I want to take my 5yo lad to a motor sport event and based in calderdale, oulton park is looking like the nearest venue (correct me if I am wrong).
Not too fussed if its bikes or cars but I want to avoid anything that might require pushing and shoving and queing so the BSB event at oulton is out
Any views or other venues to consider?
Anything by the 750 Motorosport club.
Good variety of stuff there, I went to watch a mate in Formula V. They also had 2 classes of saloon cars, one of Caterham/Westfield things with motorbike engines, a single-seater class I'd never heard of which also featured some F3 cars, something that looked like Radicals but weren't, and some other things.
Anyway, good variety of stuff. Most of the crowd was friends and family of racers so not many there which meant you could get right up to the track, have a good wander round and see all the track too, not just have to sit somewhere you'd bought a ticket for. Also, the pits were open access so you could go and look at the cars and talk to the drivers/pitcrew.
I was at Cadwell but they go all over. He's at Brands on Sunday.
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Also, if we think racing bikes costs a lot just try motorsport!
[url= http://www.three-sisters.co.uk/index.asp ]Three Sisters?[/url]
Smaller and quieter than Oulton.
Still good fun.
[url= http://www.croftcircuit.co.uk/croft/index.html ]Croft [/url]is a nice circuit.
Can be bloody cold up there though Bit bleak.
Reckon you're still best of with Oulton though - decent facilities (loos, caff etc) and it's just a nice place to be.
BTCC at oulton? It wasn't too busy when I was there last year, bit of a scrum when leaving the car park though.
No events at Oulton get to the busy pushy shove stage, even at height of touring car popularity it was never that busy
Gold cup weekend is always good (knickerbrook entrance usually easier to get out of and probably best viewing area, (for the buisier events we used to park away from the circuit at the mill pond and walk the last mile, not sure if you can still do this)
Best off going to watch some forest stage rally though
New York Dragway at Pocklington has a meet on Bank Holiday monday and it doesn't come much noisier than drag racing
http://www.yorkraceway.org.uk/events.html
You mention bikes - how about motocross as an option? Most track have practice both days every weekend, often with some national standard riders in Expert. Accessible, easy to watch and exciting with riders jumping and whipping and regular race meets at some through summer.
Fat Cats is about far away as the tracks mentioned. Also Finningley at Doncaster, or Preston Docks over West.
http://www.fatcatmotoparc.com/
http://www.doncastermotoparc.co.uk/
Olivers Mount is probably nearest - proper racing:
http://www.c-cam.org.uk/Pics/TightSqueeze.jp g"/> &w=540&h=382&ei=oFucT4mFL4PN0QX9qImCDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=184&vpy=203&dur=125&hovh=189&hovw=267&tx=209&ty=96&sig=102124521379163069215&page=2&tbnh=149&tbnw=199&start=15&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:15,i:118" rel="nofollow" >Sunday 29th April BELLE VUE 1.30.pm
BriSCA F1 WCQR - BriSCA Ministox - F2 Stock Cars
British Superbikes are on next weekend. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Great pit access on British superbike rounds, great racing too. Watch them comming into lodge with their back wheels skipping off the Tarmac just before they tip the bike round the corner.
Plenty of paces to watch from at Oulton without any pushing or shoving. It's quite chilled out really.
+1 kart racing. super exiting to watch and because the tracks are a bit smaller you can see a lot more.
Stock car racing would be my pick as there's plenty of action. Localish you've got Manchester, Buxton and Sheffield
Harewood Hill Climb (Leeds) 15th May would be a good bet.
Also look at any of the national rally championships. All free to watch and you can get inches from a car doing silly speeds.
Three sisters has loads going ,not too far away for you neither.
Ten Of The Best at Elvington is good fun - a bit chavvy, but there is no limit to the appeal of 800bhp Jap saloons getting ragged around and occasionally chucking a piston or six...
