28 replies to this topic

[Scudetto]

Some of the talk is hinting that this might be the last GP at Indy. So, I'm going. Who else?

For those in the know, I have a question: After sitting on banking (turn 13) in 2000, the main straight in 2002, and the NW Vista outside turn 1 in 2004, I've opted for tix in the SE Deck section for 2006. Anybody familiar with this section, it's sight lines, etc.? It appears you'd have a pretty good view of the backfield action, but I'd like first impressions if there are any. That section is next to the VIP area, so I figured the view has to be fairly decent. At $150 per, they'd better be.

[benn5325]

It's not brilliant.
My wifes Co has a box in the VIP suites and we've used it on the Friday & Saturday for the past 3 years. Only because of the free food and booze.
The box is on the 2nd floor so I'm not sure how that would compare to a seat high up in the SE Vista.
From the Box you basically only see them at the very end of the back straight, then they dissapear until they come into turn 11, you see them arouns the short shute then thats it.
I would imagine though that the Box would be amazing for the 500 or 400 as you get to see the entire back straight.....

[MONTOYASPEED]

Count me as a maybe.

[indycarjunkie]

I hadn't bought my tickets yet, but I'll be there. For what its worth...I'm not entirely convinced this will be the last year for the USGP at Indianapolis. I think these rumors are being circulated mostly because of this being the last year for the contract combined with the Michilen mess. It certainly wouldn't suprise everyone if Bernie moved on, but he just might sign a new agreement. Who knows with F1 nowadays?

[kozmo]

Definitely going. Haven't missed one yet (at indy anyway).

As for this being the last year, who knows?

If the rumors/media speculations are correct TG isn't making much if anything off the event. Unlike some (most?) of the other races, the speedway gets nothing from the local goverments in way of monetary assistance so unless he is a saint, the positive ecomonic impact for greater Indianapolis is not much incentive. Based on that, unless the crowd this year is at least as big as in the past, I wouldn't be suprised if they decided not to host.

Having said that, I can't believe Bernie and the teams will want to lose the US GP again. The US is just too big of a market to dump. Unless Bernie can come up with a viable alternative (see todays article on Las Vegas), they are going have to offer the speedway a deal that will allow it to make money.

Personally, since I am in chicago and only 3 hrs away, I love that it is in Indy. On the other hand, if they can come up with a decent layout, Vegas would be a great venue. Plus with a 100k(est) hotel rooms on hand it would be harder for the hotels to jack up the rates like they do in Indy every year.

[DanTheMan]

Just booked my tickets for this. Am in the North Vista, right over next to the NW Vista. Have sat here a couple of times before and i'm fully convinced it's one of the best views you can get at a GP track today. Being able to see some of the straight, then turns 1-8 and some of the back straight is awesome.

I've tried those seats Scudetto during qualifying on one year, and I agree, they are not great, unfortunately. You get to see them accelerating fast for the start/finish straight, but not much action goes on there unfortunately

I do recommend that people use the practice and qualifying days to move around and find the good seats for the following year race day if they do intend to come again (and if there is going to be one!) The stands that are next to the start/finish straight and turn 1 are really nice also (H & J). You get to see the start of the race, them braking hard into turn 1 (and often going off) and then up to the beginning of the back straight.

From speaking to the lady at the box office, she says they have been really busy this year. Let's hope we get a nice turnout. Any ideas on what the support events are and what events are going to be going on in the city?

Also, if anyone is concerned with high hotel prices and don't mind staying outside of the city, the town of Seymour is normally a good choice. It's about an hour away from the raceway but we managed to get a decent hotel room for Fri/Sat/Sun nights for $55 a night. Bargain! Better than paying in the hundreds for Indy itself!

[Scudetto]

Originally posted by DanTheMan
I've tried those seats Scudetto during qualifying on one year, and I agree, they are not great, unfortunately. You get to see them accelerating fast for the start/finish straight, but not much action goes on there unfortunately

Yeah, I was afraid of that. : I've sat in every other decent location, and thought we'd try something different this year. Oh well. If it's a sunny day, at least I'll get a good suntan.

