Hi guys
Anyone here ever been to see the British Touring cars, or any other motorsport I suppose, specifically at Croft?
My wife very kindly bought me a ticket for this Sunday for my Birthday yesterday, with the intention of me taking our racing car mad 3.5yr old lad. I know he’s a bit young, but we don’t have to stay all day and only live 10mins drive away. I’ve never been to any motorsport event before, so have a bit of a query regarding taking young kids.
She ordered my ticket over the phone a few months ago and asked at the time about young kids, the woman at Croft said kids are free and it would be fine to bring him along, he'll love it. I was looking at the race itinerary online last night on the Croft website and noticed while it says kids under 15 are free, it also says that kids must have a grandstand ticket (an extra £7, something I don’t have). This wasn’t mention to my wife when she ordered my ticket. The problem is the website says that grandstand tickets are now sold out. I’m gonna ring later to check, but does this mean I can’t take him? Do people not in the grandstand have young kids with them? He’s not one for running about like mad so will be quite happy in a buggy or on my shoulders.
Cheers
Brighty
Been to Croft many times and its very good, I think you will only have to pay the £7 if you want to take your kids in the grandstand, plenty of good viewing areas around the track and the grandstand is only small, or used to be. You will have a great day and the kids will love it!
Busy this time but I normally make the Croft round, its a great day out.
Think mine were 5 and 3 when they first went and we didnt have grandstand tickets then, but it was 10 years ago!
If they are a little sensitive to noise then a pair of ear defenders will lessen the shock to them :)
Enjoy,
Pete
You will be shocked by the noise, so ear defenders are pretty essential if you are up close.
I always love the smell, a brilliant day out for all the family.
I've been loads of times as my mate used to race a lot there. Can't see any problem if you can't get in the stand.(Unless the H&S police have recently stopped it) Lots of youngsters there with parents are behind wire fencing and crash barriers. The kids will love looking at the cars waiting to race too. Might go myself too!
Rod
I think what it means is that kids are free to get in BUT if you wanted to sit in a Grandstand with him, you would need to buy a seat for him. If you have a grandstand seat, just put him in your lap!
For general viewing, no issue.
Echo the ear defenders as well.
Have a great day.
cheers
Take plenty of stuff with you.
There are 20 minute breaks between races with nothing happening.
The food stalls are part of the experience - but they are likely to have long queues, and will be expensive.
So once your picnic is finished, you will need something to keep the little-un occupied between races.
Walking to the next vantage point should be good enough to keep him active.
Weather can be hit or miss - so take some protection for the sun and the rain.
It's a long day.
Edit - also take something to sit on the grass banks with, a plastic carrier bag, a travel rug, or wear an old jacket.
Last edited by Reeny; 26th June 2014 at 13:08.
Cheers guys
I understand what they mean now. Under 15's go free and can go anywhere, but if you want to take them in the grandstand, then they will need a £7 grandstand ticket. I read 'Children under 15 will need a grandstand ticket' as they are only allowed in the grandstand. Sorted, looking forward to it now.
I'll get him some ear defenders, hadn't thought of that, but not sure he'll wear them as he refuses to wear a hat of any kind. Think he'll need them as he may have a hissy if it's too noisy, he freaked when we took him to Pickering for his 1st steam train ride, he ended up face to face with a big steamy at the level crossing waiting to get into the car park and was literally shaking with fear, took a few visits to the train museum and then Darlo train station for him to be able to get near a train. Do they sell them at the track? Or anyone know of somewhere in the Darlo area to get some before Sun?
Cheers
Brighty
I've no idea about Croft but my son won us some tickets to British GT/Formula 3 at Sneterton last w/e and this was my first experience of motor racing which could be similar?
Although we could get quite close to the track I only have a Canon S100 (zoom equivalent to 120mm) and not powerful enough to get decent shots of individual cars - you'll definitely need your long lens.
We did spend some time in a grandstand but it's nice to walk about, see other vantage points (perhaps even take a ball or something). Food is invariably expensive for mediocre burgers or whatever so maybe take some of your own.
The noise is incredible which my son (14 y/o) loved but maybe not for younger children. It can be a long day, especially if very hot like last w/e and he was happy to leave slightly early and miss a few minor races. We did 'have' to go twice though (and drove total 350 miles).
2 years ago when I went to Goodwood they were available for sale. A quick search of Amazon turns up quite a few for sale:Originally Posted by Brighty
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...rs%2Caps%2C137
Maybe you should have a pair too so you match, it might encourage him to wear them.
Cheers, ordered some green ones with next day delivery, see how we get on with them.
Brighty
You will look the business in them, have a great day!
Hi guys
Was a good day out in the end
On your advice I ordered some ear defenders, had to pay nearly double for next day delivery from amazon, but they turned up Friday so all good. He was quite taken with them and spent an hour on Friday night wearing them. His little sister now wants a pair.
On the day itself it started badly. When I asked him if he wanted to come and watch racing cars with daddy, the reply I got was “NO, don’t want racing cars, want trains”, he continued to mutter to himself all the way there about trains, lol.
What would usually be a 10-15min drive took about 40mins, sat in a queue from the river at Croft.
When we got there, I was prepared for the worst, an immediate return to the car and home following a sensory overload meltdown. He has/possibly has mild ASD, and can sometimes get a bit overwhelmed with things, an example being we took him to Pickering last summer for his first train ride and a big steamy went past as we waited at the level crossing into the car park, it was too much for him and he went bright red and shook with fear. Didn’t get anywhere near the station with him after that. It took multiple trips to our local train museum then train station to not be afraid of real trains close up, next step is steam trains again. I was expecting similar at Croft but was all ok.
Put the ear defenders on him in the car park and we headed in and off to a spot near the chicane complex. Managed to keep him entertained for 30mins or so till the 1st BTCC race, watched the safety car laps from there and he was mesmerised, but then he started to get restless, so we walked up to the pit lane and watched the race from there. He loved it, was up on my shoulders watching them zoom past shouting “go on, go on, you can do it” lol. God those things are loud, especially with their constant backfiring. Got papped by the Northern Echo, so we may be famous.
After that we had a wander, some grub, a pint for me. Ended up the other side of the course and watched the Ginetta and Porsche races from there. They were much quieter and he didn’t need/want the ear defenders. He got restless again so we wandered back to the pit lane and watched the 2nd BTCC race, but he refused to wear the defenders and the noise was a bit much. He was getting a bit tired and grumpy by this point, so at the end of the race I made the decision to get him home. I was expecting to not stay till the end, so to get over half way through was good for his first time. Beat the rush and was home in 15mins.
All in all a good day, thoroughly enjoyed it and would take him again. Can imagine it would be a great day out with the lads and a few beers too.
Cheers
Brighty
Glad to hear it went well!
Considering your lads young age, you did well to see so much racing! Mine used to get bored a lot quicker than that!
Told you we were papped
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/new...Croft_Circuit/
Brighty
My brother used to take me down to Croft to see the motorbike racing before the tarmac circuit closed in 1979.
The best event was when Ron Haslam raced there on his 21st birthday - on the Pharaoh Yamaha TZ750.
I was there again in 1992 for the European Rallycross championship (Rallycross kept the track open)
But we lost interest after the refurbishment when the smaller grass-root events were given the elbow.
Happy days.
Very nice. :-)
Just resurrecting this old relic. Can't believe this was 4 years ago.
Gonna head down to Croft again with the boy this Sunday for the BTCC, see if we can make the papers again, though the boy is probably a bit less photogenic at 7 compared to 3, me too.
Anyone else going?
If you get a chance, take him to a motorcycle race... most youngsters and a few adults find it quite exciting..👍
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