Silverstone: Improvements needed for LMES spectator...

[Flat12-Aircool]

I just attended my first motor racing event the LMES race at Silverstone yesterday and was very impressed to say the least, although very damp also.

But it strikes me that in-order to better host a LMES endurance race, Silverstone could do with a few improvements namely...

1) A proper Leaderboard. Given the nature of endurance racing with upto 50 cars and 4 different classes, spectators need to have a better idea of which car is leading and by how much etc, etc. The commentary broadcast was usefull but more must be done.

2) A few Street lamps around the far flung reaches of the circuit wouldn't go amiss. Me & my friends went for a post 9 pm walk around the outer edges of the circuit and whilst heading back along Hanger Straight to see the finish we had to use the lights from our mobile phones just to see where we we're treading!

3) Give us more than 1 giant video screen! So at least a few more people can actually see whats going on elseware on the circuit. (related to point 1)

Other than that, after hearing lots of negative comments about Silverstone in the past few years I have to say I was quite impressed that as a venue it's not as bad as some people try to make out.

[forzaf1]

I certainly agree over the TV screens. One could of been placed at Club as there was quite a gathering there.

Alex

[Marcel ten Caat]

Improvements for (wet) LMES races.

A) Open up more (temporary) covered grandstands for the fans that are there when it rains. Don't try to keep 4 gates closed with 1 guard on the grandstand.

B) Leaderboard/TV-screen as seen on tv coverage. Race shown, standings in rolling bar at the bottom of the screen.

C) Lower entry prices for single day entrance, there's more racing on Sunday but prices are twice as high. Don't tell me this is just because 'the race lasts 6 hours'.
15-10 or 15-15 would be better. (Of course combined ticket prices should drop a bit as well then).

D) Cover the whole circuit and get rid of the rain!

[TheNewBob]

The TV was hard enough to see unless you were really close to it - don't think it's displaying of the standings would have made much difference. All the space on top of the smaller buildings at the start of the pit lane - a digital scrolling sign would be pretty ideal and easy to implement?

I remember at Donington when the large advert on the main straight for the Moto GP used to have a digital display at the top reading out the race positions (back in the Powertour days) - would be so handy!

I thought the ticket prices were pretty good - £20 for a whole day or £30 for a whole weekend - in this country you need double that price just to get into a single high-level 90 minute football match, and with the amount of access available I thought that really justified any slightly increased price ranges (with the exception of the food and drink!)

[nick_andrews]

1) Screen(s) closer to the track and spectators, also a leaderboard would be handy

2)Some form of lighting on the grandstands, was quite dangerous in the dark when walking up and down in the dark, nearly tripped on one of the steps because i couldnt see it. Also, lighting on the edge of the track, it was really muddy in places, and quite slippy.

3) A pitwalk. There was one scheduled, but what happened to it? I got on the pitlane without anybody noticing me when i was taking photos of the Aston, i had a good look around that area, nobody battered an eyelid at me

[Hazard]

The single TV screen is pretty useless...but it's too expensive to get the number of TV screens that you'd get there at the Grand Prix.

Anyway, when I went, the one in front of me broke...I think it was the GP. Who goes to watch the race on tele anyway?

A 'number pole' leaderboard would be useless for LMES...you wouldn't know if someone was passing for position of just getting a lap back. Gaps would be great, but how do you get that big enough to be visible...and where do you put it?!

Lights will be an idea...never been on the actual circuit area at night, I assume there's some peripheral lighting? Guess I'll be packing a torch for the Britcar.

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by Hazard

A 'number pole' leaderboard would be useless for LMES...you wouldn't know if someone was passing for position of just getting a lap back. Gaps would be great, but how do you get that big enough to be visible...and where do you put it?!

Lights will be an idea...never been on the actual circuit area at night, I assume there's some peripheral lighting? Guess I'll be packing a torch for the Britcar.

A sideways-scrolling leaderboard just above smaller buildings in the pitlane would be great for those in the open and covered grandstands at Woodcote. Not perfect, but at least it's something. Could simply display position, class, car number and laps covered. Could maybe display who's driving at that time too. Or is this too much to ask?

Yes, certainly pack a torch if your camping. Best brainwave I had of the entire weekend was packing a torch. The roads around the infield are lit up but most other places aren't.

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by nick_andrews

3) A pitwalk. There was one scheduled, but what happened to it? I got on the pitlane without anybody noticing me when i was taking photos of the Aston, i had a good look around that area, nobody battered an eyelid at me

From what I remember the pitwalk was cancelled due to bad weather.

[forzaf1]

Meeting The Grid Girls in the E-Zone was also cancelled

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Lights will be an idea...never been on the actual circuit area at night, I assume there's some peripheral lighting?

Absolutely none whatsoever!

Except for the faint shimmer of lights from the occasional Toilet block.

[8bentley8]

I must say i fully agree with flat12-aircool, there needs to be some indicators as to what going on in the race, apart from enjoying watching the cars FLY BY you had little idea as to what was happening in the race. Although the commentary was keeping you informed, trying to listen to it was near impossible.

I hope these problems raised can be sorted as we're looking forward to next year

seeing the cars in the night was excellent, and although we got a good soaking a good time was had by all!!

[JAG]

All cars should have illuminated numbers and the ALMS positional lights system.