Have you got speedway near you? Fantastic spectator sport, got to get down close to the track though, you need the smell.
Eh, never had a problem with queuing or shoving at Moto GP events.....you should be fine with BSB.
Banger racing, he will love seeing the crashes.
Go to BSB on practice day, cheap and not at all busy.
I would pop along to the BTCC race events, loads to watch what with the support races. Its never been to busy at any i've attended.
the Car events at Oulton and Anglesey this year:
2012 PROJECTED DATES
MAR 17 - OP - MSVR / Masters - World Sportscar Masters; Gentlemen Dvrs; Pre 66 TC; 70s TCs; Open Wheel Allcomers.
MAR 24 - OP - BARC - Intersteps (ex F BMW); 2CVs (DH); Prod Touring Cars (DH); Mini Miglia; Mini Se7ens; NW Spts & Sals.
MAR 31 - OP - BRSCC - Nat & NW FF1600 (DH); Mighty Minis; Ford XRs; Porsche 924/Boxster (DH); karts.
APR 6/7/9 - OP - MSVR - MSA British F3 (6 & 7 - TH); F3 Cup (7 & 9 - DH); MSA Brit GT (DH); MSA F Ford (TH); VW Cup (DH); Ginetta challenge.
APR 14 - OP - MSVR - Live Action / Time Attack.
APR 21 - OP - BRSCC - NW FF1600; Caterhams - Superlight R300, Road, Track, Super Sport (all DH).
MAY 12/13 - ANG - BRSCC - Nat & NW FF1600 (TH); F Jedi (DH); Mazda 150R (DH); Mazda MX5 Mk1 (DH); Mazda MX5 Mk3 (TH); Ford XRs (TH); MGs.
MAY 12 - OP - AMOC / MSVR - AMs; AM GT4 challenge; Classic Ferrari; Open Ferrari; Jaguar XKs.
MAY 19 - OP - BARC - Spirit of the 60s (GTs); Chevron GR8; VTEC Challenge; MGs; karts (all DH); NW Spts & Sals.
JUN 2 - OP - BRSCC - NW FF1600; Porsche GT3; Porsche Club; Scottish Minis, Scottish Legends; Scottish Classic Spts & Sals.
JUN 9/10 - OP - BARC - BTCC (TH); Porsche Cup (DH); F Renault UK (DH); Clios (DH); Ginetta G50 & G55 (DH); Ginetta Jnrs (DH).
JUN 16/17 - ANG - BARC - Max 5, Caterhams - Classic, Graduate, Super Graduate, Mega Graduate, Sigma Graduate; Legends; NW Spts & Sals.
JUN 16/17 - Cholmondley Pageant of Power - BARC.
JUN 23 - OP - BRSCC - MSA Endurance champ (Britcar) (2 hr?); Production Cup; 4two Cup (Smart cars)(DH).
JUN 23/24 - ANG - BRSCC - Scottish Legends; Ford XR (TH).
JUN 30 - ANG - CSCC - Swinging 60s; Tin Tops; Future Classics; 7s; Deutsche Marque; Jaguar saloons; Jaguar XJSs.
JUL 14 - OP - BARC - Classic FF2000; Classic FF1600; Pre 90 FF1600; Clubmans sports and Classic Clubmans (both DH); Kumho BMWs (DH); NW Spts & Sals.
JUL 21 - OP - MSVR - Monoposto; GT Cup; Racing Saloons; Prod BMWs; Monoposto; VAG Challenge; Mk 2 Golf GTI.
JUL 28 - OP - MSVR - Lotus Cup UK; Lotus Elise Trophy; Minis; Radical Club; Radical UK.
AUG 4/5 - ANG - 750MC - F750; F Vee; 750 trophy; Sports Specials; Locosts; RGB: Stock Hatch; Saxmax; Bike Sports; MR2; MR2 Super GT; BMW Compact Cup (all DH).
