Discussion: Your First Trackside Experience

[Paul Jeffrey]

When did you attend your first motor race? Which track? What year? Which series? Share with your fellow RaceDepartment members your earliest motorsport memories from behind the barrier...

If you love sim racing then it's probably fair to assume you are a fan of the real thing. With motorsport now more accessible to the general public than ever before, a good number of our RaceDepartment community members have probably been lucky enough to attend a race or two in person over the years. With that in mind I thought it might be interesting to gather together your collective experiences and ask you -

What was your first ever motor race you attended in person? Please tell us the year, the track and the event in question.

Feel free to share some pictures with us and write some words on your experience at the event. As an added bonus, if your first event wasn't a Formula One race and you've since attended a Grand Prix then let us know when you lost your F1 cherry

Motorsport is awesome people, spread the love!

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

I'll get the ball rolling first I think!

First ever motor race was the 1994 British Touring Car Championship race at Donington Park. It was a brilliant day, met loads of big drivers including the then newly crowned BTCC champion Gabrielle Tarquini and my own favourite John Cleland, got up close and personal to some superb cars in the form of the BTCC Super Touring Car spec vehicles and overall had a smashing time.

Added fun fact, on the official BTCC season review video you can see me and two of my mates running down the Old Hairpin banking to get close to Simioni's spun Alfa Romeo I was last in the shot (you just see my legs) because at the time I had a bacon sandwich and coffee in my hands and couldn't get them down quick enough to stand up and run! (we had an obsession of collecting debris at the time, only just throw away those old bits of crashed racing cars recently - although I've still got Ben Collin's massive rear tyre from his ASCAR in the loft ).

First every Formula One Grand Prix was the 1996 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Stood on the Hanger Straight (what a stupid stupid stupid decision - who wants to watch a car on a straight!?!) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Clearly remember entering the track near the old Bridge corner and morning warm up was already on (it was a Sunday only ticket). Remember the hairs on the back of my neck were thoroughly on end as those screaming engines got louder and louder the closer to the track we got. Man miss those sounds...

 

[Slyfrequency]

Even though I've followed racing for many years, my first experience was at Rockingham last year for the BTCC, was an amazing experience and was walking around with a massive grin on my face, bet all the folks there thought I was on something, or had too many beers.

Also went to see British GT last year at Donington and that was fantastic, different cars but same kind of buzz. I'm hooked, first race this year is Oval Trucks at Rockingham on April 9th, then Rockingham end of april, and many more, love the smell of burning rubber

 

[M² Designworks | Maxwellus]

I popped my F1 cherry last year at the Canadian GP. Very exciting. Different seats for each session, which is nice. Hairpin for FP1/2, Front straight for Quali and Turn 2 for the race.

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Rockingham... man that's one bloody windy place

I went to my first oval event for the ASCAR race back in, I think, something like 2000 or 2001? Awesome experience! Was lucky enough to catch the CART race around that same era too, man those cars were quick! Love it

Wouldn't mind going back again some time soon. Did I hear you say the trucks race the oval still?

 

[Andy_J]

My first track experience was the 1982 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Me and a couple of mates rode their on our Yamaha RD350B and watched Franco Uncini win but it was great to watch Kenny Roberts, Barry Sheene and Freddie Spencer on track. It was a great experience and took us 4 hours to ride their from North Wales. On the way back it absolutely poured with rain all the way. Great day.

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Nice photo of Bazza @Andy Jackson Did you take that one yourself?

 

[Andy_J]

Nice photo of Bazza @Andy Jackson Did you take that one yourself?

No mate. I'm quite handy with a Digital camera these days, but not that good.

 

[Craig Patteson]

the first ever event I went to was the british gp back in the early 90's maybe 91 and the best memory from that event was as a child I was picked up by nigel Mansell and maybe it was the beard not sure but I started crying so he handed me back to my parents haha happy days

 

[Sky]

it was some sort of club races at pembrey when i was very small.

it might have been bikes can't really remember that time. i do remember sidecars picking up the third wheel going through the fast left, but i think that was from other times.

