High $, Low $ - F1 and NASCAR - Best bang for the Buck?

[MikeLane]

Monaco, Montreal and Charlotte

Great race venues - what's the difference?

Visiting F1 or NASCAR races evoke the same passion in different fans, but who gets the best experience? Here is what we found!

By

Mike Lane - GFN F1 Correspondent
Dusty Kennett - GFN Technical Contributor

Have you looked at Formula 1 Grand Prix racing on television and wondered what the fuss is about? It’s just a parade of cars following each other around a race circuit for two hours and the best car wins, right?

If you are an American you might prefer NASCAR racing. It is more exiting to watch, cars side by side and you can see the whole track from your seat. Pit stops help the action and can make the difference to the result. A great pit crew might win the race.

Well guess what, if you are English and a race fan you might find NASCAR boring and difficult to follow. Surprised, or maybe you can see a common theme.

For either fan, or indeed people who are not interested in either type of racing, there are two factors, which turn these spectacles into an occasion to remember.

Firstly, it helps to understand a little about the skills of the drivers. What talent does it require to drift a car with 800+ bhp through bends at high speed; to judge the braking distance required to decelerate a car from 200 mph to perhaps 50 mph; to drive inside a rival during such a manoeuvre and stay on the track whilst gaining a place?

So many factors can influence the outcome that like all sport, even a rudimentary knowledge of what is going on will turn a boring procession into a thrilling spectacle.

The second factor to enhance the experience in any sport and particularly motor sport is to go to the event. Forget television, you need to hear the roar of the engines. If it’s NASCAR, it is the massive rumble from the V8’s; if it is F1 you will not believe the scream of engines turning at 19000 rpm. Television dulls the senses and you cannot see the incredible acceleration, the mind blowing deceleration rates and awesome change of direction through bends or chicanes.
A visit to a race will always make it difficult to remain a sceptic.

So if you decide to go that one time to an event, which one should it be?

I’m sure NASCAR fans would nominate a venue for their sport which would be the one to visit for a one shot deal.

What about F1, which circuit embraces everything about the sport?

We need glamour, supreme skill, no margin for error, noise, smell and a sense of a luxury occasion. To my mind and most F1 fans, I would expect only one contender, Monaco.
The little principality hosts the Monaco Grand Prix in the most incredible surroundings. A road race through the tiny streets of this wealthy paradise in front of the rich and famous, I defy anyone to attend this event and not be enthralled.

So how do you get there? There are a number of companies that specialize in this event, or you can do it yourself. But hey, this event is special, it is the one time I would suggest you need to flash your cash. Viewpoint is crucial and most of the best vantage points are taken by companies or rich individuals. High viewpoints from the many apartment blocks are popular but for me the place to be is on board a boat in the harbour at Tabac corner.

And so it was that I had to try it for myself. My adventure was to see perhaps the greatest F1 driver of all time, Michael Schumacher, in action.

The company I used is called ‘Wildside’, a UK based company specializing in motor sport venues. Check out their website at Wildside Adrenalin Sports. A check on the Internet will turn up other companies of course and you can take your pick.

Now Wildside offer two alternative routes for this event. First of all you can make your own way down to the south of France and link up with the operators near Cannes. Secondly, you can join a convoy with your own car at Dover, UK and take the ferry to Calais as a group. This was my personal choice and so it was on a Wednesday morning my wife and I arrived at the ferry port at Dover, UK.

This was to be the start of a weeklong adventure and it needed a decent set of wheels for the trip. My choice was a Porsche Boxster S, arguably one of the best sports car roadsters there is. Our new traveling companions were suitably equipped with one Ferrari, one Porsche 911 Turbo, one Audi RS6 and our leader, Nick Duncan, in his trusty Porsche 927.

After introductions and the short ferry crossing to Calais we set off in convoy towards the south of France. Our leader, Nick, is a veteran of these trips and quite mad. This trip is not for the feint hearted and we set off at a ‘brisk’ pace down the autoroute towards Gray, in Franche-Comte.

En-route we paused at the original track for the French Grand Prix at Reims (last used in the mid 60’s), where a closed off road made up the circuit. The old buildings are still there, although somewhat derelict. Nevertheless they made an excellent backdrop for our convoy.

Here is the abandoned Reims circuit timing control. This track, which consisted of three hairpin bends and three long straights, was abandoned because it was considerd too fast, with over 142 mph average speeds - and that was back in the 60's!.

