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We're bringing this Katrina Flood article back to our front page for a short reprise along with Murphy the Bear's publication today of his own favorite road racing events.
With this commentary, Last Turn Clubhouse welcomes a new contributor. Obviously, Katrina Flood is a nom de plume. The writer could not have written this article without it. I can tell you that "Kat" is knowledgeable about the business of "racing events" as few are. And as "Kat" writes below, every track - and event - has been visited, multiple times, as a fan, or "on business." When I received this article, it was with a personal note, that read in part, "Obviously, it is meant to stimulate some discussion." Whether you agree with Kat's rankings, there is a central message about "events" that we at Last Turn Clubhouse think is very important.
Murphy's Best Road Racing Events are here.-Editor- What is the best sports car racing event in North America? Several tracks host events in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series, but only a handful are must-see classics every sports car fan should attend at least once (or better yet, every year).
Let’s get a few things straight here. For the most part, I am rating EVENTS, not tracks. If we were rating strictly far a track’s facilities and amenities, an oval track would obviously rate the highest, but they are oriented toward NASCAR oval races, not their roval course stepchildren. If we were rating natural beauty, Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen, VIR and Road America would rate the top of the list. Street circuits are usually inconvenient for spectators, but Long Beach, for instance, is an outstanding “happening,” if not a classic race. The biggest problem in sports car racing is that most circuits have yet to establish a signature sports car event (or properly promote what they have). By constantly changing dates, race length or format, sanctioning affiliations, etc., it is difficult to establish a tradition. Most classic events are long-distance races (Le Mans, Sebring) that are held the same time every year. Other problems relate to spectator viewing (or lack thereof), parking and camping issues, and so on. RATING SYSTEM I came up with a point system. A total of 100 points are available, with more important considerations worth ten points each. Yes, subjective for the most part. But I have been to these circuits many times (NOT a journalist, I could care less about press room food, internet access and registration hours). These categories are worth a maximum of 10 points each:
Viewing
Parking
History/Tradition
Fan Access
Event Spectacle These categories are worth a maximum of five points each:
Track Food
Restrooms
Souvenirs
Camping
Souvenir Program
Local Amenities (including hotels and restaurants)
Track Scenery
Staff/Security Helpfulness
Scoreboards/PA/Radio
Supporting Events A total of 100 points is possible. After much serious consideration, here are my top ten sports car racing EVENTS in North America: 1. MOBIL 1 12 HOURS OF SEBRING (78 points) – History, tradition, the best entry of the year, a big track with lots of close-up viewing, and a facility that has improved remarkably over the past decade makes this event my top pick. And the fact it is held the same time every year doesn’t hurt. Despite being two hours from civilization, Sebring has that magic that is hard to describe to someone. The smell of the orange blossoms at the old Hendricks Field B-17 airfield make this a truly special place. Of course, Sebring has many things that annoy me. Too many 18-25 year olds more interested in becoming intoxicated than watching a race. Serious lack of elevation changes, the obligatory Friday monsoon, and price gouging by local hotels being among them. Sebring is great for camping and trackside parking, has a fair number of elevated viewing mounds, good access to teams, and a surprising number of amenities. They also have the best souvenirs and program. Track management has a strong interest in preserving its history. 2. & 3. MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA ALMS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE AND THE MONTEREY HISTORIC RACES (73 points) – So how does Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca get both second and third place? Good question. Both the October ALMS finale and the Monterey Historics event in August deserve to be ranked among the best sports car events of the year. And since this is my rating, I get to play God. Laguna has excellent viewing, awesome elevation changes, better than average facilities, excellent history and a management that truly cares about the paying customer. The ALMS finale usually ends in darkness, which is pretty cool. The Historics are a totally different type of event, but equally impressive. And the Monterey area is great for a vacation, with incredible scenery, excellent restaurants and lodging and plenty of things to do when not at the track. 