GT World Challenge Europe 2021

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

It's Southbank "and infield" parking and it's the latter that appeals to me. During the day I move between several areas as I take pictures around the place. Having infield parking enables me to have spare clothes, food/drink and extra camera equipment easily to hand without having to lug it all about. It's also a place to shelter if it rains! I don't think I have ever actually parked on Southbank itself.

Although I rarely go to Brands these days as I don't do many meetings any more other than Le Mans and the now lamented Silverstone WEC/ELMS, I spent many years going there regularly and always parked on the South Bank. In poor weather you can sit in your car and it works better for the Brands bowl than anywhere else. Years ago I always used to park at Becketts at Silverstone on the perimeter road but I guess you probably can't do that anymore. In any weather when parked on the South Bank you can have easy and relatively quick access to your car for clothes, brolly, food etc. etc. I suppose also it was the place where I took my kids and they loved playing on the bank when the novelty of the cars inevitably wore off. For me, being on the South Bank is just 'historically' essential.

Originally Posted by justracing

...were there no track limits in operation ? I'm convinced that a number of competitors regularly over ran kerbs particularly on the exit of Graham Hill bend.

Sitting where I was for quite a bit of the day overlooking that very spot, the thought of track limits occurred many times. There is now a strip of green 'carpet' now that wasn't there years ago, but the cars routinely drive well beyond the kerbing and onto the grass - and not just the GTs. It happened in all the races all day. That part of the grass seems to have effectively become part of the circuit and many cars use it on through the bottom of the pit road and beyond...

[broadrun96]

Sounds like they need a bit more Georgia red clay there. Every so often people try at Road Atlanta to cut corners, never seems to go well for them. And any damp, forget it, you're on a ride straight to the scene of the wreck.

[AndrewCherry]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

In poor weather you can sit in your car and it works better for the Brands bowl than anywhere else.

Hah, my dad used to say that was cheating, and too nesh. Those of a certain vintage might recall the man and boy often sat at Clark Curve under a big green fishing umbrella in any weather imaginable. I remember being literally the only people left when a club-level GT/sports car meeting was abandoned because of torrential rain (must have been 80s, I think) and the commentator essentially directing the announcement to us as the only people still there, huddled under the umbrella, still hoping.

Personally, it sounds quite sensible to me...

[AndrewCherry]

I remember when I did my racing license test at Brands, being told that I needed to do a certain number of quick consistent laps, and they wouldn't count if I abused track limits at that point on the exit on to Cooper Straight. Of course, having a clerk in the passenger seat is a bit different, and every driver is going to do the max they can get away with...

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by AndrewCherry

Hah, my dad used to say that was cheating, and too nesh.

Cheating or not, these days, at my age, I'd rather be dry than drowned.....

[stuart thompson]

I very rarely view the racing from my van, but it forms a very good base camp, I take my stove , cook my breakfast and lunch and it’s handy to return for other items or shelter if it’s raining etc.

[BertMk2]

I made it to Brands on Sunday - pretty good day all in all. I agree that the loss of one of the modsports races was a shame, that was probably my favourite grid of the day (with the added bonus of an RS200 - always a good thing!). I think they could have trimmed the 40 minute races down to 30 and got both modsports races in (maybe as 15 minute rather than 20 minute). The Caterham race did at least let me sit down for a bit and rest my legs (I'd done a couple of laps of the loop by that point - it's still annoying how much that's been ruined for the spectator).

[Truckosaurus]

I had a nice day out on Sunday, and had the bonus of bumping into James and Andrew as well.

I'd paid for a grandstand seat which was poor value as it was actually busy and you had to sit next to people rather than spread out as you normally can for club races (inc British GT).

I've long since given up on buying food/drink at circuits due to the quality/costs, so take a packed lunch and a can or 2 of beer from the fridge.

If I had remembered all the way back to earlier in the year I'd have brought along a radio to get some commentary while out in the forest where the tannoy doesn't play.

It's good to see the spectator areas busy, especially with families etc.

Finally, I parked somewhere I've not been before, a car park at the top of the hill that is accessed off the A20 before the main entrance. Had some good views across to London. Zero queues (or even any other cars) at the exit - I left at the end of the Caterham race.

[WyldStallion]

Did anybody at the Brands race see themselves on Tv in the background in the speed shots even if was for a split second each time?

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

Did anybody at the Brands race see themselves on Tv in the background in the speed shots even if was for a split second each time?

Anyone on the unfenced bank at the exit of Hawthornes will have been in shot as there was a camera scaffold directly opposite.

[tbtstt]

I am still sore with Brands for ruining the GP circuit with high fencing (yeah, I know, I should have let that go by now!), but I still really enjoyed the day.

Obviously disappointing to lose one of the Modsport races. With the delay I was hoping they might cut a little off some of the 40 minute support races to fit everything in but, given that the Modsports had two races on the day and everyone else had one, I guess that was fairest way to do it.

Honestly couldn't care less about the cancellation of the lunch time demos. Previous demos at the Blancpain rounds usually featured nice cars being gingerly driven around which is a nice distraction while stuffing my face, but no substitute for racing.