Our overnight stop was at a the beautiful Chateau Rigny in Gray, renowned for its superb food and elegant accommodation.

Here is one corner of our bedroom.

The reality lived up to Wildside’s promise and an excellent overnight stop was enjoyed by us all.

Next morning we set off in convoy at a ‘brisk’ pace past Lyon, where having covered a good portion of our journey south, Nick exited the autoroute and the fun began. This is a trip through parts of the French Alps and boy does this bring a smile to your face. Beautiful scenery, open roads with little traffic and the opportunity to use your car as it was intended.

There are two points to mention for those who have not tried a trip like this; first, driving in convoy is a ‘challenge’, the car ahead of you makes an overtake, whilst you have to wait. When you can go, you have to try and catch up. This is more ‘challenging’ than you might think.

Second, add to this the fact that the French police are less enthusiastic about your goal and the process requires skill, some sensibility and a good deal of luck to enjoy the trip without a fine etc. Still there is always the map and route instructions supplied by Wildside should you need to proceed at a more leisurely pace!

Here is a typical view en-route through southern France

All in all our safe arrival at Mandelieu La Napoule, near Cannes, allowed fond reminiscing long into the night over an aperitif or two before retiring to our rooms in this very comfortable hotel.
Friday was a free day and time to explore the locality with its waterfront and boats, a typical south of France venue. In the evening a meal had been arranged at a local restaurant specializing in seafood, bringing the day to a relaxing close.

This is the harbour outside our hotel

Saturday allowed the opportunity for guests to make their own way by train to Monaco for the practice/qualifying sessions at additional cost or spend a second free day relaxing and preparing for race day. My wife and I decided on the latter option, as we didn’t want to spoil the spectacle of this special race day. Other people may make a different choice and that is fine.

So to race day, Sunday morning and an early start saw all of us outside the hotel where we were collected by our transport to take us to Monaco. Nick was on hand to accompany us for the day and to look after our every need as he reminded us. It had nothing to do with the luxury we were to experience during the day to come; he was to assure us later!After a smooth ride, the 40 or so miles to Monaco, we arrived at our drop off point.

The Monaco track is a street circuit in the middle of town and therefore unique.

From there we walked through the town towards the waterfront. This was the beginning of that atmosphere I hinted at earlier when you visit an event. At Monaco the atmosphere is enhanced because it is not just a race circuit, the whole town is turned over to F1 for the entire event and this is what helps to make it special. I suspect the locals, who are not interested in F1, vacate their homes and let them out to race fans thereby making some welcome extra cash.

It was a carnival atmosphere with throngs of fans enjoying the ambience and the anticipation of the race. A support Porsche race typically takes place ahead of the grand-prix and you begin to get a hint of the noise to come.

Arriving at the waterfront we were met by a small water taxi for the short journey to our viewing place.

Our boat is the one with the Ferrari flags on it.

Oh, nothing had prepared us for our destination: a large motor launch was our venue and as we alighted aboard our hosts dished out complimentary earplugs. Believe me when I say these were to prove essential not to be mistaken for fashion items.

As we entered the saloon on board we were greeted with complimentary drinks including champagne, which was to set the tone for the day. This was not a sandwich and flask day, we were to be pampered.
Exploring this large launch, the upper deck turned out to be a fabulous viewing platform. We were moored with other boats alongside the quay and only feet from the track. You will not get closer than this to a formula one racecar at speed, trust me.

Before long, lunch was served and what a lunch it was. Close your eyes, let your imagination run wild about your ideal buffet and then open your eyes. Dreams do come true; half lobsters, smoked salmon, meats galore etc. Well the wine and champagne flowed and we gorged ourselves until we were pretty mellow.

You can see our viewing deck at the back of the boat.

The race was yet to come and when it did, was it a spectacle. First the parade of drivers including Michael Schumacher, followed by the warm up lap and then the start. Remember me saying TV cannot show the phenomenal acceleration, deceleration and change of direction? Try taking a photograph as the cars rocket through Tabac and fly to the next bend before they are out of sight. Believe me your finger doesn’t work that fast, at least not every time.

This is not a telephoto lens shot, the cars are close!

Forget the camera and just enjoy the pain in your ears, even with the complimentary earplugs jammed in. Take in the smells, the sights and savour the spectacle. I guarantee you will be in awe unless you are brain-dead.

At 100mph on the exit of the bend you need to pan your camera fast!

