Laguna Seca Reviews

[Circacee]

Hello BARF,

Turning 30 this August and decided I`d like to celebrate early at Laguna Seca for the WSBK/MotoAmerica even in July. I come to you guys in hopes of reviews/decision to make.

I have yet to attend Laguna Seca and wondered if the VIP portion is worth the extra coin. Their website is showing "The Flagroom" as an upgrade with lucnch/snacks and beverages included(of course I plan on having a few adult beverages throughout the weekend). Has anyone sat in the Flagroom for an event? Pros and Cons?

They`re offering a suite as well(not my style) but the AC seems nice. Looking for some advice.

Here are the links:
https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/laguna/EN/buy/quickbuy/344

https://www.weathertechraceway.com/ticket-information

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ejv]

I did Flagroom for the 2007 GP. It was $325 at the time I believe. Well worth it to me back then. Private bathrooms, AC, CCTV, parking, paddock pass, all you could eat and drink with decent catering and drink selection, and special seating areas with lots of shade.

I don't know how/if it is changed at this point.

 

[Circacee]

I did Flagroom for the 2007 GP. It was $325 at the time I believe. Well worth it to me back then. Private bathrooms, AC, CCTV, parking, paddock pass, all you could eat and drink with decent catering and drink selection, and special seating areas with lots of shade.

I don't know how/if it is changed at this point.

When you say all you can drink...? Is that 21+ drinks?

Awesome brother. I noticed that the pre-sale has the suites at $599 and Flagroom for $399 including a Three Day parking pass. I`ll wait for others to chime in but I might splurge for the suite at this point.

 

[ejv]

Yes adult beverages. But that was 12 years ago. Things may have changed. I didn't get sloppy so no telling if they cut people off if they drink too much. Some of it was bar tended and some was just open ice boxes etc of bottled drinks. I imagine if you get sloppy someone will step in. But apart from being sloppy there was no limit to how much you could drink. It wasn't like you got a punch card or tickets valid for a certain number of drinks. You just had access to it all and could do as you pleased. Again it was fairly limited selection. I seem to remember lots of Red Bull (main sponsor at the time), lots of water, 5-6 types of beer, maybe some wine too and I believe the tended bar had some spirits available as well. The beer was some domestic like Bud or whatever and also some real beer like SNB Pale Ale. I definitely remember drinking a few of those.

 

[berth]

There are few creature comforts at the track, that's for sure.

There's food and drink and vendors, and, what, 4 trees you can possibly sit under in shade at the Corkscrew.

But other than that, it's tends to be a bit hot, and dry, and dusty, and ... the hill. Climbing the hill to the Corkscrew (in the hot and the dry). Good times indeed.

Mind, I've never complained. It is what it is. You go for the sounds the event.

I would completely appreciate having access to something like an air conditioned suite and what not, but you just have to be careful to not linger there and get out in to the track. You can watch a race in air conditioning on a TV monitor at home.

For me, the most visceral LS experience is up at the top of the hill, doing the Laguna Shuffle where you watch the bikes from Turn 10 through turn 5, shuffle over the hill to see them come down in to the Corkscrew and down in to 8 and 9, and then shuffle back.

You can't see Start/Finish (blocked by the garages), but that's ok. You can see most everything else. And, boy, are they fast going down that front straight, and there's no better place to see that than at the top of the hill. Seeing the bikes shoot out from beneath the bridge in to turn 1 and 2. Zzzzzzinnnng! I'll never forget John Kocinski laying waste to the 250 GP field as best personified as see him gain ground lap, after lap, after lap shooting out of the front straight bridge.

If you watch from the start/finish grandstands, it's the bikes accelerating hard out of 11, crossing the line, upshifting in to the kink at turn 1 under the bridge and over and out of sight, then you can see some of the infield but mostly you just watch the big jumbotron.

It's not bad, you're really close to action at the line, I love the sound of the bikes head over the hill in to 2. It's just different from the Shuffle.

In a Suite, I don't know what you see besides the track in front of you and whatever is on the nearby TV.

I go for the sights, the sounds, the "being there", the Nicky Dance on the podium, the Japanese fans cheering on Haga as he rockets by after a truly crummy start because he crashed out of Superpole. You can't get any of that on TV.

You have to be there.

So, in the end, if I have any succinct advice give about going to LS it's simply: be there, and get intimate with it.

Have fun, drink water.

Favorite fan quote from the races: "How come we have two kidneys, and only one bladder?" in the line for the bathroom.