AUG 11 - OP - MGCC - MGs various; Metros; Thoro’bred Sports; Porsche GT3; Porsche Club;
AUG 18 - OP - BRSCC - Nat & NW FF1600; Sports 2000 - Duratec, Pinto & Historic; Euro Spts & Sals (DH); Prod GTIs (DH); Ford XRs.
AUG 25-27 - OP - HSCC - OP Gold Cup - Hist F5000 & F2; Hist FF; Martini Trophy (70s 2L Sports Rcg Cars); App K Jag E Types; Classic F3; Classic Rcg Cars; 60s Road Spts; 70s Road Spts; Guards Trophy; Hist TC; Hist F Junior; Hist FF2000.
SEP 1 - OP - BRSCC - NW FF1600 (DH); F Jedi (DH); 500cc F3; Alfas.
SEP 8 - ANG - MSVR - F3 Cup; Lotus Elise Trophy; Team Trophy (saloons).
SEP 22 - OP - BARC / CTCRC - Classic Sals/Hist TCs; Post Historic TCs; Classic Gp 1 TCs; Pre 93 TCs; Classic Thunder & Modified Fords; NW Spts & Sals.
SEP 29/30 - ANG - BRSCC - Nat & NW FF1600 (DH); Open Sports Cars (DH); Saker Challenge (TH); VW Fun Cup (6 hr); Ford XRs (TH); Euro Spts & Sals (DH).
OCT 6 - OP - CSCC - Swinging 60s; Tin Tops; Future Classics; 7s; Deutsche Marque; Jaguar saloons; Jaguar XJSs; Powered by Jaguar.
OCT 13 - OP - BRSCC - VW Fun Cup (4 hr); Ford XRs (DH); TVRs (DH).
The next event at Oulton on May 12th the Aston Martin Owners Club day should be good - classic and modern AM, plus they run races for 80/90s ferraris: all nicely loud with being too loud.
At Harewood on the first weekend in June is the Vintage and Classic on the saturday usually a good turn out of cars from pre WW1 to the late 70s (and its an unsilenced day)
+1 for speedway or drag racing, far more interesting for a day out than track racing, which is actually rather dull unless your an enthusiast.
Oh God I agree with Northwind 😳
Speedway is amazing up close, the noise the smell and they dont have brakes.
Autograss is fun from standard Minis to monster Class 10 stuff.
Local trials can be good to go and see.
A third reco for speedway. now, I am not a particular fan, but my dad in law sponsors a rider for the Edinburgh monarchs so whenever I am home he takes me to a meet. I enjoy it, and the banter.
last time we were all back in Edin (BSN family on maneuvers!) we also took my eldest with us (6 years).
It is brilliant for kids!!! Racing at a big circuit might be a little dull for kids, but speedways perfect! Fast. Noisy. Smelly! You get dirt thrown at you if one of the riders goes a bit wide in a corner, and they absolutely rattle through the heats so there is always something going on. And 2 Newcastle riders were not the best so there was quite a few offs... 😳
Brilliant. he absolutely loved it! (in edinburgh the pits are open before the race, and the riders and mechanics are super friendly to kids, so that help to build the whole thing up)
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Helps to go with someone who knows what's going on to help get the most out of it though. cheers Grandad!
Kev
How about the [url= http://www.thundersprint.com/index.htm ]Thundersprint[/url] event in Northwich town centre on May 13th?
And you get to see the Spitfire flypast.
Try the Hillsprint at Harewood. It's not as action packed as lap racing I'm afraid but it does have the advantage of being close.
It also has public access to the pits so you can wander round the actual cars racing.
I definitely go somewhere like Oulton, great atmosphere and not going to be too crowded for the club races.
A bit of proper racing has to be a lot more interesting that watching a drag race.
North Gloucester Road racing club/championship goes to Oulton a couple of times a year.
Superb standard bike racing(BSB boys sometimes test at the meetings as the pace is so good).
Very little in the way of spectators and cheap to get in