[Ivan]

Just got my tix in the mail yesterday. Did anyone else also get the free Michelin tix with their subscription?

[kozmo]

also received my tickets yesterday. i got two extra courtesy of Michelin in the Paddock seats, Sec S09.

i also found the insert saying that their is not renewal process in place at this time for 07 pending the signing of a new agreement. guess we will have to see if bernie can cut the speedway a deal that will allow them to at least break even on the event...

[dgr81]

I am looking for 2 or 3 tickets in Stand H or J for the race. Sat in stand J last year and loved it.

PM me if you have some tickets and cannot attend.

Driving down from Toronto for the race

[forzaf11]

First time visit to the US GP. I am there all 3 days so plan to walk around Friday and Saturday to find the best views.

However when it comes to race day, I am going to purchase these blind. Ideally I am looking for a place without a fence in the way but good enough to take photos from (part pro photographer).

Any help is apreciated.

Alex

[F1 Betty]

I am going. Are they going to have the pit walk about again this year?

[indycarjunkie]

Yes there will be a pit walkabout. It will be done on thursday morning. Here's the preliminary schedule for the weekend...

http://www.usgpindy.com/schedule/

[indycarjunkie]

Originally posted by forzaf11
First time visit to the US GP. I am there all 3 days so plan to walk around Friday and Saturday to find the best views.

However when it comes to race day, I am going to purchase these blind. Ideally I am looking for a place without a fence in the way but good enough to take photos from (part pro photographer).

Any help is apreciated.

Alex

If your camera has a good zoom lense then I suggest the NW Vista or SE vista row 'T' or higher. From the NW vista you will see the cars enter the infield from the front straight and you will see about 50% of the infield road course. From the SE vista you will see the other 50% of the infield and you will see the cars exit the road course to the oval on the south shute.

The 'no fence' views are contingent on your camera having a good optical zoom, because if you need to be closer to the cars to get a good shot it will be impossible to do so without looking through a fence.

[jaisli]

We're driving this year and staying with friends in Cincinnati. So we'll probably commute back and forth on Friday and Sunday only. (New baby in the family so those are the compromises) The friends we're staying with are considering going on Thursday as they heard some sort of rumor that all of the Michelin drivers will be signing autographs as some sort of a compensation from last year. I haven't seen this pop up anywhere so I suspect it's just wishful thinking. Anybody else hear any Thursday rumors?

We'll be sitting in stand H on Sunday (as usual). I always liked the idea of open seating on Friday/Saturday and have parked myself in just about every section at one time or another over the years. But I still think H is first choice.

[kozmo]

I haven't been to the Thursday pitwalk since the first year but I am making a point of going this year because:

1) No guarantee the event will be back at Indy in 2007 and
2) given the fiasco that they contributed to (if not caused) last year, i figure Michelin and the various teams will be making a special effort for the fans.

Having said that, I haven't heard anything concrete about what will be planned for the day... i.e. fingers crossed.

see you in indiana!

dg

[jaisli]

Originally posted by forzaf11
First time visit to the US GP. I am there all 3 days so plan to walk around Friday and Saturday to find the best views.

However when it comes to race day, I am going to purchase these blind. Ideally I am looking for a place without a fence in the way but good enough to take photos from (part pro photographer).

Any help is apreciated.

Alex

What you're looking for doesn't really exist per se. Almost all areas of the track have high fences. If you're looking for a spot for taking good pictures, I suggest, first of all, you take most of your shots on Friday during free practice. There will be less people fighting for the few choice spots and with a green track the cars tend to slide around a lot more and the drivers spend the first few laps looking for their lines and braking points. None the less, as the race has been at Indy for 7 years now, most of the regulars know the best spots for picture taking and they tend to fill up rather quickly.