One of the engines blows up in a pall of smoke in front of us and another driver crashes in the zero visibility. The car is upside down and our hearts are in our mouths. To much relief, he gets out of the car unhurt and sprints across the track, vaults the barrier and runs up the gangplank of a boat next but one to us to join his family. Relief for them and us as spectators, before pinching ourselves as we realize this is the company we are in on this day.

Visibility is zero as Fisichella crashes and turns over.

The race continues with unbelievable noise and spectacle. This is a race where passing is incredibly difficult on the track as the racing lines are tight on a track bounded by the confines of a street layout. Of course, as in NASCAR, opportunities present themselves with pit stops. None of this matters, however, as the venue provides the spectacle.

Drivers take the applause of the fans as they wind down at the end of the race.

This is a day to remember whether you started out an F1 fan or not. This is one event to go to before you die, trust me.

And so the race was over, saluting the drivers as they circle the track for a slow down lap and then a walk along part of the track now deserted of race cars and an after race cocktail party overlooking the fabulous harbour. One last chance to savour the unique atmosphere and then back to our transport taking us to our hotel. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Next morning, Monday, we begin the return trip.

Typical road through the Italian Alps.

This time in convoy we drive east along the coast before turning north and driving through part of the Italian Alps.

These roads were made for fun and were great in my Porsche.

If you fancy trying this trip, try and get one of your fellow travelers to drive a Ferrari.
You have to hear a Ferrari bark as it drives through a mountain tunnel, fabulous.
Having savoured the mountain roads once again, we crossed back into France before making our overnight stop in another chateau, Le Moulin d’Hauterive, in Burgundy.

The beautiful Chateau, Le Moulin d'Hauterive.

Again, French luxury was enjoyed and a marvelous evening meal shared with our new friends and fellow travelers.

Here is our sitting room, just part of the suite we occupied.

What a fitting end to our adventure, wonderful luxury and great food not forgetting the company of our fellow travelers.

Our final morning signals another brisk trip up the autoroute to Calais and our ferry to the UK.

One week of magic, one of those things on the list of things to do before we go to that big racetrack in the sky. I defy you to take the trip and still say F1 is boring.
Switch the TV off and get out there.



So you’ve seen what you get if you try the luxury end of the market, but here at Gofastnews we thought it would a useful exercise to try the other end of the market i.e. go to a Formula 1 race as a keen race fan with little money. With that objective in mind, Dusty Kennett (GFN technical contributor) and I decided to travel from Charlotte, NC to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.


We purchased our ‘general admission’ tickets on line for $80 each and made arrangements to collect them at the circuit on race day at the office, which opened at 6.30am.

On Thursday 5th June 2008 Dusty and I set off in a borrowed Ford Focus for the trip to Montreal. We decided to stop in Solomon’s Island, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont en-route to visit relatives and so we travelled the 400 miles to Solomon’s on Thursday and then 550 miles to Vermont on Friday. Saturday was spent recovering and then at 2.30am on Sunday (race day) Dusty and I got up for our trip to Montreal, some 138 miles.

We had looked on the internet to try and find information that might help us with getting to the track, time to arrive, where to park etc but found it difficult to get what we needed from the official site. Dusty and I had to work out from sites, other than the official site, where we might try and park as we knew that fans take the Metro onto the island for the race.

Having made the effort to get up really early, we arrived at our chosen destination, with help from my gps navigator, at 5.15am. The Metro did not open until 5.30am so we waited to buy our tickets and took the first train to run.

Just one stop later we arrived on the island at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit at the front of the line, only to find that the office where we had to collect our prepaid tickets wasn’t there, but back at the exit from the Metro and of course it didn’t open until 6.30am, one hour later!

It was incredibly frustrating watching the succession of Metro trains disgorging fans that already had tickets and were able to leapfrog us into the circuit.

Finally we got our tickets when the office opened and made our way to the entrance only to find that the track didn’t open for general admission until 7.35 hours and guess what, we were now at the back of a large line of people. Our hopes of having any view of the race were fading fast.

Here is part of the crowd at the gates.

When the gates finally opened the crowd rushed across the bridge and into the circuit, eagerly trying to get a place, which wasn’t blocked off, where they could see the track. We had decided to try and aim for the exit of the hairpin and so we made our way there with the many other ordinary fans with a similar goal.

When we arrived on the far side of the stand covering the exit to the hairpin, we managed to get a place standing right next to the side of the grandstand.
Here is our view of the underside of the stand and the hairpin.

The hairpin is to the left of this picture which shows the underside of the stand.