 

[Circacee]

Yes adult beverages. But that was 12 years ago. Things may have changed. I didn't get sloppy so no telling if they cut people off if they drink too much. Some of it was bar tended and some was just open ice boxes etc of bottled drinks. I imagine if you get sloppy someone will step in. But apart from being sloppy there was no limit to how much you could drink. It wasn't like you got a punch card or tickets valid for a certain number of drinks. You just had access to it all and could do as you pleased. Again it was fairly limited selection. I seem to remember lots of Red Bull (main sponsor at the time), lots of water, 5-6 types of beer, maybe some wine too and I believe the tended bar had some spirits available as well. The beer was some domestic like Bud or whatever and also some real beer like SNB Pale Ale. I definitely remember drinking a few of those.

Cool, not looking to get toasted but it helps offset the cost.
Example: Beer at our lovely Dodger Stadium is 18 bucks!

 

[Circacee]

There are few creature comforts at the track, that's for sure.

There's food and drink and vendors, and, what, 4 trees you can possibly sit under in shade at the Corkscrew.

But other than that, it's tends to be a bit hot, and dry, and dusty, and ... the hill. Climbing the hill to the Corkscrew (in the hot and the dry). Good times indeed.

Mind, I've never complained. It is what it is. You go for the sounds the event.

I would completely appreciate having access to something like an air conditioned suite and what not, but you just have to be careful to not linger there and get out in to the track. You can watch a race in air conditioning on a TV monitor at home.

For me, the most visceral LS experience is up at the top of the hill, doing the Laguna Shuffle where you watch the bikes from Turn 10 through turn 5, shuffle over the hill to see them come down in to the Corkscrew and down in to 8 and 9, and then shuffle back.

You can't see Start/Finish (blocked by the garages), but that's ok. You can see most everything else. And, boy, are they fast going down that front straight, and there's no better place to see that than at the top of the hill. Seeing the bikes shoot out from beneath the bridge in to turn 1 and 2. Zzzzzzinnnng! I'll never forget John Kocinski laying waste to the 250 GP field as best personified as see him gain ground lap, after lap, after lap shooting out of the front straight bridge.

If you watch from the start/finish grandstands, it's the bikes accelerating hard out of 11, crossing the line, upshifting in to the kink at turn 1 under the bridge and over and out of sight, then you can see some of the infield but mostly you just watch the big jumbotron.

It's not bad, you're really close to action at the line, I love the sound of the bikes head over the hill in to 2. It's just different from the Shuffle.

In a Suite, I don't know what you see besides the track in front of you and whatever is on the nearby TV.

I go for the sights, the sounds, the "being there", the Nicky Dance on the podium, the Japanese fans cheering on Haga as he rockets by after a truly crummy start because he crashed out of Superpole. You can't get any of that on TV.

You have to be there.

So, in the end, if I have any succinct advice give about going to LS it's simply: be there, and get intimate with it.

Have fun, drink water.

Favorite fan quote from the races: "How come we have two kidneys, and only one bladder?" in the line for the bathroom.

I did this once at a Metallica concert(at what was AT&T Park). My friends wanted to sit in the seats, in comfort. I bought the pit passes and screamed my lungs out in the mosh-pit, getting down and dirty with my fellow metal-heads.

Your advice does not fall on deaf ears however I have wife that is rather "picky" about weathered events such as these. I hope that by purchasing the VIP Portion, Laguna will let me climb all over the track to watch, retreating back to the VIP lounge for some AC/Comfort.

 

[Whammy]

Whammy attends and competes at Laguna at least 10 times a year.
I can tell you if you are not a fan of heat, and dust you go for broke and spend that skrilla.
Get the whole taco, burrito, and enchilada.
Don't pass on the guacamole either.
Laguna doesn't have a lot of amenities, so take advantage of what packages they do offer if you can afford it.

Book your hotel early, if you haven't already.
Anything in Monterrey is gonna cost you all four of your dogs legs.
Staying in Seaside most places there are 2 star rated or Salinas.. a bit further out are much better.
Or better yet if you enjoy communing in the dirt you can camp right there at the track.
Book early, have fun drink water!

 

[HadesOmega]

I camped last year on Fox Hill with the other motocampers it was like the most expensive camping I've ever done I forgot how much it was like $100 just to camp the weekend. But you get a nice view of the track. You pretty much just walk down the hill and your at the track already also. I did the Kawasaki Experience package also got to do a parade lap with other Kawasakis and Eddie Lawson lead the ride.