Bought tickets for Sunday online (at £25) and, even with the restricted timetable, I certainly didn't feel cheated with the racing we got. I always used to avoid the MSV food stands, but I favour them over the vans now. Burger, fried spuds and a drink for just under a tenner which is seems to be pretty cheap for circuit/show food these days.

Agree that the GT3 cars are pretty sizeable and passing obviously isn't easy at Brands, but both races gave us close finishes and a few good mid-field battles. Was at Hawthornes during the first race and Wilkinson really had his hands full when he came past on the last racing lap. My mate and I both said that is going to end badly and 15 seconds later he was in the trees. Didn't see the footage of the crash until later, great to see him out of the car so quickly.

Not the biggest GT3 entry Brands has seen, but still a good variety of cars (and engine notes). I personally think GT3 has been the most consistently interesting tarmac category of the last 10 years.

[hoffman66]

Agreed, I think the private places must have been ramped well up on Saturday, as that would have got you maybe a burger and a drink then maybe, it was super dear.

just means I went elsewhere on the way home, i can wait that long rather than be ripped off.

What annoys me is the amount of people that still pay even though they are being ripepd off. makes me sick.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by hoffman66

just means I went elsewhere on the way home, i can wait that long rather than be ripped off.

What annoys me is the amount of people that still pay even though they are being ripepd off. makes me sick.

I had a two hour+ journey there and a two hour+ journey home, leaving at 7 am and getting home after 8 pm (and I left before the last race). Not having anything to eat during the day would have made me rather unhappy.....

I guess I'd better bring a packed lunch next time....

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by hoffman66

Agreed, I think the private places must have been ramped well up on Saturday, as that would have got you maybe a burger and a drink then maybe, it was super dear.

Seems to be a general thing now. Was at a local country show the day after Brands and the food prices there were eye-watering!

The MSV places stalls/restaurants seem fairly consistent. Was expecting to see more open for the GT round, but then I was expecting a bigger crowd.

[AndrewCherry]

I know it's a bit off topic, but I have to constantly check my expectations with food prices. I think we all have a tendency towards a bit of price anchoring, usually defined by how much food was at some formative age. For me, a burger and chips and drink "should" be less than a fiver, but it hasn't been for a long time. If I find myself thinking that somewhere like BH is expensive, I check what it would be somewhere like McDonalds. Turns out that a quarter pounder with cheese meal in McDonalds is £5.19 right now, and that's a bog standard fast food place with economies of scale (event venues will never be as cheap). I went to Smash Burger at the weekend, a burger, fries and drink there cost me about £15.

Basically, what I think I'm saying is - BH, or at least the MSV catering, when benchmarked against the general food market, actually isn't that bad.

Making my peace with paying about £4 for a f***ing 99 Flake on the other hand, is still something I'm struggling with, and with a 3 year old, hard to avoid now and again...

[Anyopenroad]

My impression is that all eating out has seen a quite significant price hike in the last year. On the specific example of a £7 burger, my first thought was that it has been a while since I saw one that cheap at any event. I usually take sandwiches to motorsport, but if I do buy something I never expect to see change from a tenner for a modestly-sized meal, with drink on top of that. *Shrug*, it’s just what it costs.

[Anyopenroad]

Interrupting the catering chat for a moment (!) here's a typically big album of pics from Brands Hatch: https://bit.ly/2Vgz6dT

All cropped and resized but otherwise unedited. I hope you enjoy!

[dwh43scale]

Originally Posted by AndrewCherry

Making my peace with paying about £4 for a f***ing 99 Flake on the other hand, is still something I'm struggling with, and with a 3 year old, hard to avoid now and again...

We used to use Goodwood as the level for expensive ice creams. However numerous Ice Cream vans I have walked past this summer means you'll likely need a second mortgage to buy one at the Revival ...

Fortunately my 31 year old tends to buy 99's for me these days ...

[J Jay]

Bit of a procession this one, there's been some action but it's all in the midfield.

And of course, here's the regulation FCY -> SC. 30+ second lead wiped out in the name of higher tyre temps.

[bentley speed 8]

And the safety car ruined what was a very clean race. Unnecessary move.

[tbtstt]

Possibly a bit late as another round has already been and gone, but a few photos through the gaps in the fence at Brands...











...more here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/229616...57719795728191

If anyone is interested!

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Possibly a bit late as another round has already been and gone, but a few photos through the gaps in the fence at Brands...

If anyone is interested!

Nice! I still haven't gone through mine

I'm with you on still having the hump about the fencing on the loop, I did wander round there a couple of times during the day but it's really not what it was.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Nice! I still haven't gone through mine

Ha, and I thought I was slow!

Originally Posted by BertMk2

I'm with you on still having the hump about the fencing on the loop, I did wander round there a couple of times during the day but it's really not what it was.

Hawthornes is OK (and in my mind is sensibly fenced: high fence up to the apex, then waist high from that point), but the rest has been ruined.

Photography aside, you used to be able to stand at Westfield and clearly see the cars coming, even viewing is obscured now. Spectator (and marshall) safety is obviously massively important, but it is a pity that the improvements are so detrimental to viewing.