My suggestion would be a small rectangular hole in the catch fence right in front of Corner 6 Terrace. Example here: Or here:

Or on the hill across the track from the corner 10 terrace (if you stand there up on the hill you can look over the fence. Example here:

You can also get good shots of the pitlane and the cars exiting the pitlane if you sit on the 2nd level in the Paddock area, across from the start/finish line. And The Thursday pit-walk through will allow you to get some nice shots of the garages. But plan to be there early--very early--as people tend to charge to get the choice spots and then camp there for hours.

But for the race, I would suggest stand H (which is probably sold out) or J.

[indycarjunkie]

Originally posted by kozmo
I2) given the fiasco that they contributed to (if not caused) last year, i figure Michelin and the various teams will be making a special effort for the fans.

Funny you should mention that. This was in the Indianapolis Star yesterday. Michelin tries to help USGP

[kozmo]

Funny you should mention that. This was in the Indianapolis Star yesterday. Michelin tries to help USGP

Most excellent.. hadn't seen any detail about plans..

Somewhat related.. Any idea if they got the parking thing running smoother on Thursday? The first year was a nightmare, I don't think they were expecting the crowds that showed up. I am thinking about just driving downtown to the hotel on Thursday and taking the bus to the track. Probably alot less hassle.

Also- Is anybody else going to the F1 Party that GPTours is hosting? I ordered tickets a couple of weeks ago. It is $35 but the proceeds are going to charity.

Went to a couple of their parties at the Canadian GP in 2004. Pretty good time. Matt Bishop from F1 Racing seems to be a good bloke. James Allen on the other hand came across as kind of a jerk. Thank goodness I don't have to listen to him every race weekend.

[jaisli]

Originally posted by kozmo


Most excellent.. hadn't seen any detail about plans..

Somewhat related.. Any idea if they got the parking thing running smoother on Thursday? The first year was a nightmare, I don't think they were expecting the crowds that showed up. I am thinking about just driving downtown to the hotel on Thursday and taking the bus to the track. Probably alot less hassle.

Also- Is anybody else going to the F1 Party that GPTours is hosting? I ordered tickets a couple of weeks ago. It is $35 but the proceeds are going to charity.

Went to a couple of their parties at the Canadian GP in 2004. Pretty good time. Matt Bishop from F1 Racing seems to be a good bloke. James Allen on the other hand came across as kind of a jerk. Thank goodness I don't have to listen to him every race weekend.

Taking the bus might be an excellent idea. The pit walk parking in 2004 seemed to work out well. A line of cars started forming in the right lane of 16th street about 45 minutes before the gates opened. Once they started to allow cars inside, the yellow shirts guided you to a spot (close to the south side pit entrance--a few hundred foot walk to the pitlane). It looked like the police put a stop to that last year and if you tried to park in front of the entrance, you were given the Schumacher Rascasse treatment. But the end result was a bit more chaotic than having a lane closed. A lot of people arrived early in anticipation and not being able to queue up in front of the entrance or having a place to park, ended up driving up and down 16th street and Georgetown road and randomly making u-turns (despite the cones) and swarming around the entrance like bees. When the gates finally opened it was pandemonium. And last year the parking lot closest to the Southside pit entrance was closed. So people who made it to the track by other means and were waiting outside the entrance, made it to the queue in front of the pit lane much quicker than those who drove in. Having said that, they'll probably change it around again this year.

[AJF Racing]

Originally posted by kozmo
Any idea if they got the parking thing running smoother on Thursday? The first year was a nightmare, I don't think they were expecting the crowds that showed up. I am thinking about just driving downtown to the hotel on Thursday and taking the bus to the track. Probably alot less hassle.

I didn't attend the first pit walkabout in 2003, but I was there in both 2004 and 2005. In 2004 I was staying in the northwest part of the city so I came in via Georgetown Road, heading south and hoping to enter through Gate 7 (between stands C and H). Unfortunately left turns into the track weren't allowed, but a questionably legal U-turn fixed that very quickly. Last year I was staying on the south side so I came in on 16th Street heading west. I turned right into Gate 2 with no trouble.

