Circus

[EvilPumpkin]

Terry "The Legend" Grant is a stunt driver that does a performance using....wait for it......a Legend!

He puts on a great show - his party piece is doing figure 8 donuts around 2 attractive young ladies!

And I've just been told he's at Mondello this weekend. Spooky - speak his name and he appears..........

[EvilPumpkin]

Hmm apparently the circus mentality is infectious.......

The first of four ‘Super Race Sundays’, supported by ‘The Star’ newspaper, gets on track at Mondello Park this weekend with an innovative race schedule and a host of side attractions designed to add spice to the National motorsport scene.


Mondello Park’s management are the driving force behind the new events, which on four occasions this year will focus on providing the best that domestic motorsport has to offer combined with the razzamatazz normally only seen at high profile international race meetings.


Formula Ireland, the Dunlop Super Car Championship and the Fiat Punto Abarth Cup will each race twice on the six race programme presided over by the MG Car Club which will be run on the always spectacular Mondello Park national track. To spice up the action each class will have a sprint race and a longer feature race with the top finishers from race one having their grid order reversed for race two.


This Sunday’s event also features two stunt shows by the legendary Terry Grant, a pit walkabout, prize presentations in front of the main straight grandstand and an expanded commentary team. Adding a touch of glamour to the event will be the Mondello Park Grid Girls, while children’s entertainment in the paddock will add to the family friendliness of the event.


Terry Grant kicks off proceedings at 12:30 followed by the Pit walkabout. Racing commences at 2:00 with the Fiat Punto race followed by the Super Cars and Formula Ireland sprint races. Terry Grant performs for the second time at 3:30 before the reversed grid feature races for each class take place. The whole package is schedule to finish shortly after 5:00pm.

[Chris Y]

Sadly, it may be the only way to attract "Joe Average" to the race track at the weekend, and give his family something to do.

(I know that's very stereotypically male-oriented, but I'm just illustrating a point, ok? )

[EvilPumpkin]

Actually I would have thought that it was more to attract Mrs Joe and Joe and Josie Jnr - the attraction for Joe is that he gets to offload them at the "Mr Hankey Memorial Playground" while he gets to watch the racing!

[KPC]

I have seen no coments regarding the public transport facilities,did anybody use these? [/B][/QUOTE]

Are there any. I don't ever remember seeing park and ride signs or the like. I used to work with a bloke who lives (like Steve) in Paddock Wood and worked at Gatwick. He didn't drive. He didn't spend and awful ot of time at home either by all accounts, travesing half of the SE just to get to and from work. On a late early turn around he probably only got time to brush his teeth and change a shirt. Point is, Brands isn't easy to get to if you haven't wheels of your own. I've never noticed shuttles or even a bus come to think of it, although that main drag from the M25 must be a bus route. But I speak in a certain amount of ignorance... it would be interesting to know how those without a car get there... if indeed they do? One for Brands to work on.... along with the car park access, or more importantly, exits.

[Stephen Green]

At the moment there are no obvious ways to get there (that I know of). It's normally a train to Dartford and then a taxi. Silly I admit and something that really needs to be researched and sorted by the owners/organising clubs.

[KPC]

There are some excellent road changes at Silverstone, intended for GP day as Maplex will tell you. Skanska, the construction company that did the work also built the Dartford Bridge in another guise... but that's just not-so-interesting fact time. Brands on an average day just doesn't pull the numbers to justify better transport systems. I can only twice remember being stuck in traffic, once being the other week. Once past the bottle neck after the Tear Drop place near the hopper on the M25 spur it's pretty fine sailing. And those Kent police must love the overtime. Directing traffic... gravy train. I can't believe there's not a bus route though.

[Rob29]

From pre war days to mid 70s,there was an hourly Green Line bus from Victoria to Wrotham,which stopped outside the circuit.Only reason I never became a marshal was that there was not one early enough for the start of practice on a sunday.This was replaced by a less frequent Maidstone & District service.When the M20 was opened the M&D bus was diverted down it.Since when its an expensive taxi.Special shuttles have been run from Swanley for major events,I was asking if anyone had seen one at the Champcar meet-Apparently not!

[cos]

Back on topic... I did think the number of races was a bit mean, but the organisers did keep the spectators interested with the air displays etc. Not like some meetings I've been to where there is a 45min break with sweet f.a. to do.

[KPC]

Fair comment but it comes down to expectations. I only go to the BTCC these days (and the odd superbike) as there's racing all the way. Okay, not all the racing is edge of your seat stuff and invariably we'll wander off to the bar or whatever. But each year there are different series, which keep things interesting and it's always worth a look to see if yer going to get into it on the first meeting. For example, I thought the Legends at Mondello were excellent and it is a shame they weren't at Brands. No showboating there, just real die hard racing. But going back to my point, there is constant racing if you want it. I don't go to meetings where the racing is in short supply as I consider my free time as also in short supply and want to get the most from it... a good day out. So fine, air displays as fillers may be better than bugger all. Personally I couldn't care either way, the planes just wiggled about a bit. The Hercules went down well by all accounts but having worked at an airport for 14 years I find up close and personal planes as interesting as watching paint dry. But that's strictly personal. Weren't exactly Red Arrows stuff was it, and even the formation parachute jump was a bit unruly. But when we all turn out to a BTCC meeting we expect a choc a block day of racing. We did not get it at Brands. I just hope Brands are doing market research and feedback for the next time. Right. I'm saying no more on the subject otherwise I'll sound like a broken record.