4. PETIT LE MANS, ROAD ATLANTA (71 points) – Now beginning its second decade, Petit has established itself as a classic event. The track is beautiful, fast and has good viewing opportunities. Dr. Panoz did a great job with improvements after taking over in the late 1990s, but recent changes for the motorcycle events are pretty disappointing. Anyway, the Petit Le Mans EVENT has become a must-see endurance race that usually attracts an entry second only to Sebring. The Petit Le Mans has a good program, nice souvenirs, lousy food, and inadequate parking. Atlanta has grown so close to Road Atlanta that every restaurant and hotel imaginable is within a short drive (albeit in horrible Atlanta traffic). The big screen TV in the stadium part of the circuit is excellent. The race length is just right and provides a full-day of endurance racing (that’s the way it should be!). 5. ROAD AMERICA ALMS RACE (68 points) – You gotta love this place, a beautiful facility that is for the sports car purist, Run by nice folks who really care about fans, excellent volunteers, good food, nice program and souvenirs, excellent parking and camping (hate those high fences, though). The ALMS event is a good one, but too short. The race should be six hours (remember the good ‘ol Road America 500 format?). Anyway, a consistent date would also help. 6. MOSPORT ALMS (66 points) – What a track! Fast with elevation changes, great corners and nice scenery. Devoted fans, good management and lots of great history. Mosport rocks! Facilities are, unfortunately, seriously lacking in several departments. Again, lack of consistency with the date and format don’t do this track justice. Mosport should also be a six hour event. This circuit has so much potential, but it needs a signature EVENT (are you listening, Mid-Ohio and Road America?). 7. WATKINS GLEN ROLEX SERIES/SPRINT CUP WEEKEND (65 points) – As much as I am not a NASCAR fan, I have to admit the Watkins Glen Sprint Cup race with the Grand-Am Rolex Series as an undercard is an entertaining weekend on an absolutely fantastic circuit. Great viewing (one of the best), wonderful atmosphere and better than average facilities (for a road course). Good program, scoreboards and spectator access (although it’s always a zoo when NASCAR is in town). Watkins Glen is a must-see for any serious road racing fan. Its six-hour Grand-Am event is a better format, but running with the Cup cars makes this a spectacle. Lodging can be a challenge. 8. ROLEX 24 DAYTONA (64 points) – Where do I start? Once a great race, it’s very much lost its luster. Before we get bogged down in the ALMS versus Grand-Am argument, let me say that Daytona is one of the finest facilities in the world – for a stock car race. And it hosts an epic spectacle in the Daytona 500, but it loses points for those very same reasons. Rovals (road courses in ovals) do not make good sports car venues. Spectator access in the infield has been reduced steadily over the years for the 24, and I still think its creepy watching a race surrounded by 160,000 empty seats. In addition, for some reason too many of Daytona’s volunteers/gate guards/security/ticket takers are rude, unhelpful, and apt to change policies and procedures every ten minutes. They can make the 24 a miserable experience. This has been a problem for decades at Daytona, and I could never really understand why. No other track comes close to the hostility shown to its paying customers. Despite that, Daytona is spectacular by its size alone, and watching sports car battle on both the banking and the road courses is a lot of fun. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants nearby. 9. LONG BEACH GP ALMS (55 points) – Temporary circuits generally are a joke. Less than 5% survive more than a few years (for a good reason, I might add). But there are a few that deserve a visit. The granddaddy of them all is Long Beach. It is a spectacle! True, most people there have no clue about racing, but it’s a neat venue. Unfortunately, the sports car race is only a supporting event, way too short and not promoted very well compared to the open-wheel part of the weekend (or the celebrity race). Still, there is something special about the place despite all the hassles of a temporary circuit. 10. MID-OHIO ALMS or ROLEX (53 points) – You have to have Mid-Ohio in the top ten, simply because it is a great road racing circuit. But again, it lacks an EVENT. They host both the Rolex and ALMS series, but neither has the pizzazz of a true endurance event. Formats and dates and are always changing. Management has made some strange decisions regarding spectator access in recent years. Still, a top-notch circuit in need of a traditional endurance EVENT. Calm down, it’s just my opinion! I know St. Petersburg, VIR, Barber and Salt Lake City have their attributes. And I am sure you would have rated things differently. But I hope one point comes across to all the decision-makers in sports car racing – we need more traditional EVENTS with well-established dates and formats (clean restrooms would be nice too). Whether you are a Grand-Am fan or an ALMS fan, it’s slim pickens ("What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is a-goin' on here?! I hired you people to try to git a little track laid, not to jump around like a bunch of Kansas City faggots!" is running around in my mind, but I think I know what Kat means. – Editor) for truly great events. Kat Flood |
