MotoGP at COTA

[oldmantwo]

Great News!
First, cash parking for motorcycles is now available for $15 day of event on the west side of Turn 11. Second, one day Sunday passes are available for $59 at the track ticket counter. Third, weather looks FANTASTIC!

One question though, I wonder if you can ride up to the ticket counter area by the main gate, purchase your ticket, and then ride to the motorcycle parking area? If not, you better be ready for a mile walk to and from the ticket counter. That's not particularly bad unless you just got off a 300 mile ride getting there.

Thats a good question. We have added a rider to our group who will need to purchase parking and tickests at site. Communication with COTA dose not provide that level of detail. Common sense would tell me COTA Blv. would be open with vehicle pass thru at the main ticket location.

 

[eg23232]

Increased security measures for RBGPA

https://motomatters.com/news/2013/04/16/circuit_of_the_americas_announces_increa.html

 

[BobbyBlue]

everything is done through shuttles from Austin if parking hasnt been previously procured

My understanding is that there will NOT be shuttle service for the MotoGP. Staying at Hilton in downtown Austin and had to end up renting a car.

You are correct sir but the plan at F1 time last Nov.was different, my bad...but thankfully i see there should be parking available and I made the dry run and indeed theres a couple huge dirt lots for $30 bucks a day...they were blocked off and i bullshitted my way in past 2 security dudes and made it through a tunnel to the paddock and Ducati was already there...i was then caught and escorted off property....but its soooooo coool guys !!!! the track i mean, not getting arrested....The Cota site leaves much room for improvement, info is there, just tough to get at...but i still cant believe my lame ass will be able to ride to a world class event in Texas...we're like Ferengi...we eat our young and only recently allow our woman to be clothed....they could always wear a gun though...and the weather will be awesome all 3 days ! Serious fun and some malfeasance awaits !!!

 

[BobbyBlue]

Increased security measures for RBGPA
https://motomatters.com/news/2013/04/16/circuit_of_the_americas_announces_increa.html

Same as when i read it last November...and waaafuckinwaaa to all the negative winers commenting on the article, dont come...after survivin' 9 heartattacks, a nasty ex, loss of a career, home, etc...i'm glad this is so close and i will be like water my friends...but if one of these babies sits near me, its homemade booger flicker time...ice too, but boogers stick....

 

[CopB8]

I'm leaving North Dallas at 6 am on Sunday and heading that way. Will head home right after the race. Looks like the weather is going to be perfect! I'm so glad they created a one day pass and cash parking.

To anyone on the fence about going, I've been to that track twice. Once for F1 and again for a weekend private event. It's well worth someone's while to go see it. It is THE premier track on this continent!

 

[gixxerjasen]

its homemade booger flicker time...ice too, but boogers stick....

The fact that you had to specify "Homemade" makes me wonder...."Who buys their boogers?" And more importantly, how much are they paying because I gotta get in on this booger selling gig!

 

[BobbyBlue]

I would hope all boogers are homemade, i was referring to the flicker device....i like a broken straw or coffee stirrer myself...you coming down for this gig?

 

[BobbyBlue]

I'll be using my ignorance, real and imagined, and my handicap plate to infiltrate all parking lots looking for FJR's...i hope to meet some of you and am packing up now....My bike is dark blue and has a windshield and saddlebags too if ya see it, i wear an ARAI Druidi Jungle multi-colored helmet and may be going commando if its not too cold.....tmi ?..sorry...we gonna have some good fun yeah !

 

[gixxerjasen]

I will be there, but either in the CRV or MINI, no FJR this go round. Wife is finally back able to ride again after her back surgery, but we need to shop her some new gear and get her tested out. Not sure how long she can ride yet so we'll be in the comfort of a cage for this trip.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

Well, sitting in the hot tub in Abilene, it was 26 degrees for the first 4 hours, then warmed up to 45 with a nice 30 mph side wind. See you at the track tomorrow about mid day. Beer is tasting prettygood right now.

