Facilities at Circuits in Uk

[Mark Ward]

What do people think about the facilities at Circuits round the UK
Especially after Snetterton I realised how bad they are - Any views out there -

P.S I'm new to the Forum so be gentle

[Carrie]

Hi Mark,
Welcome along to Ten-Tenths. Despite the facilities at Snetterton, I hope you managed to enjoy the night racing as much as everyone here did
Watch out, you might just have got me onto one of my pet hates, facilities at circuits and the worst culprits have to be BHLG. Basically they get away with charging the earth and providing minimum facilities because they know that people will still keep turning up. I'm not saying somewhere like Donington is perfect, far from it if you move away from the paddock and expect to be able to get food during the day, but any of the Brands Hatch group circuits could certainly take lessons from Donington in terms of a more reasonable pricing structure. For the Powertour Donington charged £17 while at Oulton Park it was £22, how on earth can such a difference in pricing be justified?
I didn't buy any food at Snetterton, but the prices the stalls were charging seemed to be extortionate (what's new there) and I've also found in the past that you have to watch out or you do get overcharged on those food stalls.

[Les]

I have to say I agree with you over BHLG. The problems with them start with ordering tickets - You can't order them early enough, they lose them or forget to process them. You are told they will be waiting for you at the gate and they never are. The price is terrible - they had better drop the prices for next year - no Super Tourers so no excuse for high prices. You even get charged for a programme and it's £4-5 and often incorrect.

The facilities at Snet have improved - nice new loos at Russels (pity we lost the stand there). The stand we were in was sloping and very uncomfortable. It was sold out before the day yet 2 more were squashed in on the back row - I wonder how much the backhander was there.

I think Croft is the worst. Paston Racing had to threaten to get the health people in - no rubbish or loos/showers in the paddock but a nice new Cart track. The most annoying thing though was not being allowed in until 9:15am.
Oulton Park have demolished the old loos at Knickerbrook but nothing was put in its place.
and the list goes on.... but I won't as like everyone else

I will continue paying, going to and enjoying nearly every minute!

[TimD]

Originally posted by Les

Oulton Park have demolished the old loos at Knickerbrook

Sorry, am I the only one here with the sick mind?....

Ahem,

BHL circuits absolutely demand that you take a packed lunch. Tyrrells Restaurant at Snetterton is passable - barely - but the Kentagon at Brands is truly awful. I have also been made extremely unwell by a lasagne purchased there, so it is as much as I will do to risk ordering a pint at the bar.

Silverstone's paddock diner is okay, if a little bland. Goodwood's concessions are very expensive and very limited.

All I can say is thank heaven for the Redgate Lodge at Donington. Not only do they serve a nicely drawn pint, but their roast pork platter is a very tasty Sunday lunch when you came away from London too early for breakfast to catch the qualifying.

As for loos, the wooden spoon again goes to Brands Hatch, for the grim, unlit, leaky, damp, grimy and frankly unsanitary disgrace which is the toilet block on South Bank. I'm prepared to put up with just so much for my motor racing, and that particular facility is utterly unacceptable.

I reckon it would have been closed long ago if only the Sanitary Inspectors had been able to afford the ticket to get into Brands in the first place.

[Gerard]

Hi Mark, welcome to 10 Tenths.
May I say something about tracks with bad facilities?

Could you please send them all over to my country?
I would be happy with all those tracks you lucky b******d's have over there in the UK.

OK, I know it isn't funny to walk around the whole day without any good food facilities, no place where you can let nature take its course or a muddy car park.

But look at what I have? Zandvoort, although a mighty nice place to be, it's all I have.

I would kill (not really) for a variety of circuits. You guys have the possibility to visit a race almost every weekend.

I wouldn't mind walking around in the mud, with my legs crossed and feeling hungry.
As long as I could see some racing, who cares.

So, whenever there's a circuit that's so bad you won't even think about going there, can I have it please?

[Gerard]

Fair enough, Round One!
Sounds to me then the circuits with bad facilities should do something about the lack of good management.
If, like you said, the circuit owners have a responsibility to provide the service and they don't take on this responsability, aren't they digging their own graves?

