Best petrolhead spectator sport?
Discussion
For me it's stage rallying.
A full day out walking, finding good spots to watch, a variety of cars with a good entry. Easily see 100+ competitors 4+ times if you go to the right places. Lots of excitement, close to the action (far more than circuit racing), proper smells and sounds.
Often for £10. Per car not each! Utter bargain.
A full day out walking, finding good spots to watch, a variety of cars with a good entry. Easily see 100+ competitors 4+ times if you go to the right places. Lots of excitement, close to the action (far more than circuit racing), proper smells and sounds.
Often for £10. Per car not each! Utter bargain.
foggy said:
Aussie V8 Supercars or whatever they’re called nowadays, especially when the US stadium trucks support.
They used to race F1 at Adelaide, if they kept the truck's ramps it would make it a lot more fun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB02Gd_yC_gTouring cars are good but the one that really gets me going is top fuel drag racing.
When you get 2 of them side by side doing 1/4 mile in under 4 seconds with the noise they make you really feel it through the ground and in your chest. Genuinely brings tears of joy to me, someone who hasn't seen it cannot even begin to imagine the feeling you get when they roar past at over 300 mph with huge flames spouting from them. Utterly indescribable and is one of the biggest kicks that I get.
Also a great thrill for me is tractor pulling, not especially fast but bat st crazy. Last time I saw it one bloke did atleast a 30 second burnout once the sled had stopped, tyre smoke covering the field and a red hot glowing turbo and exhaust. Stewards trying to tell him to behave himself and he carried on quite happily, Complete mentalist. Makes me feel funny just thinking about it. Also where else do you see a tractor with 5 v8's strapped on it.
When you get 2 of them side by side doing 1/4 mile in under 4 seconds with the noise they make you really feel it through the ground and in your chest. Genuinely brings tears of joy to me, someone who hasn't seen it cannot even begin to imagine the feeling you get when they roar past at over 300 mph with huge flames spouting from them. Utterly indescribable and is one of the biggest kicks that I get.
Also a great thrill for me is tractor pulling, not especially fast but bat st crazy. Last time I saw it one bloke did atleast a 30 second burnout once the sled had stopped, tyre smoke covering the field and a red hot glowing turbo and exhaust. Stewards trying to tell him to behave himself and he carried on quite happily, Complete mentalist. Makes me feel funny just thinking about it. Also where else do you see a tractor with 5 v8's strapped on it.
Touring cars, and their upside down V8 Aussie equivalent. I used to be a great fan of watching Saxo Cup back in the day. Not sure what the modern equivalent is, but a bunch of 17 year old rookies ramming eachother off of the track in cheap little hatchbacks made a great spectator sport.
Not a fan of F1, to be it suffers the same issue as football as there is just too much money involved to make it 'real'.
Not a fan of F1, to be it suffers the same issue as football as there is just too much money involved to make it 'real'.
Blayney said:
For me it's stage rallying.
A full day out walking, finding good spots to watch, a variety of cars with a good entry. Easily see 100+ competitors 4+ times if you go to the right places. Lots of excitement, close to the action (far more than circuit racing), proper smells and sounds.
Often for £10. Per car not each! Utter bargain.
+1 I'm a rally junkie too. A full day out walking, finding good spots to watch, a variety of cars with a good entry. Easily see 100+ competitors 4+ times if you go to the right places. Lots of excitement, close to the action (far more than circuit racing), proper smells and sounds.
Often for £10. Per car not each! Utter bargain.
Generally free to watch here (NZ) except for the odd superspecial stage around town streets etc where they can close it off.
dibbers006 said:
I always quite liked the Dartford Toll Crossing southbound on a Friday evening.
Having been couped up over the bridge the delight of the cash rattle into pot, beep, beep, barrier lift, foot plant, goooo was akin to the freedom of cows let out to graze after a long winter.
Always some interesting vehicle matchup to spectate.
I’ll raise that for the less busy but usually higher fast car content of the M6 toll drag racing. I’ve entered a few vehicles over the years, the most fun using launch control and anti-lag on an STI Impreza Having been couped up over the bridge the delight of the cash rattle into pot, beep, beep, barrier lift, foot plant, goooo was akin to the freedom of cows let out to graze after a long winter.
Always some interesting vehicle matchup to spectate.
The FIA Rallycross seems to be at a high point at the moment with manufacturer involvement and decent drivers.
A typical race day is a series of exciting races with massive power cars competing against each other side by side with plenty of sideways action. So it ticks all the boxes for me.
A typical race day is a series of exciting races with massive power cars competing against each other side by side with plenty of sideways action. So it ticks all the boxes for me.
Another vote for Rallycross, close racing , rapid fire action , stonking cars and nowadays some truly famous drivers .
I also love classic saloon racing , being of mature years my motorsport enthusiasm started when Mk2 jags , Anglias and such were still current then learned to drive in the 70s so escorts, capris etc were the poster cars .
I was lucky to start marshalling in 71 and also navigating at that time along with some short circuit / oval driving and rally service crew . If it had wheels I would go and watch .
But Rallycross and Classic Saloons still float my boat .
I also love classic saloon racing , being of mature years my motorsport enthusiasm started when Mk2 jags , Anglias and such were still current then learned to drive in the 70s so escorts, capris etc were the poster cars .
I was lucky to start marshalling in 71 and also navigating at that time along with some short circuit / oval driving and rally service crew . If it had wheels I would go and watch .
But Rallycross and Classic Saloons still float my boat .
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