The Checklist

Over the past few years I've attended a fair few motorsport events. Last year, I saw my first F1 race in Germany, and this year I'll be going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Belgian grand prix in Spa. Attending big events like this is a must for anyone who is into motosport, and so I've been thinking of writing out a list of events which are a must for petrolheads of all kinds. Most of these are my personal choices, although a few friends and family have suggested events to include. If you're reading this and think of any others that belong on this list, drop me a message on Twitter.

Formula 1

First up, I'll start with my personal favourite: F1. If you follow F1 regularly, you probably understand the ins and outs of the sport. However, there are some things that you simply don't get unless you attend a race in person. When I went to the Nurburgring last year, I was hit by the sound. Yes, you know that F1 is loud, but until you actually go you don't appreciate how loud the cars actually are. Now when I watch F1 on TV, all I can think of is that we're getting an impression of how the cars sound only. If you think back to 2011, there was also the issue of the off-throttle blown diffusers, which caused an odd noise when the drivers lifted off the accelerator. This was one of the most surprising things when I attended the Nurburgring: the noise was nothing like on the television, and was incredibly loud! So, if you like the noise of a car, you have to go to an F1 race.

The second reason why you should attend F1 is for the atmosphere. With many sporting events, you gain a sense of community and motorsport is no different. I often discuss races with other like-minded petrolheads on Twitter for example. When you go to a race, you actually feel the sense of community. At the Nurburgring, we got to chat with the others around us (of course, with friendly banter between me and the Hamilton fans!), and could feel the atmosphere generated by large numbers of people with a common interest and understanding. This is something that I would highly recommend experiencing at least once in a lifetime.

Finally, in attending an F1 race you get to experience the history of the sport. Legendary tracks such as Spa, the Nurburgring and Silverstone allow you to get more of a feel for the sport than you would if you simply watched a race on television. While not all circuits are accessible to all people due to distance and cost, if you plan a trip well I'm sure that most will get to visit an historic race track for a high profile event such as F1. The Nurburgring was an amazing experience, and hopefully Spa will be just as great as well. I can't imagine that watching an F1 car at Eau Rouge is anything less than amazing!

More information: http://www.formula1.com/

Le Mans

This weekend sees the annual Le Mans 24 hour race. If you're on Twitter, you'll have noticed how this motorsport event has completely taken over the most talked about topics, giving you a hint of how popular this event is. I've never actually attended Le Mans myself, but it's on my list of things to do in the next couple of years. It seems as though this event is another one with a fantastic atmosphere - and with 24 hours of racing you're sure to get your money's worth!

More information: http://www.lemans.org/en/

Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 comes in as a suggestion from Brenton Holden (Twitter: @Bjholden1). The event is a 1000 kilometer touring car race taking place in Australia, and regarded as one of the most spectacular motorsport races. The cars themselves are V8 supercars - so again if you like the noise of a car, you should probably put this one on the list! Another epic, which is definitely worth watching if you're lucky enough to be in Australia!

More information: http://www.bathurst1000.com.au/

Motorsport Shows

Next up on my list is attending big motorsport shows. I've attended loads of these in the past couple of years, from Top Gear Live to Autosport to the Festival of Speed in a few weeks. At events like these, you get a chance to be up close to the cars, and if you're lucky to the people who drive them. While nothing really compares to watching racing in person, if you're interested in seeing the cars up close then you should attend a motorsport show. 

Top Gear Live was one of the first motorsport shows that I attended. The main focus of this event is supercars, although at the first show there was an awesome classic car display too. There are a lot of stands there where you can buy pretty much anything and everything to do with cars, although if you're buying stuff be prepared for a spending spree! The other feature of Top Gear Live is the show itself. Presented like the BBC series of the same name, you get to watch Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond playing around with cars. Expect lots of fireworks, stunts and general entertainment. 

More information: http://www.topgearlive.co.uk/

The Autosport International show is another great one to attend. Dad and I have visited this event in the past two years, and every year there's loads to see. The focus of this show is more motorsportAutosport has its own live show, based on Fifth Gear. In this show, we get to see demos of various race disciplines, as well as the ever popular stunts. Definitely one to attend if you like your racing!