Are they really that stupid? Aren't they actually the ones who are missing the point?

[Liz]

The point is the same one that causes CART races not to be televised properly: people keep turning up anyway. If people will turn up for bad food, filthy "sanitary facilities", no trash bins, no grandstands, nowhere to get warm or out of the rain, and expensive but misprinted and inaccurate programs, what inspiration have the purveyors to improve?

Likewise, when CART races are on at a different time every race, sometime tape delayed two days afterwards, and the results shown six laps into the delayed tape - yet people watch anyway - why should they do the broadcasts properly?

For the record, Snetterton is no worse than Mosport except that Mr. Panoz - May He Be Praised - has caused all the loos to be rebuilt so that now you can actually close the doors AND sit down. The originals were apparently designed for Johnny Herbert and his relatives.

[Crash Test]

Here are my thoughts on circuit facilities:

In Australia, unless it is a new circuit, everyone considers them to be second grade and in needof an upgrade.

Wooopty do.

Who here honestly goes to the track saying "I want to hang a **** in each of the toilets so i can see if they have fresh rolls of toilet paper"??

I would be more likely to say "i am going to the track to watch the races."

I try and spend as little time in the can as humanly possible, and i were sooo sick that it wouldn't be possible, i would probably just get an exstension cord for the TV and take it into the bathroom...at least there is the option of 3ply sorbent at home....

To be perfectly honest with you, i wish the tracks would spend more money on the circuits themselves than rebuilding toilet blocks. I'd prefer to see some better safety features so that cars dont get damaged and people get hurt, rather than me having to hold my nose for 30 seconds while i empty myself.

As far as food goes, its all pretty much the same (which i dont mind) unless there is a big meeting and the pancake van turns up (mmmmmmmmm, except for the 2 long black hairs i got in one batch...)

[Dan Friel]

Dare I say it...

But the only circuit in the country that caters for the public is Castle Combe (in my experience)..

It has fantastic facilities, and new ones being developed every year - BHL should go and have a look.

Worst ever has to be Paul Ricard in France, totallly shocking - I don't think they've invested a Franc since the last GP!!!!!

[Peter Mallett]

Silverstone does well too.

Spa Francorchamps has those nice (bog) ladies on the door to take your twenty Francs. But they close the toilets at night so gawd help you when you camp in the paddock. (Not AROUND the paddock Tim)

The facilities at Cadwell are truly awful but I get the impression that BHLG can't be bothered with that circuit anyway.

[Andy H]

Welcome aboard Mark

Have to agree the UK facilities are mostly awful and they do put people off going if they are in the floting supporter category.

I rate Silverstone & Donington best - but it's all relative. Perhaps Rockingham can set a new standard?

Motor racing circuits are where football grounds were 10-15 years ago if that. It frankly amazes me how some things like the British GP get a safety licence for 30,000 people to stand on an unsecure mud bank!

[Edited by Andy H on 17th July 2000]

[Les]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Andy H
Motor racing circuits are where football grounds were 10-15 years ago if that.

I can remember starting a petition at Portman Road (Ipswich Towns ground) for another ladies toilet back in the late 70's!

Maybe we should start one............

[Peter.S]

It seems that British circuits are primarilary built for the competitor. The circuits are recognised as some of the most demanding in the world.

As for spectators, they seem to be an after thought, at some circuits they seem to be in the way...

I have visited various circuits across Europe and have found that some of the "Temporary" circuits that are based on airfields have better facitities than the best in Britain.

In Britain, qualifying day, the fast food outlets are shut. The hospitality units are still being erected, There are more workmen than spectators. Qualifying finishes the circuit shuts. Everbody goes home. See you tomorrow.

Race day they seem to make an effort. Must be the TV.

In Germany it's an event. Hospitality is avaliable from the morning of qualifying. Live music and disco's go on after qualifying. The camp sites are simular to that of the Snetterton night race.

Do I think the facilities in the uk are poor... You bet...