LMS Rnd 5: Silverstone 1000km 14-16 Sep 2007

[JAG]

Seemed to be a decent crowd at Silverstone, albeit everyone was spread around the circuit so would have looked sparse on TV.

That being the case it's now time to step up the promotion and facilites infield, add the three light system (absolute MUST), and at least one TV screen.

Maybe e-mailing the following will get the point home.

sport@lemans.org

marketing@lemans.org


BTW, LMS press conference online:-

http://www.lemans-series.com/2007/au...Conference.mp3

[Mal]

Originally Posted by JAG

Seemed to be a decent crowd at Silverstone, albeit everyone was spread around the circuit so would have looked sparse on TV.

That being the case it's now time to step up the promotion and facilites infield, add the three light system (absolute MUST), and at least one TV screen.

Maybe e-mailing the following will get the point home.

sport@lemans.org

marketing@lemans.org


BTW, LMS press conference online:-

http://www.lemans-series.com/2007/au...Conference.mp3

email done

[TheNewBob]

Only just got back home, wasn't able to make the race day for varying reasons. Have photos and videos from the practice day, but nevermind. That's me done for motorsports this year, sadly!

I wonder why there were no TV screens? We had them in '05 and the FIA GT series uses them.

From what I could see on the Saturday (was there on Friday briefly but can't really count that), it seems the spectator entertainment/services was minimal to non-existant. I had people with me who weren't racing fans and they must have been very disappointed.

[Flat12-Aircool]

Even though I still have reservations about the LMP1 engine rules, I must say that the Peugeot's were very impressive.

They were like two "Whispering Death" Batmobiles, creeping up on you and Swooshing past before you had chance to turn around!

[ger80]

The motors tv commentators quoted the Peugeot person, who told that the rules prefere petrol cars over diesels, very often . Think they already wrote a letter to the ACO to increase diesel restrictor .... )

[The Badger]

You cant blame him for trying !!!

[rdjones]

I got some photo's from yesterday online now at http://www.rdj-pics.co.uk/Photos/200...Sun/index.html - photos from Friday and Saturday to follow tomorrow.

[minimangler]

I'm also gonna do some pic plugging;
www.flickr.com/photos/jymp

i like them at least.

As for the screen, all the big frame was still there, i expected them to use it on Sunday- somewhat dissapointed, even if i didn't spend much time around the complex.

Reasonable crowd (far more than the "more marshalls than fans" disaster that was Donington '06), and good weather. But my god was it windy.

I've got grit from the Stowe/Vale/Club embankment ingrained in my skull!

[Larsen]

Enjoyed my day at Silverstone. Love the Sportscars, especially GT1 in particular.

Only gripe is that pitroad walkabout. I seem to remember it being open for anyone last year at Donington yet you had to be a BRDC member at Silverstone!? Happened at the FIA GT's earlier this year aswell. Its a crying shame really, but it is typical Silverstone. I hope the LMS goes back to Donington next year

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by Larsen

I hope the LMS goes back to Donington next year

No No NO!!!

Pit Lane access aside, Donington is absolutely the wrong place for this sort of event. Last year was a big disappointment for me, Donington needs to seriously rethink it's track configuration before bidding for events like this in the future. (And also to get some proper Hygenic toilets)

[Justin Moran]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

No No NO!!!

Pit Lane access aside, Donington is absolutely the wrong place for this sort of event. Last year was a big disappointment for me, Donington needs to seriously rethink it's track configuration before bidding for events like this in the future. (And also to get some proper Hygenic toilets)

Sadly I have to agree. Donington needs a major overhaul to bring the facilities up to scratch, I love Donington as a race curcuit and would love to do many more events there only the facilities are truely woefull! The new owners need to take note or they arent gonna make any money out of their investment.

[Aysedasi]

Silverstone needs to do more for punters at events like this too - the bogs may be excellent, but that doesn't make up for all the grandstands being closed at Copse (and most at Stowe), no tv screens, having to walk bloody miles to and from the campsite because they can't be arsed to open a nearer gate early on Sunday morning and fast food (burgers and hot dogs) which if I fed them to my dog, I'd be done for animal cruelty by the RSPCA......