More information: http://www.autosportinternational.com/

One of the clear greats in motorsport shows is the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I've wanted to attend this one for a few years now, and this year I'm finally getting my chance to go! This event is a whole weekend of action, with a moving motorsport show on Thursday, followed by the chance to see a whole load of racing cars and supercars in action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is one of few events where most F1 teams are in attendance, and you really get a chance to meet drivers from pretty much every discipline of racing. Of course, you can expect to see me blogging about the show when I return - only a week and a half before I will be in attendance!

More information: http://www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed/welcome.aspx

Live Racing at Local Circuits

Of course, if you're into motorsport you probably don't need me to tell you that you should go and watch live racing at every opportunity. While big events such as F1, Le Mans and so on may be expensive and require long trips, watching club events at circuits close to you is a great way of getting involved. I'm lucky enough to live not too far from Brands Hatch, and so whenever we can we go and watch the racing. Some notable events that I've attended at Brands include the DTM, the BTCC and the Historic Master's Festival. Unlike larger events, attending races at local circuits gives you much better access to the cars. At Brands for example you get to go on pit walks, and the paddock is almost always open. The prices are often lower than for massive events, so this is a fantastic way to get close to the racing! Of course, it's up to you what you consider a local circuit, but it's worth looking around to see what you have on your doorstep.

More information: http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/

This is by no means an exhaustive list of motorsport events to attend, but rather it's a selection of events that I consider to be absolute musts. Overall, if you're a fan of motorsport the best thing is to simply get involved in anything that you can. Of course, motorsport is often expensive, but even if you can't compete you can still be involved through spectating or even marshalling at events! As I said earlier, if anyone has any other suggestions of what should be featured on this list feel free to let me know. Also, expect lengthy updates when I check off more items on this list - next stop, Goodwood!

007 Would Be Proud

As you're probably all aware (well, if you're in Britain anyway), this week we were gifted two extra days off due to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I must admit, I'm not exactly a royalist and so the only difference that these extra days off made was the opportunity to go outside and see some live motorsport once again! If you've not realised, I'm based in Kent, and so I live a short journey away from one of the most well known English racing circuits: Brands Hatch. I've blogged about Brands before, and so you should know that this racing circuit is almost a second home to me, as my Dad and I have been visiting since I was very young.

So, with the prospect of a day off Dad and I went to Brands to watch the racing of the Aston Martin Owner's Club, accompanied once again by my nephew. When we arrived, qualifying was underway for the Formula Juniors - an open wheel class racing that's been running since the 1950s. These cars are completely open, and I must admit I didn't envy the drivers when it was raining for their race in the afternoon!

During the course of the afternoon we also saw a lot of classic car racing, with historic GT racing and historic V8s - definitely one for those who like the noise of a car!

 As well as the classic cars (my personal favourite - I think I must take after my Dad in that respect), we also saw a 2 hour long Aston Martin race and a shorter Ferrari race featuring the newer models. The Aston Martin race was quite a surprise really - mostly because not a whole lot happened! At the initial stages of the race, one car took off on its own and lapped almost everybody else, however this position was swapped around during the pit stop window, when a different Aston repeated this feat, lapping everyone up to third place.

While spectating at Graham Hill bend, the noise and sight of the Astons wasn't particularly enthralling, however on moving nearer to Clearways and Surtees you could start to hear the sound of the engines a lot more, and see the speed at which the cars were travelling - this definitely improved matters! Overall though one of the best races was the final GT Challenge, won by a pretty good looking Cobra.

Another massive highlight of the day was the chance to walk on the grid before the Le Mans start of the V8 race. I can now honestly say I know how Martin Brundle feels, although I didn't quite get round to interviewing anyone.

So, yet another great day out at Brands! I love how open the circuit is to spectators - every time we go we get access to the paddock, which is a good way to get to chat to drivers and see the cars up close. When we were roaming around, I saw an absolutely amazing Aston Martin DB5, which I initially decided I would quite like to own:

However, after roaming the paddock some more, I changed my mind and decided upon a little Triumph:

Honestly though, if anyone would like to donate one of these cars to a worthy cause (making me happy!), then please feel free!

