your best ever weekend at a motorsport event?

[bella]

i was thinking earlier (as you do) about how it's always the unexpected weekends that turn out to be the best.

along those lines, tell us about your best ever trip to watch (or take part in!) motorsport. what was it? had you planned it in depth? did you just wing it? why was it great?

le mans as a stock answer won't suffice! think outside the box!

i'll start off with a really unexpected trip to the german gp a couple of weeks ago. they were doing a ticket lottery to try and get more bums on seats, so we bought tickets, and ended up with some of the best seats at the entire circuit for very little money! the weather was grim and the campsite was... an experience but the company and the epic win with the tickets made it one to remember!

[CLIP-Motorsport]

I think mine was my first visit to a motor curcuit. It was the first Goodwood Revival back in 98. It was sponsored by Jeep and a friend had a couple of old Jeeps they wanted to use. as a Jeep owner myself he invited me as an extra driver.
They supplied tickets for all 3 days plus paddock passes, Jeep Club passes so we had free food and drink in with all the drivers.We got put up in the local Hilton and had parking for our Jeeps on their stand right by the entrance.

It took a while after to get used to general admission tickets, felt like I was missing out! But I've been hooked ever since, the speed, the smells, the sounds, you can't beat being trackside.

[terence]

I think for me it would be Le Mans Legends 05. I and a college had been doing some work for a really good customer,prepping one of his cars for its annual run down there,so we thought.With under two weeks to go,the customer turned up , un- announced,and told us that he had just been asked if he would enter another of his cars but the only problem was finding two drivers he trusted,would we be interested!!! I had a think about it,approx half a second,and graciously accepted! It turned out that the customer had hired a four bed gite' just ten minuits away from the circuit,had a proper pool,and in a fabulous position.The owners of which are now very good and valued friends.Rather embarrassingly,the cars owner refused to let either of us pay for anything.A situation that has been put right since I might add.

[rbs]

It would have to be one of the 160cc F2 metings at Thruxton at Easter, full grids, F1 drvers racing the young upstarts, 2 heats and a final all supported by Touring Cars, sports cars, super vee etc. Crystal Palace on whit monday was just as good.

Prescott in Semptember for the "Gold Cup" meeting was always worth a visit, memories!!!!

[chunder]

Early Goodwood before the Brietling brigade took over

Rallycross Group B meetings in the late 80's early 90's

[Flavio Galtieri]

For me, it has to be the 1963 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood.

Witnessing Graham Hill take the win in the 250 GTO having chased down Mike Parkes in a similar car. Innes Ireland with the Aston taking a spectacular and very sideways third whilst suffering from "skinny" tyres due to the wider ones he'd used in practice being deemed illegal.

Prince somebody (I'm sorry, I've forgotten his name and the program is framed) crashing and rolling his 250 GTO at Madgwick and momentarily looking as if he would make it to the spectator bank just where we were sitting. Mum saying "Oh dear, I do hope that young man will be allright" as he was stretchered off with a broken back.

All these memories are still so fresh, and as an 11 year old, were the hook that got me interested in this mad, addictive and glorious sport.

[Dave Brand]

Next weekend - it's always next weekend!

[Colin McKay]

Transatlantic Trophy of the early 80's, 1 weekend, 3 circuits as I recall. Waking up to snow on the tent. Having a chat with Kenny Roberts ("Would you get out of the way please?") and standing next to Barry Sheene in the bogs. Oh yes, I used to hang out with all the big k**bs in motor racing.

[JimW]

My first - oh and my last.

40+ years and I still keep coming back.

Jim

[dj choc ice]

My first race meet, Dad took me to BTCC at Oulton Park in 1997 or 98, cant quite remember the year, but i absolutely loved it, big loud angry touring car's, from the on Frank Biela became my hero in the Silver Audi A4 Super tourer's, i still cherish the memories from that day very much, plus it was what got me into motorsport in the first place!

[chunder]

Fascinating how the smallest thing can keep you interested

I remember being at a Transatlantic in I think 84 when Spencer crashed, I saw Lawson, Roberts et al, but all I can remember is Graeme Crosby on an old 4 stroke Suzuki wheelying everywhere coz he was hopelessly outclassed by teh GP bikes

Got the biggest cheer of the day and became a hero of mine

And before that my first big event was the Donington F2 race in 79, Surer, Daly, Stephen South, Cheever but it was all abotu Brian Henton, we cheered him senseless!

Only other thing I remember is the Touring cars, Tom Walkinshaw winning and my Dad saying he didnt like him coz he was a "nasty looking bloke"

That has never changed and I still dont like him!!

[JackN]

I know it's a bit dull, but the Australian Grand Prix this year was the greatest weekend of my life.

