Tips on Attending My First Race?

"Audi-os, Amigos!" (audi-os-amigos)
08/21/2014 at 10:25 • Filed to: RACING

Hey, Oppo! My fantastic girlfriend is taking me to the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship race at Virginia International Raceway this weekend - a great way to turn 24.

I've never been to a race of any kind before, though I've loved cars since before I could talk. I wanted to go to a sports car race because I can't imagine anything cooler than seeing Ferraris, Porsches, McLarens, Astons and the like being flogged like they ought to, around a beautiful racetrack, by professional drivers.

So, what advice do you have for me? Where should we watch from? What should we bring? (chairs? ear plugs? water?) When should we get there? Et cetera, et al.

Thanks, Oppo! I'm psyched!

DISCUSSION (8)

willkinton247 > Audi-os, Amigos!
08/21/2014 at 10:32

1.) Don't expect to be able to follow along all that well. There are leader numbers on the sides of the cars, but it's still a bit hectic.

2.) Wear at least two pairs of underwear, because you're going to ruin one pair when you hear the Corvettes and the Vipers go by.

3.) Walk through the paddock.

4.) If you can find a spot near the Esses, watch the esses. They're taken nearly flat out up hill. It's awesome.

5.) Keep your eyes out for Arial Atoms. They assemble them there.

Audi-os, Amigos! > willkinton247
08/21/2014 at 10:39

Thanks man!

Regarding the paddock: do you need special passes to do so, and how early do you need to arrive to do so?

MazdaMonkey > Audi-os, Amigos!
08/21/2014 at 10:40

You have great advice already. What you may not realize is the paddock at most TUDOR races is open to pedestrians. So, make it out to more than just the race day, if you can. I personally usually enjoy qualifying day more. There are less people and you can walk up and down the paddock and watch the team working on the cars. Of course, you can do this during the race itself, but most cars will be out on track. Also, if there is a good vantage point near pit lane, try to get behind the Corvette team when they do a pit stop. One of the best pit teams in the business and the cars sound fantastic powering out of pit lane.

Finally, be prepared to be let down a bit by the Ferraris. 458s don't sound nearly as cool in race-trim form. At least the Corvettes more than make up for it!

Audi-os, Amigos! > MazdaMonkey
08/21/2014 at 10:42

That's super cool! Thanks for the input.

So for the paddock: given that the race will be a few hours long, can my girlfriend and I just...saunter through it at some point when we're tired of whatever turn we're sitting at?

quarterlifecrisis > Audi-os, Amigos!
08/21/2014 at 10:46

Be prepared for rain this weekend. I've got my ponchos packed. Make a day out of it, don't plan on just showing up for the race; I'll be camping all 3 days. Get out and see all of the track, the esses are great, and the 2, 3, 4 complex is good. Take the trip out to Oak Tree, since you can watch them run out from the esses, up into Oak Tree, then up the back straight. I've never walked to see if you can get to the Roller Coaster, but it's a blast to drive, so it's worth checking out.

Like others said, check out the paddock. Sports Car racing is great in that you can get right up next to the action.

Of course, all the basics apply, stay hydrated, sunscreen, yada yada yada. Yes, you can bring in beer, I'm not sure what their glass bottle policy is.

MazdaMonkey > Audi-os, Amigos!
08/21/2014 at 10:54

I have never been to VIR, but at most TUDOR races that is the case. Just be careful. At my first ALMS race I was casually walking down the paddock and got thrown out of the way by a mechanic as his team's car quickly pulled into their paddock tent for heavy repairs!

Definitely bring sun screen, water, and snacks. Watching races are exhausting, especially when walking from turn to turn in the heat. I usually try to watch the cars from each turn at some point to get the full effect (the cars look totally different at each turn). This is much more fun than trying to follow who is in the lead. But it is exhausting walking around!

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Audi-os, Amigos!
08/21/2014 at 12:36

This looks like the official schedule, http://virnow.com/files/2014/08/…

Are you only going on Sunday? I would suggest getting there in time for warm-ups, if you can. Gives you some more time to watch the cars. Also is a good time to go check out paddock since it's busy and the cars can still be there. Just be aware of your surroundings, racecars *always* have right of way.

Check out the open grid fan walk. The invitation only part on that schedule is just referring to the hot laps, it isn't clear.

The autograph session is always fun. Your girlfriend might want to wait for Patrick Dempsey, but his line is always crazy long. If you go in with a plan to get your top 3 or 4 drivers/teams you should be fine. Also there's always teams just sitting around with no one around so you can get a bunch of autographs. I usually end up with around 15 autograph cards/posters.

Wear good walking shoes. See if there is a shuttle service and take advantage of it. Be prepared to be in the sun a lot. Feel free to stake out a claim with your chairs/cooler and then go walk around. I've never had a problem leaving that sort of stuff. Just don't leave like a camera or anything of real value. Unless you have a high end camera, you probably won't get any good pictures, so just enjoy the race by watching it. If you want to take video, the best time is the first lap the race when they are still together.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Audi-os, Amigos!
08/21/2014 at 13:24

I'll be there all weekend. It's going to be awesome!