Houston Grand Prix Spectator Gates

[david73fp]

For anyone who hasn't checked the schedule, please do so. Friday the gates don't open until 10 am, and Saturday and Sunday the gates open at 8. That doesn't sound too bad for Sat and Sun until you realize that cars will be on track before they will let us in. One of the days, the Pro Mazda race will be half over before the gates open, so by the time we can get through the ticket checkers, Security, and find a place to watch, their race will be over. My understanding is that Reliant Arena doesn't want to pay their minimum wage employees for enough hours to allow the event to be open for the duration of the on track program each day. In 40+ years of spectating at tracks all over the US and Canada I have never encountered this. Texas has one of the best tracks in the world now at COTA, but it is not run well either. Texas never wants to take a lesson from anyone else who has already done something if that person is not a Texan.

[Indy-hp]

I had not noticed that about the gate times. That is weird.

I beg to differ about COTA. We've been to two race weekends there and found it extremely well run.

Not sure I understand your frustration with my adopted home state, I've found most folks very accommodating in my three decades living here.

[sean26]

[jkeener24]

-1 for the overplayed line.

+1 for the classic SpongeBob interpretation.

Carry on.

[JamesC2123]

I've actually never heard of this before, an event running cars on track (a race, even, on Sunday) before opening the gates. I'm usually one to want to see every minute of cars on track when I go to a race. This would bug me a little bit. Luckily, 6 series running 11 races would assuage that...everyone's going to have a great time, and I'm jealous I'm 1000 miles away.

[david73fp]

Indy-hp, don't get me wrong about COTA. I have been in Austin for 10 years, had to leave California where I had Sears Point (Infineon) and Laguna Seca, plus Portland not all that far away. I have never seen so many different races in one season before, and they have all been within 20 miles of my house. Not to mention F1! It is by far the best track I have ever been to. I am just saying that there are things COTA does that could be improved a lot. At the ALMS-WEC race, the gate to Turn 1 parking was locked when we (and several others) arrived at or after it was supposed to be open. No one could find anyone with a key. Fans finally drove around the locked gate in the mud on a slope to get in, because cars were already on track. When we got in, the ATM was not working. The problems got better the remainder of the weekend, they just don't have the logistics down yet, after a year of operation.

Every race I have been to there, one or more vendors has run out of food. Not entirely COTA's fault, but they select the vendors. It adds insult to injury since they will not let people bring in anything other than 2 bottles of water apiece. I have never been to a road course or street track outside Texas that did not allow fans to bring in food and non-alcoholic beverages. The profit motive (greed) is annoying, particularly when the food selection is not particularly healthy and you can't even count on a particular vendor having food when you decide to eat.

The worst decision in my opinion, though, is to let the slimeballs from Ticketmaster control the early ticket sales. Before them, every race I went to sold advance tickets for less than the day-of-race price at the gate. At Houston and COTA it is just the opposite, thanks to Ticketmaster's extortionist service charges. If I want to take a chance that I can get tickets where I want to sit, I am better off to wait and buy the tickets at the gate for the same price Ticket Ripoff sells them for, minus the service charge.

[mdkiel]

-1 for the overplayed line.

+1 for the classic SpongeBob interpretation.

Carry on.

So we have a net gain of zero?

[sejarzo]

Couple of friends who attended Houston were not happy to discover on arrival that there would be no pass-outs available.

[Jeff Nicol]

SCCA Trans Am series held a race at Watkins Glen this season...it was not a spectator event. Yes, you heard that right. The Trans Am series may not be what it used to be, but it is still a pretty big deal to a lot of fans, and they are starting to make a decent comeback. After a lot of complaining from fans they decided to open one section of grandstands (the did make it free top watch as a small consolation) but you could not go anywhere but that one section, no infield access, nothing. Park outside, sit in one grandstand, no different viewing options, no camping, nothing. Talk about insane. I decided not to go since it is not worth a 5 hour drive when I can only see one corner all day long, and no camping meant a long, long day to go up and back in the same day (not going to shell out another $100+ for a hotel) The official story from the track was that some other group had rented the track for the day (some vintage club I think) and SCCA rented track time from them, which is why it was not a spectator event. Of course, I have heard other stories as well, not sure what really happened there.

That said, I would have been mad also were I to be standing outside waiting to get in while an actual race was on the track. That is the sort of thing that if I knew ahead of time I would just stay home.

[The Bro]

I would bet it has to do with insurance. I have heard of SCCA racing events that do not allow spectators due to the added cost of insurance.

[Jakester]

SCCA Trans Am series held a race at Watkins Glen this season...it was not a spectator event. Yes, you heard that right. The Trans Am series may not be what it used to be, but it is still a pretty big deal to a lot of fans, and they are starting to make a decent comeback. After a lot of complaining from fans they decided to open one section of grandstands (the did make it free top watch as a small consolation) but you could not go anywhere but that one section, no infield access, nothing. Park outside, sit in one grandstand, no different viewing options, no camping, nothing. Talk about insane. I decided not to go since it is not worth a 5 hour drive when I can only see one corner all day long, and no camping meant a long, long day to go up and back in the same day (not going to shell out another $100+ for a hotel) The official story from the track was that some other group had rented the track for the day (some vintage club I think) and SCCA rented track time from them, which is why it was not a spectator event. Of course, I have heard other stories as well, not sure what really happened there.

That said, I would have been mad also were I to be standing outside waiting to get in while an actual race was on the track. That is the sort of thing that if I knew ahead of time I would just stay home.

That weekend at WGI was the Finger Lakes Wine Country Classic, organized by Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). SCCA Pro Racing/TransAm 'piggybacked' on their event. TransAm is now administered by a third party under SCCA Pro Racing sanction.

Access to spectator areas was determined by WGI and SVRA, likely primarily by WGI. I'm sure the restrictions were largely imposed by WGI due to various costs (security, insurance, maintenance) to open up large areas of the track for what is essentially a club race weekend.