 

[Joseph Wright]

the first ever event I went to was the british gp back in the early 90's maybe 91 and the best memory from that event was as a child I was picked up by nigel Mansell and maybe it was the beard not sure but I started crying so he handed me back to my parents haha happy days

Your scared of racing drivers... I see why your always winning. Trying to run away from the real drivers haha

 

[crannykart]

My first F1 experience was at Spa last year. Got tickets at eau rouge and can say it was probably the best view I've ever had at a race track At the end of the race I was one of the first to run onto the crash and I managed to scavenge some parts from K Mags crash.

My first rally experience was Wales Rally GB 2015, I went up to watch on the Saturday where the first car of the first stage happened to crash right in front of me. I was gobsmacked for a crash to happen the very first time...

 

[Ben Lee]

1987 Birmingham Super Prix

Saw some really big future names of the sport, Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen etc. Also the BTCC rounds were amazing with those Ford Sierras. A shame the race died off, I think the last one was 1990 which I also went to.

 

[Roy Magnes]

Sigdalsrally 1996, norwegian rally championship, stage 2. I was standing on a hill inside the corner where the Volvo is trying to take out the cameraman on the youtube-clip bellow. I had been to rallies before that too, but at those I was 2, so I don't remember anything from them.

 

[Andy_J]

the first ever event I went to was the british gp back in the early 90's maybe 91 and the best memory from that event was as a child I was picked up by nigel Mansell and maybe it was the beard not sure but I started crying so he handed me back to my parents haha happy days

I can't remember Nigel Mansell ever having a beard Craig.......

 

[Bethonie Waring]

Rockingham... man that's one bloody windy place

I was there yesterday and I'm was pretty sure I was going to be blown away

 

[Craig Patteson]

I can't remember Nigel Mansell ever having a beard Craig.......

ok moustache

 

[Bethonie Waring]

My first visit to a race track was WEC at Silverstone 2015. I know, so recent. I didn't even watch or follow WEC at this point but I just wanted to go to a race so bad and the opportunity arose. I was very excited. I don't actually remember much about that weekend except being star struck by Max Chilton (the first "famous" driver I had ever met). And deciding I was going to support Pietro Fittipaldi. The story behind that: my best friend decided she was going to support Matt Rao because he was the first driver she saw (F3 was supporting the WEC). So after one of their races we went to go see if we could find him. We went to the Fortec garage and there were loads of cute little kids. Me adoring children said something along the lines of "I'll support whoever those belong to". They were Pietro's cousins or something. So I ended up supporting him...

 

[Matthew Allington]

My first motor racing experience was when I was quite young - Dad decided that a visit to Oulton Park one day (in 2007) was a good idea - we were there for the British F3 & GT Championships. I don't remember very much of it aside from the fact that it was pretty loud! It was about this time when I started to get into watching F1 on the telly...

A year later I was with a couple of my friends watching the BTCC & supports at the same track. We spent the afternoon hoarding discarded parts from crashed cars and stuck them in my mate's games room when we got back

Last year I had my first motorsports experience as a marshall - connections from my University meant that I ended up marshalling at the Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe. Experienced guy I was posted with was super friendly and informative, plenty of stories to tell whilst we waited for red-flag-causing cars to be removed from the track! Nice cars, f&$ing freezing cold day - next weekend I'll be doing it again!!

On a different note, over at Oulton Park (again!) I had my first experience of watching motorcycle racing in person - Dad got into the British Superbike meeting for free last year (something related to him having done a 'RallyMaster' day at the track earlier in the year) and took me with him. Absolutely fantastic, just as good as any car event! I guess it helps that Dad was in such a good mood because he got free tickets that he bought me a ton of merchandise...!

 

[Ditschii94]

DTM Hockenheim 2010