[redshoes]

The thing about Brands, and I have to keep reminding myself of this as well, is that it was a CART meeting not a TOCA meeting. Haven't been to a CART meeting before so maybe long periods of inactivity and yet more pace car activity is usual. One thing worth pointing out is the meeting had a 'time exact' schedule. That's to say unlike normal meeting where if one race finishes earlier the next starts early, here each session started exactly on time, with appropriate gaps in the schedule to allow for red flags of extended races. Why? Well it's all to do with live TV. It's no good the race starting early and the TV coverage not starting until several laps in. If you think that is bad try going to a GP. The FIA will frequently leave gaps of anything up to an hour between races to allow for overruns. Before anyone says it I know the BTCC has live TV coverage now, the difference is that MotorsTV take the whole day not just the main race shown between the Eastenders omnibus and the evening news.

In the past I've been very critical of air displays, marching bands, stunt displays and other 'fluff'. Just ask me my views on Powertour I think the difference here is that the extras didn't detract from or replace any racing. As I said in an earlier post there was going to be nothing else happening on track anyhow so I'd rather spend 15 mins watching an air display than watching marshals kick stones around an empty track.

[touringcarnut]

Originally posted by redshoes
I'd rather spend 15 mins watching an air display than watching marshals kick stones around an empty track.

What? you mean you don't enjoy the blokes in orange? they're an entertainment source in themselves. I don't get out much..

[KPC]

Good points. Oh, I said I'd done with this thread. One last thing then: true it was a CART meeting and it is difficult to get around the TOCA brainwashing. But if TOCA are guest to the Champ cars again I don't personally think I could be bothered to get out of bed for it. Brands is good for me as it's the closest circuit and until they start using Goodwood I'm fresh out of luck. But I go to other meetings so it's not like Brands is the be all and end all. I wonder how many others would turn out for a repeat of the day knowing what they now know? On my precious day off I want to have a riot of a time, not get out of my bed at an ungodly hour, drive through half a dozen counties by breakfast, just to stand in a field with not much happening. then you got to get yerself home again in time for a 5 o'clock start the next morning when you're once again a wage slave.

To sum the champ cars up in one comment: there were a couple of women sitting in deck chairs at Clearways who were obviously big champ car fans. One was whooping and hollering and making a scene when certain drivers names were mentioned or paraded past... at lap 60ish when myself and gang decided to go find some alcohol, the lady concerned had her headback pointing skywest and most definitely catching up on some zees.

And in the 90's we got Red Arrows at the F1. Keep on about them don't I. Well, like the BTCC it's good paintswapping action.

Seeya.

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by touringcarnut
What? you mean you don't enjoy the blokes in orange? they're an entertainment source in themselves. I don't get out much..

Don't forget the Blokesses....

[Teletubby]

Blimey, are you a girl then EP?

[EvilPumpkin]

Apparently that depends on your definition of "girl" TT Although I believe you may occasionally hear me referred to as "heinous b1tch from the 7th circle of Hell" - which does seem to indicate female gender........

[Chris Y]

You've gone up a circle since I last heard from you, EP

Anyway, back on topic, and at the risk of asking KPC to disobey his last message and post on this thread again...

..Have you ever been to a club-racing meet, KPC? Generally, there is more racing packed into a club race day than there is any other race meeting. Sure, it may not be as high profile as the TOCA tour, but if you want to see more racing like the Legends, then try a club meeting. After all, up until last year, that was the only way you could see Legends..

If Brands is your local, just pop along one weekend when there's racing on and surprise yourself

[Stephen Green]

It's a shame he didn't come along this weekend Chris, he would have seen some superb racing!

[KPC]

You like to rub it in don't ya Stephen. What happened to the empathy we once shared in the Gravel Trap over a pint? Boo hoo. As I've oft said, I tend to have to work weekends - as you'll probably understand if ya look at my bio - and have to book Sat/Sun's off if I want to go to anything.. racing, wedding, whatever. Easier said than done. I won't go into the details as I haven't time and it's boring but trust me. For example: I managed to get every race day off this year but had to book them last December. I would love to get along more often. So you all enjoy yourselves and give a thought to the poor souls perched precariously on the edge of our nation.

[Stephen Green]

Sorry you have to work weekends, it's a bugger innit

[TwoSheds]

Originally posted by redshoes
As I said in an earlier post there was going to be nothing else happening on track anyhow so I'd rather spend 15 mins watching an air display than watching marshals kick stones around an empty track.

Don't you mean kick stones off an empty track. Although come to think of it, maybe kicking stones onto an empty track would liven up the next session.

[KPC]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
Sorry you have to work weekends, it's a bugger innit

I would have to say working any day is a bugger, but I actually prefer it. Been 12 years since I sat in a rush hour proper or had to go into battle with the crowds in the shopping malls.