The Long Overdue Post

I sit here after watching the phenomenal Korean Grand Prix and I am writing an apology. I have been somewhat neglectful of this blog of mine lately, largely because of my return to university and the start of a whole new year of hard work. While I have a spare 20 minutes or so though, I feel I should update you with my life outside of university and let you know about my recent motorsport musings.

Since my last post (over a month ago... Sorry...) things have been all go in the world of motorsport and I thought I'd start with my favourite piece of news: Sebastian Vettel is the youngest ever double F1 world champion! Obviously, you've probably all heard this anyway, but news such as this is deserving of at least a mention. I'm incredibly biased anyway (a look around my room would tell you this - a Vettel poster, flag and Red Bull Racing merchandise litters my living space), but there's not much debate that Vettel absolutely deserves this second title. As of this morning, Vettel has won ten races and been off of the podium only once (funnily enough in Germany - the race I attended). His qualifying has been absolutely phenomenal, being on the front row in most races. In terms of points, Sebastian has (so far) acquired 349 out of a possible 400 - that's 87.25% of all available points. If he wins the final three races, he'll match Schumacher's most number of wins in a single season. Oh, and for those who doubted his overtaking ability then I suggest you watch the past couple of races again. An awesome move on Fernando Alonso and today's overtake for the lead on Lewis Hamilton should put a stop to the rumours that Vettel's not a racer. So, very well done that man! This morning also, Red Bull managed to seal a second consecutive constructor's world championship - a testament to the dedication of all the staff working for the team, and of course well deserved. Well done that team!

The Korean Grand Prix today was absolutely amazing. We've been treated to some good races this year and this one has to be one of the best. Battles between Webber and Hamilton were a joy to watch, and the psychology of the teams and drivers is getting more and more apparent in each race. An example of this is Fernando Alonso's dummy radio message of "I'm giving up, I'm giving up" - potentially an attempt to get Jenson Button to slow a little and give Fernando more of a chance of overtaking. With any luck we'll get to see more and more of this throughout the remainder of the season.

During Korea, we also saw the first non-Red Bull pole position since November last year. Lewis Hamilton managed to grab pole position at the last moment. Now, you'd have thought that Lewis would have been thrilled to halt Red Bull's Saturday pace, but apparently not. After getting out of the car, Lewis slowly wandered over to get weighed, seemingly disappointed with his performance. I'm not going to speculate why exactly Lewis is behaving in this way: no doubt the media will be all over this soon anyway. However, I do think that Lewis's image is in danger of being pulled down what with his behaviour recently. His on track performance has been subject to scrutiny by stewards, drivers, teams and fans alike. We're just not seeing the measured aggression of the old Lewis. Whether this is to do with his bad luck this year or some sort of personal issue I don't know. Hopefully he'll pick up in the next few races, if for no other reason than to build his reputation back up and gain more respect.

Now, my involvement in motorsport hasn't suffered as a result of returning to university. Of course, I've been watching the F1, but I've also been planning more trips and have visited Brands Hatch once again. The next big trip I have planned is a visit to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix. After going to the Nurburgring this year, I don't think I could go a whole year without hearing the sound of an F1 engine or experiencing the atmosphere of thousands of F1 fans sharing a race. So, with any luck the tickets for next year's race at Spa will be booked very shortly, and another summer trip will ensue - watch this space!

A few weeks ago my Dad and I took my nephew back to Brands Hatch to watch the British Touring Car Championship. I've been watching the BTCC on the television this year, and the racing in this discipline is just insane. So, of course, I had to see it in person. Brands Hatch seems to be offering a lot more to the fans recently, with pit walks being a fixture of the big races I've attended. So, early in the morning we went down to Brands and managed to get a walk around the pits. Autographs ensued, and my nephew managed to grab a grand total of 18 posters. I was also thrilled with my chance to get a photograph of Tom Chilton, and very pleased when Frank Wrathall signed my programme, despite officials trying to usher fans out of the pits. Thanks to Mr Wrathall for staying and making a motorsport geek very happy!

