The things circuits lack most ...

[Jonny Apex]

Great thread, the one about best place to watch.

However, what I want to know is, from a spectator and marshal's point of view, what do circuits lack most? Which ones? Is it not enough burger bars or is that the burger bars are just awful and overpriced. Or is it lack of toilets, access, good viewing? What?

[Mackmot]

Croft needs a bar/restaurant, and bigger pit garages with roller shutters not wooden doors. And hospitality suites.

Brands needs better service, you can stanf around for food or drink for hours. And they need to level the road behind the pits cos it is a right pain to get the cars out the truck. And tannoys on the GP circuit.

I think everywhere else is alright.

[Peter Mallett]

Cadwell could do with some decent driver showers/toilets/changing rooms and maybe a paddock surface.

[Tony Harman]

Pembrey just needs a BIGGER paddock !, oh and some drainage might help.
But whatever you do leave Lydden alone - it's fine the way it is, (and it's had power in the the paddock since the mid-eighties, Brands only got it last year !).

[Rob29]

As a specator (if one visit to Cadwell so far this year counts)somewhere to watch from might be a start! Last time I was at Donington all of the outside of the circuit was out of bounds due to a combination of lethal trucks and a firework display! So through the tunnel to the infield and what do I find? double layer of fencing making any view of the chicane a waste of time.Most circuits seem to have given up on grandstands. The main one at Brands was demolished after 45 yrs faithful service, and still not replaced. It would also be useful if one could get to the circuit without resort to expensive taxis. I think it was about £20 from Northampton to Silverstone,and that must have been at least 15yrs ago!

[THR]

Oulton needs some bins in the paddock and a higher pit wall!
Pembrey does need a bigger paddock like you say..no excuse cos the BARC own it!!

They all need more garages!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by THR
Oulton needs some bins in the paddock

There's usually a dozen or so big bins at various points around the paddock.

[THR]

yea there was a few at the edges.. but none in the middle.. and its a BIG paddock. cant have to many bins
im a lazy person. my poor legs dont need exercise lol

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Rob29
somewhere to watch from might be a start! Last time I was at Donington all of the outside of the circuit was out of bounds due to a combination of lethal trucks and a firework display! So through the tunnel to the infield and what do I find? double layer of fencing making any view of the chicane a waste of time.

Making circuits safer makes them less accessible to spectators. Bigger run-offs, catch fencing, etc., all conspire to push the spectator areas further back from the track. One day all circuits will be like Rockingham.......

[Les]

Mondello needs a drain in the paddock

Snetterton needs a bigger bank at Russels - probably needs wider banking all the way round and toilets near corner 2.

[wickedwitch]

Toilets!

Mondello definitely lacks toilets - but the ones they have are kept spotless by Annie who is lovely to chat with aswell.

[Chris Y]

Rockingham needs to have a bigger inner paddock, and a track that doesn't leak!

[Les]

Originally posted by wickedwitch
Toilets!

Mondello definitely lacks toilets - but the ones they have are kept spotless by Annie who is lovely to chat with aswell.

Isn't she lovely! No wonder there is always a queue - everyone stops for a natter with her.

I thought there was quite a few loos there - they just need permanent and properly plumbed ones.



Brands needs a moving floor to get me up the paddock hill

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by THR
yea there was a few at the edges.. but none in the middle.. and its a BIG paddock. cant have to many bins
im a lazy person. my poor legs dont need exercise lol

So what you're saying is that you want your own personal bin, then?

[Sato san]

every circuit needs it's own radio station to broadcast around the circuit and surrounding area's...so that you can hear circuit commentry whether your sitting in yuou car in the car park or standing by the track.

Half the PA systems at the circuits cannot be heard when the cars are going past you on the circuit .

If you have some ear phones in your ears from a radio you can hear most of the stuff you want to hear.

[paulzinho]

Brands need to get rid of its curfew, people should accept that living next to an international racing circuit can, on occasions, be noisy.

[BAR Babe]

Radio is a biggy for me.
it does, i have to say, annoy me when i do not know what is going on!
Especially for when knowing how many laps left for me to dash back for podium pictures when i can't hear the PA system (which is usually all the time due to the fact they point to the spectator and not the track!)
so good request Sato san. radio at every circuit please!

just so i know when to start to walk at great speed!

[AndyF]

Silverstone - character!

[Peter Scillitoe]

Originally posted by AndyF
Silverstone - character!

Silverstone - anything!!!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by paulzinho
Brands need to get rid of its curfew, people should accept that living next to an international racing circuit can, on occasions, be noisy.

Look at curfews from another point of view. Marshals, officials, competitors, etc., spend very long days at the circuit - at most circuits it's necessary to get there around 7:30AM to sign on, get a breakfast & get out on post before the start of practice. The curfew guarantees a reasonable finishing time.

[redshoes]

Agree with the radio comments. I'm so used to hearing voices in my head during BTCC meetings and the like that I almost take it as second nature. Actually a lot of circuits already have basic radio facilities, the problem is that getting a licence is too expensive. Effective they have to apply for each event as a seperate licence.

Failing thata half decent PA system, that you could actually hear when there are cars on the track, would be a great start.

[Tony_Simpson]

A circuit curfew (6pm/6.30pm),
Imporved PA/radio systems,
Improved toilet blocks,
Wider tracks to improve racing?
Some covered grandstands, to keep dry,
sensible pit lanes, with garages etc,
tarmaced paddocks, changing rooms, etc
improved spectator access/viewing,

Chances of any of these being implemented, very little I guess.

[Rob29]

Interesting that the needs of competitors,are often in direct opposition to those of spectators.A curfew is not much fun if you have been waiting all day for your race and find it abandoned due to delays causing meeting to overrun.Meetings are normally SCHEDULED to finish by 6pm.
Garages are my #1 enemy,as they make it difficult for enthuisasts to see (and photograph) competitors. I have not been to Silverstone since I was denied access to the F1 compound during the lunch break in saturday practice for the F3000 Intl Trophy 1988.
I must be the only person who thinks that the narrower a circuit is the more fun it is.Still I have always disliked wide open spaces!
And to the the person who complained about the number of bins,why don't you take your rubbish home?

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by Rob29
Interesting that the needs of competitors,are often in direct opposition to those of spectators.A curfew is not much fun if you have been waiting all day for your race and find it abandoned due to delays causing meeting to overrun.Meetings are normally SCHEDULED to finish by 6pm.

Spectators are free to come & go as they wish. Competitors & the hundreds of people involved in running a meeting have to stay, in the case of the former until their race is run, in the case of the latter until the track has been cleared from the final race, all equipment put away, etc. Many of those people will have been at the circuit before 7AM; a lot of them, particularly competitors, may be faced with a six hours or longer drive home. For people like us it's nice to have a more or less fixed finishing time.

I must be the only person who thinks that the narrower a circuit is the more fun it is.

No, you're not! I hate big wide circuits. There is, of course, a limit to how narrow a circuit can be - too narrow & overtaking is impossible. I'd say Oulton is just about the ideal width.

Still I have always disliked wide open spaces!

......and you live in Lincolnshire!!!!

[Rob29]

I lived in and around London until 1993. Was burgled twice and mugged once! Here is safer if inconveient sometimes.