I live near Snetterton, but had made a friend racing sim racing games on the internet, so i flew out to New Zealand to meet him and his wife, and we went to the Grand Prix. Watched Friday free practice, then my favourite band (Counting Crows) were playing in Melbourne that night, then went in on saturday and met loads of people including DC, Nico Rosberg, even Schumi made an appearance. Then on the Sunday Jenson led home an historic Brawn GP 1-2. Then wandering around Melbourne on the Monday we bumped into both Jenson AND Rubens Barrichello. Epic

I must also say the first time i marshalled is right up there, the 2008 British GT/F3 round at Snetterton. Great times

[MikeHoyer]

Not really a weekend as such, but last years British F3 at Spa followed by F3 Masters at Zolder was good, even though I was working!

Stayed the week between events camping with a mate at Zolder, and had a really chilled out few days, not having to do much except go out for lunch. The way of life is really relaxed there as well.

I did get severely sunburnt swimming though!

[Jay]

I'd say Le Mans...but...

The 2007 Champ Car race at Tremblant was a great weekend for me. It started with the drive there - I was by myself and took a twisty undulating road with the music cranked. I stayed the weekend at a youth hostel outside the track, and stayed up late both nights chatting with Marshalls over Fin Du Monde (my favourite beer - it's a strong one!). I got quite a few great shots of the scenery and the cars, including many with the ski hills in the background. It was a wild race - rain...sun...rain...sun... Robert Doornbos won just ahead of Sebastien Bourdais. I was right at the media scrum where the drivers get out of their cars - the moment Bourdais got out of his car, he began pouting like a baby who'd had his candy stolen "Doornbos blocked me..blah blah blah"...the crowd booed him off the track, yet he kept pouting. I, along with the other photographers burst out laughing - he clearly wasn't pleased with us. The podium was hilarious - with Bourdais still throwing a temper tantrum and Doornbos making funny faces at him - made for some great photos and a memorable finish to a great weekend. That...and almost running over turtle on the drive back and seeing the two cars behind me nearly collide also avoiding said turtle.

[Tourer]

For me it was the 1985 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide (the first one).

We'd spent SO many years staying up very late on a Sunday night to watch F1 and when it was announced that we'd actually have a race here it was the highlight of my motorsport life to that stage.

Then, very close to the event, a few people left from my workplace and my leave to go to the GP was cancelled. I was almost inconsolable - I'd been involved in a lot of the volunteer planning, had been one of the crew at Calder as we had run events there to F1 rules to get used to structure etc. I was working Saturday but hoped to still get to Adelaide for Sunday until I found out that all the flights were full. A nine hour drive each way looked like if might be my only chance but was still a long shot.

Then my boss walked into my office on thursday afternoon and slapped a Friday morning air ticket down on my desk and told me that he didn't want to see my till the following Tuesday. Everyone at work knew how much it meant to me - more than my own race driving at the time.

I think that my heart rate shot up over 200 as I was in the cab from Adelaide airport to the circuit and heard the noise of the cars for the first time and realised that it was real.

Just a mind blowing weekend. Spoke to heaps of the people in pit lane and as a result ended up back in Adelaide only a couple of years later working full time on a team and based in England.

On top of that, Keke won the race in a Williams - many Aussie's had adopted him after Jonesy retired and still backed him, even when Alan drove the Beatrice.

To top it all off, got a lift home to Melbourne with the woman who would become my wife.

Just can't beat it as my best weekend at a motorsport event.

[Peter Dunne]

I think Tourer has the best story so far. Happiness, sadness and back to happiness with some romance thrown in for good measure! Cool.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Tourer

To top it all off, got a lift home to Melbourne with the woman who would become my wife.

Did you meet here there? It would be hard to top that for a weekend!

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Jay

Did you meet here there? It would be hard to top that for a weekend!

I knew beforehand but not well. It was that weekend (or really, the time together on the drive home) that got it all up and running.

I hadn't really thought about that weekend for a long time so this thread triggered the memory - enjoyed sharing it.

[Tim the Grey]

Spa 2007, it has to be. FIA GT 24 hour race. Hearing a Murcielago howling along Kemmel, sitting in teh cafe behind the grandstand opposite teh old pits, watching cars into Eau Rouge. Bliss.

Oh, and it RAINED, lots, we kipped in the back of the car, slept very little and badly, but the whole experience is WAY up there.

VERY closely followed by Le Mans Classic last year. I was chauffeured down in John Ruston's Talbot saloon by Gareth Burnett. Had trackside access for the piccys, discovered the Press Bar above the pits, and finally got a 917 RACING with a 512, through Tertre Rouge onto Mulsanne, at dawn. Missed LOADS of stuff, as I was on a high the whole time!

LM this year was tame by comparison. Fun, but it just seemed a slog...