampton/Milton Keynes stations and advertise a bit more.

[Rodger Davies]

To be honest, I was reminded several tines yesterday of why I don't like going to Silverstone. Might try Monza for cheap if the series is still strong next year.

Was typical Silverstone: no busses unless you're a photographer or VIP, only a couple of open grandstands (Stowe and Luffield) and the usual crowning idiocy that not opening the majority of few photo holes and yet telling anyone stood by one of the open ones to stand further away, because despite 3m of tarmac runoff, 20m of gravel, a tyre wall, an Armco barrier and Grade 1 catch fencing at a point where a car has never gone off in 60 years just isn't enough protection.

No fault of the marshals, who I'm happy to oblige when asked, but feels like the venue itself just hates spectators.

Sorry if that sounded OTT. Rant over, looking forward to finding the highlights to watch somewhere.

[EastonNeston]

It was an SRO event, there weren't any photographer shuttles.

[IndyMeister]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

Sorry if that sounded OTT. Rant over, looking forward to finding the highlights to watch somewhere.

VoilÃ*: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eatC-...8B95916B0BA0A2 (maybe geo-blocked)

[Rodger Davies]

Originally Posted by EastonNeston

It was an SRO event, there weren't any photographer shuttles.

Couple went past me, but not as many as the crazy number at WEC. Also, Spa 24 usually has loads of them. Not a complaint, just an observation.

[TRspitfirefan]

Congratulations to Bentley on the win!
I've been a fan of Guy Smith ever since watching him drive the wheels off of the Dyson Lola at Road America in 2012.
Really looking forward to seeing one of the Bentleys in action at RA next month in the PWC race.

[Dimension]

awesome race here. #7 car fought like lions, kane and meyrick did incredibly well. never expected this from them.

also, who the hell is Joe Osbourne, never heard of the guy, and here he is making it look like he will challenge for the lead if he could double stint. Very impressive run from him. Think he went as high as 5 or 4 at one point? Well, and of course the lead, but that was pit stops.

And yes, apparently now that the brakes are working, Kogay manages to stay clean. After hearing what was actually going on at Monza I felt guilty for laughing like a mule. Well, almost, it WAS entertaining

I don't know what to say, but Blancpain just delivers again. Ratel must be pleased.

Now let's wait for Bentley to be hit by the BoP hammer...

[Rodger Davies]

Joe Osbourne has been doing really well in British GT for the last couple of years, usually found driving the Triple 8 BMW that was wiped out in this BES race. Was very impressive for Trackspeed Porsche before that. I'm sure this drive, in a car fairly new to him, will really help raise his profile internationally.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

To be honest, I was reminded several tines yesterday of why I don't like going to Silverstone. Might try Monza for cheap if the series is still strong next year.

Was typical Silverstone: no busses unless you're a photographer or VIP, only a couple of open grandstands (Stowe and Luffield) and the usual crowning idiocy that not opening the majority of few photo holes and yet telling anyone stood by one of the open ones to stand further away, because despite 3m of tarmac runoff, 20m of gravel, a tyre wall, an Armco barrier and Grade 1 catch fencing at a point where a car has never gone off in 60 years just isn't enough protection.

No fault of the marshals, who I'm happy to oblige when asked, but feels like the venue itself just hates spectators.

Sorry if that sounded OTT. Rant over, looking forward to finding the highlights to watch somewhere.

I hear you. It does seem as though Silverstone would rather spectators not actually show up. They seem to do everything to turn people off the place. The high ticket prices, the lack of bridge / tunnel to main paddock, the 15 foot high fences and so on. We found a couple of those photographer window things open yesterday. There is one or two that no one seem to know about or use. There was about 6 or 7 people all jostling for a position for the window near Chapel. I too was told off by a marshall for apparently being in a place that I "shouldn't have been" despite behind behind barriers etc. If the fences weren't so abundant people wouldn't push their luck with access and viewing. I watched one chap open one of those metal gates near the barriers than start to shoot through it, I mean even I knew that wasn't allowed.

I suppose this all really stems from two things;

1) the debris fences almost totally cover Silverstone

2) media "accreditation" is like an exclusive club, with only the few privaliged and chosen given the access.

You know what I would love to see. I would love it for Silverstone to offer say 10-20 photographer bibs to young/aspiring or amateur photographers. As long as they have the appropriate liability insurance in place, all done on a first come first served basis, or maybe a waiting list or something. Would never happen of course.

[Rodger Davies]

Fantastic race but crap commentary, where do they get these cretins from?

I think David Addison is a fine commentator, assuming you had the same where you are. John Watson takes a bit more getting used to as he doesn't have great memory and has a 'unique' sense of humour, but he's grown on me and I really like the pair now.

For the record, on trackside comms (PA) were Johnny Palmer and Paul Truswell, which was a really nice surprise.

I suppose this all really stems from two things;

1) the debris fences almost totally cover Silverstone

Yeah, it's a combination of the complete coverage, how far the fences are from the track and how far away from the fences you are supposed to stand. The where you are close to the fence and the fence is close to the track, it's less of an issue, although I still hate the complete coverage even in places that would be near impossible to have an accident at.

2) media "accreditation" is like an exclusive club, with only the few privaliged and chosen given the access.

Nothing wrong with that, I'd say; those guys have every right to the access they do and liability insurance is costly. It's just at Silverstone, compared to Oulton Park for instance, the spectating areas are so much worse for the average viewer.

[Beetle]

Bentley wins and the car hasn't even been in competition for a year. That car has a great future ahead of it.

[Starfish Primer]

The fences are there but there aren´t an obstacle to get fine photos. I have been there many times in the last years and I´m happy with many pictures. If you want a photographer accreditation to be on the other side of the fence is easy, you have to apply for one. I know people from many semiprofesional motorsport webs that got media passes even for F1 events.

The public transport is not only a Silverstone problem, it happens in many other tracks. What frustrates me more from Silverstone is the lack of a tunnel to link the new wing with the outside.