WSB Silverstone 31 July

[furygan man]

...anyone going?

[D-Rider]

...anyone going?

I expect there will be - the organisers will be very disappointed if nobody turns up .....

[furygan man]

Advice needed!!

Looks like i'm going to treat my dad for his 70th to his first bike meet!

So positions around the track? Haven't been since 1993 so can't remember too much, looking at a couple of options 'Roving Grandstand' pass so i can watch the action at Becketts or Luffield. The other option is a 'VIP' treat as it's a special occasion and go into one of the Booklands Suites and have access to the Paddock? Bear in mind my Dad's 70 and so won't want to do too much walking!!

DR i know you went the other week and anyone else with advice about view points/locations/advice would be gratefully received, compare Becketts to Luffield etc?

[D-Rider]

DR i know you went the other week and anyone else with advice about view points/locations/advice would be gratefully received, compare Becketts to Luffield etc?

OK .... well take wet weather gear - it always pisses down at Silverstone.
Your visit back in '93 will be of no help as they radically changed the track layout last year. Apparently it is good to ride but from a spectators point of view there is nowhere that you can see that much of the track. Maybe it's a bit better up high in the grandstands but they were beyond my budget.

TBH we just wandered round the track (trudged in the pouring rain) trying to find points from which to watch. We stuck to the outside - I've not ventured into the infield with the current track layout.

The best place we watched from was (I think) Becketts - you could see them come through Maggots, Becketts, Chapel and up the Hangar straight towards Stowe ..... nice for a bit of a longer view and a variety of changes in direction but not an overtaking hot-spot. One of the other advantages was that they had sited a big screen there so that you could follow the action. Screens seem to be a lot more rare than they were at Donnington.
There is a grandstand there but it's not the shortest walk.

We never got there on this visit, but I guess the section from Abbey through to Village might be interesting.



Anyway, hope this helps.

[furygan man]

Actually think it was '92, the year Mansall won!

I've managed to pull some PDF's of various views and an arial view and Becketts does seem to be the best option as you said, as they'll be going some through Magotts,Becketts and Chapel then coming back through the Arena section.

Will be a contrast to Croft where you can get up close and personal!

Thanks for the input DR

[back_marker]

We went for the GP last year (new track layout but before the new pit complex was open).

We spent race day on the bank near Vale corner - if you can get a good spot there's plenty to see, especially now that Club is the final corner onto the start straight. They generally have screen in the area as well.

Maggots/ Becketts looks good but not watched from there.

Also watched qualifying from Luffield which is pretty good, plenty of space in front of the grandstands and used to be the final corners so a good place to see some action.

as always the best spots fill up first so we tend to spend Saturday doing all of our wandering around and then pick a spot early on race day and stay there.

Not all that impressed with Silverstone as a spectator track to be honest, too flat, too big and seems to lack the atmosphere of say Brands or Donington. Grandstands are very pricy as well, they seem to be happier to leave them all empty than reduce the price and probably make more money in the process.

[furygan man]

Personally i prefered British Superbikes at Croft earlier this year, only other track i've been too is Mallory so used to seeing close up action, so not expecting much from Silverstone, only really going to experience World Superbikes and it's a treat for Dad

Roving Grandstand ticket on the day is £40, prob cheaper than the GP and you get two WSB races as well as the support races which i think is better value, i think the GP needs more racers and more of them staying upright

[back_marker]

Roving Grandstand ticket on the day is £40, prob cheaper than the GP and you get two WSB races as well as the support races which i think is better value, i think the GP needs more racers and more of them staying upright

Totally agree, that's why we've gone more for BSB rounds of late along with the fact that the tracks are also better from a spectator point of view, and the padocks (and in the case of thruxton the track and pits after racing has finished) are much more accessible.

We were fully intending to go to the Silverstone WSB meeting but have a wedding to attend, although may trundle up for the day if finances and weather are favourable.

[D-Rider]

I agree that the WSB is better value than the MotoGP - though there were 5 races on the day. I usually stick these things out to the end but we were wet and cold so left after the 125GP.

In my limited experience, Donnington is still my favourite UK circuit.
Mallory has been dropped from BSB this year so, other than Festival of 1000 Bikes etc there are not many opportunities to go there his year.

Wonder what's happened with Rockingham? It opened with a flourish but doesn't seem to be attracting any big races these days.
I believe the Anglesey track is really good but no big championships there yet - guess it being so out-of-the-way doesn't help it to become established.

Other than having a quick look over the wall at Philip Island, trying to work out the course of the Melbourne circuit in Victoria Park and having a bit of a blast round Eastern Creek in an XKR, my only experience of a track outside these shores is Aragon (where WSB is this weekend).I was there for MotoGP last year - that's a great track.

[Samray]

BSB in July will be the first major event at Snetti's new circuit. Should be a good'n.