by Shano » Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:04 pm
Ahhh I've been waiting for the right thread to post this in and here it is.
TonyG - I went to Hampton Downs for the first time in February for the Amon Revival meeting and I could not have been more impressed with the circuit from a spectator's point of view.
Let me start with Pukekohe. I've been going to that circuit since my age was in single figures. It has its own unique charm and, for me, the stunning memories of those days when Fahey and Dawson and Riley and Richards battled it out, when Hawes and Leonard won the B&H 500 and Graham McRae led the best F5000s in the world in his own cars. I have what you'd call history with Pukekohe.
But the facilities to which the punters have been subjected at that circuit over the years are appalling. Horrible, filthy toilets and bugger all of them. Crap stands. I remember the days of the Marlboro Motorcycle Series, when the best in the world came here, and the circuit was packed. But we weren't allowed to use the nice grandstand - it remained empty with all its food and drink facilities and decent toilets. In fact its remained empty through most race meetings.
The toilet for the hill stand was a single concrete block with a urinal cast as a half-round indentation in the floor. It was a foul place.
They wrecked the sight lines everywhere when they installed the bridge for the Aussie V8s, You could no longer see the start grid from the hill stand, nor watch the cars go down the pit straight and peel into turn one. From the grandstand you could no longer see the "hill". The "Ford" signage on the bank in front of the hil obscures the view of the track directly in front of the "seating." That seating has never changed in the 45 years I've been going to that circuit. Comfortable is not a word you would use to describe it.
(As an aside, the structure put up to provide pit bases and an overhead viewing area above, installed for the Aussie V8 era, is now a rusting, unsafe structure with signs all over it warning of danger. What a cock up).
If there was food avalailable it never went beyond a cup of chips and a greasy hot dog for an outrageous price.
I could go on and on but all you have to do is look at the brilliant photos in these forums and see the crowds. Don't you ever wonder where they went?
Hampton Downs offers fantastic sight lines for a whole range of corners - fast and flowing, technical, multi apex, the works. You only need to walk a couple of hundred metres and it's a whole new ball game. There are multiple grand stands with individual moulded seating in great locations. Coffee lounge, restaurant, refreshment booths, good dunnies, excellent pit facilities with access for the public that I found quite amazing.
Whoever has told you that Hampton Downs is not good for spectating has their head up their arse.
(And.... when some days of the Amon Revival were cancelled because of heavy rain, they emailed all ticket holders and posted on the HD website by 10am that it was cancelled. THAT's customer service.)
Ahhh I've been waiting for the right thread to post this in and here it is.
TonyG - I went to Hampton Downs for the first time in February for the Amon Revival meeting and I could not have been more impressed with the circuit from a spectator's point of view.
Let me start with Pukekohe. I've been going to that circuit since my age was in single figures. It has its own unique charm and, for me, the stunning memories of those days when Fahey and Dawson and Riley and Richards battled it out, when Hawes and Leonard won the B&H 500 and Graham McRae led the best F5000s in the world in his own cars. I have what you'd call history with Pukekohe.
But the facilities to which the punters have been subjected at that circuit over the years are appalling. Horrible, filthy toilets and bugger all of them. Crap stands. I remember the days of the Marlboro Motorcycle Series, when the best in the world came here, and the circuit was packed. But we weren't allowed to use the nice grandstand - it remained empty with all its food and drink facilities and decent toilets. In fact its remained empty through most race meetings.
The toilet for the hill stand was a single concrete block with a urinal cast as a half-round indentation in the floor. It was a foul place.
They wrecked the sight lines everywhere when they installed the bridge for the Aussie V8s, You could no longer see the start grid from the hill stand, nor watch the cars go down the pit straight and peel into turn one. From the grandstand you could no longer see the "hill". The "Ford" signage on the bank in front of the hil obscures the view of the track directly in front of the "seating." That seating has never changed in the 45 years I've been going to that circuit. Comfortable is not a word you would use to describe it.
(As an aside, the structure put up to provide pit bases and an overhead viewing area above, installed for the Aussie V8 era, is now a rusting, unsafe structure with signs all over it warning of danger. What a cock up).
If there was food avalailable it never went beyond a cup of chips and a greasy hot dog for an outrageous price.
I could go on and on but all you have to do is look at the brilliant photos in these forums and see the crowds. Don't you ever wonder where they went?
Hampton Downs offers fantastic sight lines for a whole range of corners - fast and flowing, technical, multi apex, the works. You only need to walk a couple of hundred metres and it's a whole new ball game. There are multiple grand stands with individual moulded seating in great locations. Coffee lounge, restaurant, refreshment booths, good dunnies, excellent pit facilities with access for the public that I found quite amazing.
Whoever has told you that Hampton Downs is not good for spectating has their head up their arse.
(And.... when some days of the Amon Revival were cancelled because of heavy rain, they emailed all ticket holders and posted on the HD website by 10am that it was cancelled. THAT's customer service.)