[8bentley8]

i would like to correct mr aircool the toilets were more than just occasional there were many!

[nick_andrews]

This was a big meeting for silverstone...quite an important one building a relationship with the ACO and that. Whats it going to be like for the Britcar 24hours then!

[forzaf1]

Full credit to the hand driers in the toilets which dried my camera and clothes quite nicely.

[Aysedasi]

Being a veteran of Le Mans, it was the lack of lighting which struck me most. In the darkness we were out at Abbey, but I would have been pretty concerned about getting out of the grandstand in the dark or finding my way back from Stowe (sorry Paul, I never got there to see you.....).

As for commentary, a radio and headphones was what you needed. I guess the Le Mans-ites knew well to bring theirs with them......

I've always said that circuits make little effort to keep spectators up to speed with the race order. These days you rely almost entirely on the radio commentators - and that goes equally for Le Mans.

[924nut]

Aysedasi is right about the way to keep up with the race is to use a radio and listen to the commentary - but the real problem was public safety in trying to get down wet metal steps in ganties in grandstands in the dark - I dont think they even thought about a wet race- hence it running the full six hours and into the pitch black- but having heard about how they have treated the marshals I dont think they cared -

[Woolley]

Took me 15 minutes to get back from Club on Friday night. Thought I'd take a short-cut up the runway and forgot about barriers and fencing at the National and International circuits, one of which I walked in to without seeing it! The memory of looking across to the entry of Stowe and seeing the flashes from the change-downs made the trip across for Friday night worthwhile, though.

If you think following the postions is difficult, try it from in front of the speakers. Trying to flag when you have no idea of the race order. Some sort of display would be practical as well as informative for the speccies.

[midgetman]

All these comments echo my thoughts. Same as last year, nothing down at Stowe or Club, some kind of information would be good. Also, why broadcast the commentary on AM only - we all took FM radios we use at Le Mans!

Re the comment on toilets - yes there are loads, but very few had the lights on. We kept clear of grandstands and mud banks after 9:00 guessing it would be pitch black. Good that at least the complex had covered grandstands open. Bad that all the cars do not have mandatory illuminated numbers?

LMES = good. Silverstone organisation = could do better. But great value and we all (me, wife, 9 yr old son)really enjoyed it!

Spectator numbers seemed to be down. Are the facilities poor because no-one atrtends or does no-one go because the facilities are need improving?

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by forzaf1

Full credit to the hand driers in the toilets which dried my camera and clothes quite nicely.

Forget those piddley little hand driers, we used the Hot exhaust from one of those large mobile generators that powered the lighting in the pits straight!

Warmed up in no time!

[rdjones]

Originally Posted by forzaf1

Full credit to the hand driers in the toilets which dried my camera and clothes quite nicely.

Wish it could have done the same for mine.

Anyway overall, I thought that the campsite was quite well orgainsed. As for the PA was its normal wonderful self, luckly I had my radio so I could keep up to speed on events. In fact on Friday there was no PA or Radio service at all.

In view of the weather I thought that they could have opened up a few more of the covered grandstands, in fact I was told this morning that they where throwing people out of the grandstands that wern't open.

The only other thing I would say is that they need to put up a little more lighting up around track, it will be interesting to see what changes are made before the 24 Hours in 5 weeks time.

As for the crowd, yes it was down but that was mainly down to the weather. Overall not a bad weekend.

[Les]

agree with a lot of the points there (and really these should be emailed to Silverstone!)

1) lighting awful around the circuit - I nearly slid down the copse bank.
2) closed grandstands that people climbed/crawled in - just what is more dangerous - having them open and unmanned or 1/2 closed?
3) useless commentary. Lack of rundowns of position in Lmes and GTs. We could guess who was winning overall but what of the others?
4) £6 a program with no room for grids but gave you a lap chat???? The point being they knew how bad the commentary was going to be?
5) lighting gantry in our campsite (luckily someone found the off switch).
6) cold water and no plugs in the toliet blocks

but in all an excellent weekend

[G Tanner]

Re: Radio Commentary. I could be wrong but I think it's to do with available frequencies in each country. UK Government allows 1602 am for 'event radio'.

[8bentley8]

Originally Posted by Stranger

From what I remember the pitwalk was cancelled due to bad weather.

Does anyone know if the pit walk was offically open we had trouble finding a way in? We did eventually though which was good. But it didn't give us long in there

[Spudgun]

Originally Posted by rdjones

In view of the weather I thought that they could have opened up a few more of the covered grandstands, in fact I was told this morning that they where throwing people out of the grandstands that wern't open.
.

As soon as I arrived at just before 9am I wandered down to Stowe and made myself comfortable in the Stowe B grandstand with about 20 other people. 3 hours later someone came round and said we'd have to move because the stand wasn't actually open to the public for the meeting. He said that 'Silverstone were too mean to pay for the staff to steward that part of the circuit'.

It didn't really bother me that much since I was thinking of moving up to the complex anyway, but the fact that access to the stand was completely open (no climbing or jumping over anything) and it took them 3 hours to give us the message was pretty silly.

Other than that and the torrential rain I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was nice to catch up with Aysedasi after all this time and thanks to his trusty radio I was able to know roughly what was going on for the first four hours.

I have tended to keep an eye on Sportscars and GT's 'from afar' but I think this may have kicked something off.