[Aysedasi]

And a word for the very unlucky Simon Moulton in the Peugeot spiders - my lad and I were guest of the team for the weekend - so many thanks to Simon and co. Hoping for better luck at Magny-Cours.

[littleman]

I must agree, Silverstone Circuit could have done a better job from a spectators view point. I think they left the grandstands at Copse and Stowe locked because they couldn't be arsed to recruit the necessary spectator marshalls. Same story with regards to all the locked access gates - guess it just wasn't financially viable.

[Mal]

I agree about copse, but there was one stand open at Stowe and it was nowhere near full - I think thats reasonable.

There were grandstands or seating areas open at Stowe, Club, Abbey, Luffield, Woodcots and in front of the pits - Copse was the only notable one missing.

My gripes are more with the lack of race information and the lack of places to get food / drink around the circuit - even if the quality was poor.

[Aysedasi]

I didn't go in the stand at Stowe - was it officially open or gatecrashed? The very small 'standy-uppy' stand at Copse was actually unlocked all weekend. I went in there on Saturday with my lad but we were joined by others and spotted by security. I went back in there during the Sunday morning warm-up but it was so bally cold up there I came down again after 10 minutes or so......


For my money (or not, as the case may be), the seating at Luffield was excellent but the best seats were the open ones at Abbey. I actually spent quite a lot of time at Club as I hadn't been out to the back of the circuit since the GT water-race in 1995!

Was there any food or drink to be had anywhere between Copse and Luffield? (That's all the way round - not working backwards!)
I remember the food being poor the last time I went to Silverstone (2 years ago), but the standard has dropped even further IMO. Completely tasteless and expensive. A tenner for two bog standard burgers and two cups of tea.... I can't stand McDonalds but I picked up a cheeseburger at a drive-thru on the way home and it was cordon bleu by comparison.....

[iucrmh]

Thoroughly enjoyed this years 1000K and found many more Grandstands open than in previous years. The lack of any catering at all at the Stowe end of the circuit however was a missed opportunity.

I thought that the commentary was excellent, well informed and very up to date. Ian Titchmarsh was superb as usual. One of the crucial things about a multi-class race is to point out things such as, "look out for cars 56 and 67, they are racing for position and the gap is closing". Constant updates on overall positions and close on track battles really did mean I could follow what was going on - shame it was on medium wave only though - don't many pocket radios come as FM only these days? I'm afraid that my only critisism of Radio Le Mans this year was that there seemed to be a lack of updates (other than the hourly rundowns) on some close on track battles and it wasn't always clear as to exactly what was going on in terms of position without looking at a timing screen. Note that is not to say that Radio Le Mans doesn't do a great job - it does - but I think it could be even better.

Back to Silverstone, there were a few locked gates around that meant some long walks which shouldn't have been necessary. Whoever organised the weather this time around did a great job, although 2005 also turned into an exciting race.

[Aysedasi]

Weather was indeed terrific, just what we should have had at Le Mans - although I got sunburnt (my nose is already peeling!) and froze overnight on Saturday/Sunday and in the circuit early on Sunday morning.

I always enjoy Ian Titchmarsh's commentary but was disappointed not to hear my other favourite commentator, Paul Truswell. I did get to meet Paul for lunch on Saturday though. It seemed a shame that having lost Ian at Le Mans a few years ago, that Paul wasn't doing what he ought to be doing at Silverstone. (No disrespect to David Addison, of course).

[iucrmh]

It looks like Paul Truswell was doing an in depth study of the GT2 battle on Sunday from one of the pit line garages. He has written a report on DailySportsCar. Ian Titchmarsh and Paul Truswell - the new dream team?

[jase]

Originally Posted by Larsen

... I hope the LMS goes back to Donington next year

I bloody hope not! The pit lane is not suitable for this type of event - forget any "problems" you may have with the track at DP (ie no decent straights) the pits are cramped enough for a National meet, then add the refueling equipment and the fact it's on a slope so that all said equipment is now 8 - 10 foot further out.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by iucrmh

shame it was on medium wave only though - don't many pocket radios come as FM only these days?