The support races included the Ginettas, Ginetta Juniors, Formula Renault and the Porsche Supercup. The Ginetta Junior race was surprisingly slow, but then again the drivers are all around the age of 14! It's interesting to see the young drivers build up their race technique, and this training is important as most of the drivers were warned for dangerous driving!

I was pleased that the PorscheNurburgring, and it brought back memories of the F1 atmosphere. The lead driver, however, suffered some bad luck as he gained a puncture, forcing him to sit by the fence at Graham Hill Bend.

The BTCC races were really quite fast paced, however we couldn't see a whole lot of the race as the Grand Prix circuit was being used. However, a lot of cars seemed to be pushing hard where we were stood. When the tyres of a racing car go off, you can really see it. Especially when numerous drivers end up off the circuit right where you're standing! Jason Plato was the man with the best luck of the day, as he won the first two races - no doubt pleasing the fans wearing the Plato masks!

So, once again I apologise for the neglect of the blog, but it's good to be back! Hopefully there will be many more motorsport musings to come with the closing of the F1 season and hopefully with more Brands Hatch trips to come.

The Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch

Yesterday I went and visited my local race track: Brands Hatch. I used to go there all the time with my Dad when I was little - rain, sun, snow, hail, nothing could stop us from watching the cars zoom around Druids! Visits to Brands are somewhat more infrequent now, largely due to the price of the events now that I don't get in for free, however we still go every couple of months if we can.

One event that is pretty awesome to watch is the Masters Historic festival. Dad and I went to this event in 2009, but missed it last year as we went to Crystal Palace instead. So, to make up for last years absence at Brands we decided to go along to the Masters, taking my Mum along too.

There were all sorts of cars there, from Minis to vintage F1 cars (definitely my favourite). The racing started early at 9:15 and finished at about 6 in the evening, so the day was well worth the £17 entry fee! The first two races were long races - almost two hours. Surprisingly, there were only a few retirements and the classic cars held out well.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a classic car. I drive an old Series 3 Land Rover myself - the lack of power steering and drum brakes build character (I have a sticker on the back of the car reading 'Disc Brakes Are For Cowards'), and I love the surprise on Transit Van Drivers' faces when they're being overtaken by a 19 year old girl in a classic Landy! I love the style of classic cars. I tend to find that most 'ordinary' cars today all look alike and are mass-produced things which lack in character. Classic cars are for life, not just for when you need to get from A to B. Plus, classic off-roaders like my Landy go for the 'you can go fast, I can go anywhere' factor. Yeah, journeys may be fraught with worrying about actually arriving at your destination, and may cost a fortune in petrol, but the fun you have with them more than makes up for that.

The fun you can have with a classic car was so well demonstrated yesterday at the Masters. The Mini race was by far the most entertaining race of the day. The lead car was in an epic battle with the second place car most of the way around, swapping positions on every lap. However, sadly the second place car broke down and finished the race well down the standings. This didn't lead to a boring race though - the first place man slowed up a little and allowed the next placed car to catch up for a battle to the finish. A battle which would have easily been won by the leading car until he slowed up too much and the following car took the lead by one thousandth of a second!

The Formula One cars were by far and away my favourites however. I fall in love with the sound that these cars make - even if I do have to put my hands over my ears because of the noise of them! Even though F1 cars have been so advanced since the time of the cars which were running yesterday, I was still thrilled with how fast the cars were. Seeing them come along Hawthorne Hill was amazing. Of course, I was armed with my camera and managed to put together a few clips that I took yesterday. There could only be one choice of backing track too:

I also have some more pictures from the races yesterday - including the orange Cobra which I would gladly buy if I had the money! Although come to that, if I had the money I'd probably take home the whole grid from every race...

So, if you're really a petrol head like me, you have to go to Brands! Seriously, they have events there for everyone - DTM, Bikes, Historic festivals... You name it! Here's a link to their website. Trust me, once you've been there once you'll be addicted. Although a word of advice: take suncream with you - as much as I loved the cars yesterday I'm regretting the sunburn!