Here is our view of the hairpin!

You can make up your own mind whether this was a good view but trust me we were lucky. Many fans were much worse off as they could not see under the stand but only straight ahead. They would see cars sprinting down to the hairpin but then lose sight of them as they negotiated it, before regaining a quick view as the cars accelerated past and then disappeared again from sight.

This is the view to our left.

Here is a telephoto view across to the stand opposite us on the entrance to the hairpin.

We were also fortunate that there was a large television screen across the way from us on which we could follow the progress of the race. All we had to do was bend down and peer under the stand!

As we settled down for the five hour wait until the Formula 1 race was due to start we talked to a group of young fans next to us. It turned out that they were a group of students from Mexico who are studying engineering. They had driven from Guanajuato, some 2800 miles.

Here are our new friends in the foreground and no wonder they look tired.

Now we thought we were keen driving nearly 1100 miles, but these guys and gals had a return trip of 5600 miles so little wonder they had general admission tickets at $80 and not $225-$495 for grandstand seats.

Our guess was that these particular students may not be the poorest students in Mexico and therefore in the future may be perspective customers for the more expensive seats, so we began to think about how they might view their treatment as customers at this circuit and whether they would bother to return in later life when they can afford better seats.

I will return to contrast this thought with an experience at a NASCAR race later in this article.

With a long wait in prospect we looked forward to the three support races which were to be run prior to the Formula 1 race. These were a Porsche Cup race, followed by a Formula BMW class of open wheel race cars and finally a Ferrari challenge event.

All of these events were good entertainment and gave me the opportunity to practice with my camera to see what photographs were possible.

You can see a small selection of my efforts in this article. Not great but the best I could manage with the available view, even though I had a 450mm telephoto lens. The scaffolding under the stand makes a difficult obstacle to negotiate!

So to the Formula 1 event itself, which began with a driver’s parade where the stars rode around the circuit in Austin Healey 3000 sports cars. These cars from the 60s had been immaculately restored and were a credit to their owners.

We were amazed to see pole sitter, Lewis Hamilton, leading the parade and taking photographs of the crowd as he toured around.

As the race began we forgot our long wait and listened to the scream of the cars revving at 18000 revs down to our hairpin, led by Hamilton. This is where you see the incredible dynamics of a Formula 1 car as it brakes from high speed into a slow hairpin and then accelerates out of it to vanish from view in the blink of an eye. You cannot believe the deceleration and acceleration of these cars, and earplugs are an essential accessory.

These two photographs taken at the beginning of the race show early action at the hairpin with Hamilton in the lead.

Our Mexican friends had not been to an F1 race before and it was fun to see their reactions to these cars and that our predictions to them were all true. They hadn’t got earplugs with them but quickly improvised in true engineering style with tissue paper!

Of course the race was disappointing from the point of view that pole sitter, Hamilton, built up a lead only to be thwarted by a Safety Car deployment and then a silly mistake in the pit lane to put him and Kimi Raikkonen out of the race.

On the other hand, it was great to see Robert Kubica, who was second fastest in qualifying, winning the race on merit. This was particularly true when you remember the horrifying accident he had at last year’s F1 race.

These two photographs from later in the race show Hamilton with a lead over his rivals before his mistake and retirement.

It was also great to see David Coultard gaining a podium place after a strong run in the Red Bull car. He must have been pleased to see an end to the miserable run he has had lately.

With the race over, it only remained for us to follow the crowds back to the Metro and our journey home. The Metro is really efficient, but funneling those thousands of people into a Metro station meant we took about 45 minutes to get our train.

From there the journey back to Vermont was straightforward apart from the Border official who seemed to be bemused that we had driven from North Carolina to Montreal for a motor race.

Wonder what he would have thought about our Mexican friends!

As Dusty and I left Montreal we discussed our day and what we thought of our experience as $80 customers of the Montreal Circuit.

Dusty recalled his recent trip to the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR event at Lowes Motor Speedway, which offered an interesting contrast, albeit a different branch of motor racing.

As Dusty explained, ‘with fuel prices the way they are today and the certainty that they will get worse, the event you attend must justify the means of getting there.’ ‘If your wallet allows for the $225-$495 when you attend a Grand Prix, then attending the event will be a worthwhile experience.’

‘The spectacle of Formula 1, as it is often referred to, is exactly that and you really need to see it clearly and unobstructed by chain linked fences, scaffolding poles and spectators heads.’ ‘This should apply to all customers, including our Mexican friends who went to so much trouble and who may return when they can afford the better seats in the future.’