That was my problem as I took the radio I usually take to Le Mans only to find it didnt have MW.

I was reduced to getting up close to the circuit speakers at intervals and trying to here the commentary over and between the cars.

I dont want to be over critical though as it was a great event and trudging round the back of the circuit improved my opinion of Silverstone as a spectator circuit - However I would have stayed out there longer if I could have got a drink.

The sight of the cars powering through Club was awesome - several times there were two GT2 cars racing side by side through club only for the Peugeot to just drive round the outside of both on them

[SebringMG]

Yeah why they persist in using MW i have no idea!!! Remembered on the morning it was MW but could i find one for sale before i left? Currys, Tesco, Sainsbury did not have any

Really Silverstone need to sort that out!!

Otherwise excellent race Please do not take it back to Donny - that circuit is inadequate for the spectacle of the LMS!!

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by SebringMG

Yeah why they persist in using MW i have no idea!!! Remembered on the morning it was MW but could i find one for sale before i left? Currys, Tesco, Sainsbury did not have any

Really Silverstone need to sort that out!!

Otherwise excellent race Please do not take it back to Donny - that circuit is inadequate for the spectacle of the LMS!!

MW radios are about - I got one at a Curries store last week. However, they are really "behind the times" by staying with it, since the resultant radio reception is poor.

Silverstone often persists with poor catering too. On Saturday morning, whilst being the only customers at one stall, we had to wait ten minutes after ordering before they even began cooking. Bad food which is ridiculously expensive - I was glad I took a packup with me, we'd just fancied a bit of 'brunch' at the time when we got there in the morning. To be honest I'd rather have starved at Stowe!

[AstonGeoff]

Why all of the moaning about radios?? I just walked into the paddock shop and got a fm/mw one in the half price sale for £5, just slotted in the batteries, tuned in, plugged in the earpeices and away I went!
It'll do as a backup for my RLM ones as well for next June.

Can't agree more about the lack of catering around the back of the circuit though, there are plenty of good places to watch from out there!

[cg7aa]

There seems to be quite a lot of positive comments overall about the weekend's racing. Good stuff, I'm about to join in...

Really enjoyed myself on Sunday despite the wind's attempt to move me around like a kite. I don't think I can ever get tired of watching the cars attack Maggotts and Becketts. I love the way they change direction so rapidly through the series of bends, going from outside kerb to inside kerb (and bouncing off the kerbs if you are a Charouz Lola).

I just couldn't leave the area, the guys I was with left me there and I caught up with them 3hrs later at Luffield. . It was very clear why the Peugeots are so quick, they were effortlessly carrying so much more speed than anything else through Maggotts and Becketts. It was almost frightening to watch! Another memorable moment from here was the three Zyteks going through in close proximity all backfiring as they downshifted. Wonderful sounds.

Other highlights includes seeing so many drivers in the paddock. There was Collard and Henri himself. The great man walked right past me, I couldn't think of anything to say other than look sheepish! I love the way the drivers sort of mingle with the general public - Erdos, Mucke, Gavin (chatting to Prodrive bloke, George Howard-Chappell I think), Minassian etc.

Is it me or was the Courage operation for this race rather modest? They had a small-ish tent with Cochet and Frei and no more than 3 or 4 other people in there when I stuck my head in. I was so delighted a Courage lasted the race. I'm sure the team were in shock too. They weren't packing up after the first hour!

LNT put on a great showing and the battle between the lead Pescarolo and Charouz Lola was great to watch. They were both at ten-tenths. The GT1 battle was also engaging.

The first safety car period came as no surprise to us, we could see even on the warm up lap that the Rolex advertising boards were slowly coming off. I dunno how that wasn't spotted if we could see it .

Like most people I thought a large screen would have been nice! I wasn't too bothered about the 'food' on sale mainly because I tend to avoid them.