Each of the last two years parking has been ample and free, and there have been roughly one million (give or take a few) track employees on hand to ensure things run smoothly. I recall that the issue in 2003 was a gross underestimation of the popularity of the event and therefore a massive case of understaffing. That's the kind of mistake that's only made once - IMS has clearly gotten it right the last two years.

If anyone is planning to attend the GP but not the pit walkabout, I urge you to reconsider. This is a first class event all the way, with a chance to get up close to sport that's usually reserved for the very privileged. And even if you're not interested in staring into garages for a few hours, there's plenty of other things to see and do. Last year's Bridgestone open forum featuring Michael Schumacher was very interesting, and I'm not even a Schumacher fan. Plus, it's a great chance to check out the merchandise areas when it's less crowded and you don't have to carry around your purchases all day.

And I'm not sure if this is taboo on this forum, but I'll try anyway...

I have an extra ticket for this year's GP that I'm looking to sell. It's in the North Vista in Row PP - second row from the top, if memory serves. I've sat there for the last three years and I've been very pleased with the view - you can see Turns 1 through 7 and watch as the cars disappear down the back straight. Face value for the ticket is $75, but I will consider any offer. PM me if you're interested.

AJF

[Ivan]

hey everyone,
I started a meet and greet thread for the US GP in the Paddock but, no one posted. I'll be there again this year if anyone wants to meet up there pm me

[DREW]

I'm there Thursday thru Sunday. Got tix for the GPT party too.

Anybody hear more details 'bout the autograph session? Not really my thing, but the ex sounds like she'd like to stand in some lines for a while to get her fave's signature.

Afterwards I'm following MS's itinerary from last year and heading to Deal's Gap for a driving holiday (while I can still afford gas).

DREW

[Lux Interior]

I have nice seats right in the braking zone for turn 1 (H Stand section 19) right by the 50 meter marker.

Here's a pic from last's years outlap before the big Michelin pit pull in!

[jonpollak]

Hey Lux...are ya bringing Poison Ivy with ya?!?!?
Jp

[Lux Interior]

You are the first person to recognize the Lux name ever. I love the cramps. Great band.

[joeberk]

If for whatever reason you're not going to the GPT party on Saturday night, there's a United States Auto Club doubleheader at Indianapolis Raceway Park just a few miles down the road from IMS. $20 for the night's action. It's certainly not F1, but the midgets especially put on a good show.

Schedule: http://www.oreillyra...13632&zoneid=96

Fan Guide: http://www.oreillyra...om/fanguide.asp

[fastlaptime]

Originally posted by Scudetto
Some of the talk is hinting that this might be the last GP at Indy. So, I'm going. Who else?

For those in the know, I have a question: After sitting on banking (turn 13) in 2000, the main straight in 2002, and the NW Vista outside turn 1 in 2004, I've opted for tix in the SE Deck section for 2006. Anybody familiar with this section, it's sight lines, etc.? It appears you'd have a pretty good view of the backfield action, but I'd like first impressions if there are any. That section is next to the VIP area, so I figured the view has to be fairly decent. At $150 per, they'd better be.

After last year’s Michelin chaos with the US Grand Prix, It is highly doudbtful that Ecclestone will renew its contract for the Speedway. There is so much talk going on, it is hard to find a credible source.

Then when Bob Varsha got asked in an interview what he expected from this year’s USPG he said "everyone will probably watch to see if another spectacle goes on. Sad, but true, I know I’m going to be keepin’ an eye out to see what happens."

I think SPEED has the right idea of covering the race more in-depth. They’re going to do a long series of interviews with F1 personalities, which is airing in a long special…I think on sat night before the race. That should be kinda interesting.

[fastlaptime]

I usually get my infor at http://www.speedtv.com/

Where do you guys go?