Here is Wired's take on the top 10:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/07/motorsports-events/
Anyone have any thoughts? It seems pretty spot on to me, though Bonneville would probably replace the Daytona 500.
Here is Wired's take on the top 10:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/07/motorsports-events/
Anyone have any thoughts? It seems pretty spot on to me, though Bonneville would probably replace the Daytona 500.
Bonneville would have to be on there. And for me, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as well.
Also, Pike's Peak Hillclimb sounds awesome: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/pikes-peak-hillclimb/12301/page1/
Three F1 events? The old monza would have been better.
12 hours of Sebring
I have no desire to see the isle of man TT.
As far as participation i would say Targa Newfoundland, Dakar, Baja, and as generic "events" rallycross and solo.
Hot Rod's new issue has 101 events. They include autocross 
It's list month! EVO has a list of the top races worldwide, or tarmac events. Something like that. They list the Targa NZ and Targa Tasmania, but they ignore Newfoundland.
I imagine most of us have two lists: one for driving, one for spectating. The Hot Rod list is a driving list (I scored about 25 on that, I think), the Wired list is a spectating list.
My driving list:
I get scared just thinking about some of those.
(edited for formatting - why is this the most awkward forum on the internet for formatting? What's wrong with a line break?)
maroon92 wrote: Three F1 events? The old monza would have been better. 12 hours of Sebring I have no desire to see the isle of man TT. As far as participation i would say Targa Newfoundland, Dakar, Baja, and as generic "events" rallycross and solo.
The "old" Monza has been gone for decades; makes it difficult to witness these days.
Sebring is a great addition, but you get twice as much at LeMans; awesome competition plus atmosphere = WIN.
If the TT doesn't make your list, you have yet to explore the two-wheel side.
As for participation events, it's all subjective - YMMV.
IMHO, of course!
Driving events: Pikes Peak, Baja 1000, Paris-Dakar, Bonneville, Nurburgring, and as a far far far stretch... I'd love to be able to turn at lap at speed at Monte Carlo. I don't care in what, so long as it has a motor.
Spectating: Isle of Mann TT (unless I grow a pair, then it moves to Driving), Le Mans & Indy500 (unless I somehow manage to con my way into a ride, then it moves to driving).
The Bathurst 1000 in Australia every October would be my number 1, but I am biased.
Top ten in this field seems very restrictive.
P71 wrote: Hot Rod's new issue has 101 events. They include autocross
I saw that list, it's a pretty good one. I haven't had a chance yet to add up how many things on it I've done so far.
I'm big on bucket lists. Here's my list of events/locations to compete/participate in. (no particular order.)
Dakar Rally
Alcan Rally
Pikes Peak Hillclimb
Bay Bottom Crawl
Nurburgring
Daytona Int'l Speedway (Sports Car Course, natch.)
Bonneville
Laguna Seca
VIR (Been there, but not on track yet)
Sub-10 second Drag pass (could be anywhere...)
Tsukuba Circuit
Flyin Miata Summer Camp
SCCA Solo Nationals (x30 or so more times)
Billetproof (just a spectator)
One Lap of America
Bullrun (The TV one, not the bling one. It's a long story.)
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
I'll agree with some of those...
Substitute...
And add:
I've done half of these already and I can say with authority that this list is atleast 50% accurate 
Mine Countdown:
MotoGP from Laguna
Daytona 500
Pikes Peak Hill Climb
Baja 1000
24 Hours of Daytona
F1 from Silverstone
F1 from Monza
24 Hours at the Nurburgring
24 Hours of LeMans
F1 from Monaco
Realistic list:
Continue doing LeMons and the Challenge.
Get into rally-x. Looks like fun.
Private track day @ Road Atlanta with my closest friends and family.
A day at the 'ring.
Solo II nats.
One Lap of America.
BABE rally.
PS: I've been to the Daytona 500 more than once (free tix,) and you couldn't pay me to do it again. Yes, drinking beer and watching racing is fun. No, getting stuck in traffic for a gazillion hours and having to walk 2 miles to and from the track is not. Bristol, however, is a fun-ass place to watch a race.
OK, what on these lists have you guys actually done? Here's my partial list from Hot Rod and my own that are actually checked off:
Driving:
Spectate:
Other:
Vintage motorcycle roadracing. Probably the cheapest way into sanctioned competition on world-class tracks.
My goal is/was to run in the 2010 season, before all this upheaval with my jobs/house/band/etc. We shall see what the winter brings. My buddy has the bike and spares, we both have the knowledge to build it, and I at least have the skills to not die on the track. If we can get the bike in shape and I can get my fat ass in shape, I may be able to cross it off the list.
naming cars is lame...that being said, my girlfriend has named all of my cars except for the mustang...
Cars have to "earn" a name for it to count. Like Frieburger's F-Bomb, or the Bezerkely.
That Hot Rod list is begging to be put online as a survey. I'd love to see the results - how many people have ridden shotgun with a rally driver, for example, vs how many claim to have won a drag race (I beat a 1965 Cadillac hearse with my 1966 Cadillac hardtop, on the Las Vegas Strip!).
I name a lot of my cars because it's easier to say "Elvis" instead of "the LS1-powered 2002". Almost all the cars at FM have names. Tellingly, some are never interesting enough to the staff to get named.
P71 wrote: * Hear John Force talk in person
I would have to second that, We ran into him and some of his crew in a hotel bar near E-town. He was one of the most entertaining people I've ever met. He could talk for hours about anything and you'd sit and listen to it. I know there are some people here who don't care for drag racing but if you ever have a chance to see him go and do it.
P71 wrote: * *Ahem* "Do it" in a car
[raises hand].......busted in the front seat of a Mustang SVO...circa 1989.Bright, bright lights and a girl shrieking "I'm 18!!!!....I'm 18!!!!"
Was told to go somewhere else.Whew.
*EDIT....
My bucket list would consist mainly of me driving to/on Bonneville/Nurburgring/Goodwood/Pikes Peak/Le Mans/Targa's. etc.
I would like to have a little test tube/vial of soil (or salt) from each of the destinations.Just a little amount, labled with the place-date.I would also like to accomplish all of this in one vehicle.
P71 wrote: Driving: * Win a Drag Race (the whole event)
I have never won a drag event because I rarely dress in women's clothing and, honestly, I'm not that pretty when I do.
never busted, but came awful close. We had just re-clothed when the lights came on...
him- "Sir, what are you doing in a highschool parking lot at 3 in the morning on Christmas eve?"
me- "um...searching for cell phone service"
maroon92 wrote: never busted, but came awful close. We had just re-clothed when the lights came on... him- "Sir, what are you doing in a highschool parking lot at 3 in the morning on Christmas eve?" me- "um...searching for cell phone service"
Uh, watching for Santa? Duh.
P71 wrote: Cars have to "earn" a name for it to count. Like Frieburger's F-Bomb, or the Bezerkely.
My Neon R/T is named Serenity, like the ship. Same reliability level as that ship as well.
Keith wrote: I'd love to see the results - how many people have ridden shotgun with a rally driver, for example, vs how many claim to have won a drag race.
"Raises hand" - BTDT, got the trophy. Headwaters '02. Paul Dunn and I won overall. It was the single coolest, and most terrifying thing I have ever done in my life, and other than a couple rallyx events, my only rally experience. And I'll also add that if I had no family, every single penny of my income would go to doing more of it, like a destitute crack-whore looking for their next fix.... 
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