‘If the expense of attending a Grand prix is too much, NASCAR is a fantastic alternative.’

Dusty paid the same $80 to attend the NASCAR event but could have paid less than half that. He also did not have to drive over 2000 miles round trip for the privilege. His $80 got him a seat in the stands on the 4th row just after the start line. He was able to see nearly the entire track including pit road.

Dusty continued, ‘the major difference between general admission, to each of the races, is that the NASCAR event guarantees you a seat that is reserved for you, whereas Formula 1 leaves it up to the spectator to fight their way through the crowd for a view.’

‘NASCAR has Formula 1 beaten with regards to ticket prices and visibility. Circle track racing is inherently better for spectators since more seats will get a view of the majority of the track.’

‘Road racing only allows for a partial view of the track and the view is often supplemented by a television screen. However, when you cannot see the track nor the television, clearly your $80 ticket leaves you merely an attendee and not a spectator!’


From our joint experiences can we draw any conclusions?

Of course we can. You may each have your own preferences but both F1 and NASCAR are great spectacles to attend.

Was it worth the long trip to go to the Grand Prix in Canada?

Yes it was a great trip and as fans of F1, there is something magical about the sounds and smells of an F1 race.

Did we think we were treated well as $80 customers who had paid over $500 in fuel to get there, plus accommodation?

No, definitely not.

Could Montreal make improvements?

Yes, we believe so.

Firstly, they could open the ticket collection office at 5.30am, the same as the Metro and take away the frustration we experienced. At least then you could choose whether to go early and keep your place at the front of the queue or arrive later, but lose early advantage.

Secondly, they could improve the view of general admission spectators. This might include removing the tarpaulins from the backs of stands to give more people a view of the circuit near them, even though it would still be through the scaffolding. It might also involve moving the stands back a little and allow general standing in front. This would give much better views to $80 customers albeit through the fences. The customers paying $225 or more would still get the better view with an unobstructed line of sight but at least the poorer fans would feel they were getting value for money.

For me, what started as a luxury trip to the most glamorous F1 race at Monaco, ended with a trip at the opposite end of the scale in Montreal.

There is no question this was ‘chalk and cheese’, but both methods have their positive and negative parts.

I wish Montreal had made their negative bits less and it made me wonder if one of the reasons for the reluctance of Americans to fully embrace this sport of F1 may have something to do with Dusty’s observations on his experience with the NASCAR event. Especially when you take account of how big the USA is and how far people need to travel to an F1 event.

With the current economy worries and now with the uncertainty of fuel costs maybe F1 needs to learn to cater for their poorer fans a little better and thereby ensure the future of this sport we love.

Mike Lane - GFN Formula 1 Correspondent.
Dusty Kennett - GFN Technical Contributor.



.................................................. ...................................

[Dusty]

Judging by the pics we are not Lewis Hamilton Fans are we

[rookie]

I think you have to be more of an event fan, than a race fan, to go to the track.

There is no way you can beat the coverage of competition or the in depth technical info that is covered on T.V., in the comfort of your own home for damn near free, not to mention, you will never get a high def., surround sound, in car lap, at the track.

Out of all the events I have been to, Oval, paved or dirt, Trucks, Cars or Drag race, I would recommend Top Fuel live, at least once in your life, it is unexplainable.

After that, watch it from home, the coverage and tech. are still better.

[Dusty]

no high def tv or surround sound can send those shivers down your spine though

[trmclassics]

Excellent write up Mike. I have been thinking about taking my son to an F1 event. Your article makes me think that I need to get good seats in the stands instead of the general admission if we do attend one. I think that "Rookie" makes a good point about people being fans of events. I have been to just about every form of racing in person that there is and it is hard to beat the TV as far as coverage goes. On the other hand the sites, sounds, smells and cheers is hard to get from the TV. Really that is what makes an event what it is and worth the money. Everyone should go to at least one of each event that interests them and find out for themselves. I am a little biased because I am used to being behind the wheel.........which is the BEST view!

[MikeLane]

Thanks Chris for your comments, you are right that good seats are the only option but that doesn't excuse the track owners from looking after their poorer customers.

[trmclassics]

Originally Posted by MikeLane

Thanks Chris for your comments, you are right that good seats are the only option but that doesn't excuse the track owners from looking after their poorer customers.

No arguement there. You should be able to see the track without drinks and food being spilled on your head from the seats above.