 

[berth]

I did this once at a Metallica concert(at what was AT&T Park). My friends wanted to sit in the seats, in comfort. I bought the pit passes and screamed my lungs out in the mosh-pit, getting down and dirty with my fellow metal-heads.

Your advice does not fall on deaf ears however I have wife that is rather "picky" about weathered events such as these. I hope that by purchasing the VIP Portion, Laguna will let me climb all over the track to watch, retreating back to the VIP lounge for some AC/Comfort.

I can not deny that there is value in being able to retreat to a shady, climate controlled retreat. And I completely appreciate how not all in your party may be as interested in the whole thing as others.

The bright side is that there's several races, so you don't have to do anything exclusively. You can treat them all differently.

I remember one year, I couldn't be there. But there was someone there, web streaming a video at the track. However, since they weren't part of the official broadcast group, they couldn't actually show the race, or the track. So, basically it was some guys in the paddock with a video camera while the race ran.

But I will say this, they got the sound. Watching a race on television, they don't sound like anything. There may be "sounds", but it's not like at the race track. It's muted. There's nothing like the sound that came out of the valley of LS when the GP ran there. Oh my!

Anyway, since the guys in the paddock running the video just ran an open mic, you could hear the race. Also, they had a teeny sliver of the track you could see bikes zip by. If you knew what you were looking for, you could identify bikes and riders. But, also, you could hear the bikes, the din of the announcers, and it was raw. I followed the race on the AMA web site or something that was streaming the positions and times. But watched the paddock video. And, frankly, it was much like being there.

Anyone who's been in a paddock while the race is run (and there are a lot of folks like that) would have a similar experience.

 

[budman]

Your advice does not fall on deaf ears however I have wife that is rather "picky" about weathered events such as these. I hope that by purchasing the VIP Portion, Laguna will let me climb all over the track to watch, retreating back to the VIP lounge for some AC/Comfort.

The wife part seals the deal for me. I took the wife to a GP. It was damn hot and she is used to being more comfortable than sitting on aluminum bleachers or a blanket in the weeds.

She said no thanks next time... "Why would I want to go do that again?" :laughing

Get the upgrade and keep the Mrs. happy.

 

[budman]

Oh.. make sure she brings ear plugs, sunscreen and good walking shoes.

 

[WorldSBK]

Went to Laguna Seca last year and enjoyed every minute of the Saturday & Sunday. I walked around a lot though.

 

[Butch]

One time... I went with customers.
We hired a limo from Santa Clara, had flagroom tickets, adult beverages, it was wonderful.

Not really expensive, either. A limo can be a deal.
Flagroom was on turn three then. No idea where it is now.

Walking the whole track to see what goes on is a different experience. Maybe better. Different.

 

[PretzelThirst]

I camped last year on Fox Hill with the other motocampers it was like the most expensive camping I've ever done I forgot how much it was like $100 just to camp the weekend. But you get a nice view of the track. You pretty much just walk down the hill and your at the track already also.

I'm going to check that out this year

 

[ABC]

You’re going with the wife, she isn’t going to want to wait 45 mins to go piss... spend the money and get the suite

 

[ST Guy]

It's been a long, long time since I've been to Seca. Many of those years were spent as a corner working with the NMP. Best seat in the house, though you're generally stuck at one corner the whole day. Nothing like standing next to the concrete wall under the trees at 8A, though.

Since it's you're first experience, I suggest walking around the track and experiencing every viewing spot the first day. That way you'll know where you want to hang out most of the time the second.

I'm not a big fan of the expensive VIP lounges and stuff. I'd rather be out in the sun with my hat, sunscreen and comfy chair trackside.

If you want less traffic, wait a couple hours at least before leaving. Or ride your motorcycle if you're comfortable with lane sharing. When I was working the races, after the end of the day meeting at turn 11, we'd walk across the track (corner worker passes get you ANYWHERE) and cruise pit row where the teams are always busy. Especially Saturday evening.

Get a paddock pass at the very least.

And, if they do what they've done in years past, one of the local Salinas AM radio stations broadcasts the track announcer. So, rather then ear plugs, you might consider some ear protection that includes a radio. When I was working, I'd use my regular earmuffs to which I'd added some cheap Sony headphone speakers to. I hung a small Sony AM/FM radio on my belt and connected it with a cable. It was nice while hanging out trackside to actually be able to hear the announcer do the play by play.

Have fun!