 

[BobbyBlue]

Awesome ! I'll join ya there, sitting in T15, R23,....I'll be wearing a jean jacket with Nasa Apollo on the back and a stupid grin !

Blessings ( especially for Rossi

) ,

Bobby

 

[CopB8]

Regarding my day ride down to MotoGP I’m filing that trip in the ‘Been there. Done That. Don’t need to do it again.’ Folder.

Set off yesterday at 6am sharp. Started at 50 degrees but dropped to 45 soon after. Due to being under-attired I froze my ever-loving ass off going down there. No traffic though and I sailed into COTA with hardly a stop. HOLY CRAP were there a TON of bikes! Never seen so many bikes where hardly any where Harleys in my life. Tons of FJR's representing. Best bike show ever!

Watched races for 3.5-4.0 hours. Eeeh…..they were just ‘ok’. I'm a huge Formula 1 fan and attended the November race and have already purchased tickets for this year. I figured MotoGP has to be as good and maybe attending a live race will get me hooked. Not sure why, but not so much. To each his own.

Headed home with 3 laps (i hear the groaning already) to go to beat the thousands and thousands of bikes there. Well, as usual I35 SUCKS! It was shut down north of Temple for some major wreck. Sat stopped for about 30 minutes and finally, in desperation, I headed down a side road into the country my Garmin said existed. Turns out to be 2 dirt tire tracks across some fields. WTF?! But kept pushing on. Hit some dirt roads eventually and hauled ass. Love riding on dirt! Ended up on a road that took me to highway 77. After the stop on the freeway and the detour I lost just less than an hour getting home.

Did exactly 500.0 miles all told. Not crazy miles but a pretty long day in the saddle for me.

Hope all who attended had a great time!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Spent Saturday and Sunday there. We drove the MINI down though. I saw a ton of FJR's out there. One guy on a blue one with an Air Force sticker on the front passed me as we were walking to the car, I have him a thumbs up but he was looking elsewhere and missed me.

I had a good time, we got Rossi's autograph so that was a plus. Both me and the wife are sunburned and tired after a full weekend.

We too let Garmin take us off the highway, but mine didn't lead us down any paths like CobB8 did. Circled right around and back through Waco to take 31 over to 45 and then home. Good times, now I need to see about seeing F1 there.

Our plan for next year is I'll head down on Friday on the FJR and spend Friday and Saturday and then the wife will drive down with kiddo with her for his first MotoGP race. She said she's good for one day next time so we'll do it that way.

 

[CopB8]

I had a good time, we got Rossi's autograph so that was a plus. Both me and the wife are sunburned and tired after a full weekend.

Meeting and getting Rossi's autograph is a biggie. Congrats!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Yea, this is a terrible pic but I was snapping on the go while being rushed through the line. They split the line into five lines and whatever racers was at the table your line went past was who you got. We lucked out and got pushed into Rossi's line. My wife would have cried if we'd have waited that long and got shunted into another line. At the point of this photograph I was watching Colin Edwards running around, someone snatched my hat and gave it to Rossi who is signing it while I'm ducking under the TV camera and totally not even seeing poor Bautista sitting there handing me his autographed event poster.

 

[CopB8]

Who's autograph was most wanted, Rossi or Lorenzo's?

 

[gixxerjasen]

I dunno, Lorenzo was in another line, maybe, didn't see him really, but there sure were a lot more Rossi hats, shirts and flags than any other racer.

 

[steveoreno]

I am starting to plan for next year's event. The track looks fantastic, how were the seats? How far can one see of the track from different locations etc?

 

[gixxerjasen]

You can see pretty decent, but at most you will see like 30% of the track as it's a sprawling track over the grounds. From the main grandstands you can't see much of the track, but you have an overhang for shade if you are sitting high enough and big screen TV's and you get to hear and feel the bikes come through at 210mph. Turn 1 grandstands are good looking down that huge hill toward the straight and give you some view, albeit distant, of the rest of the track. I think if I had to choose though, turn 15 looks like an amazing place to sit in the stands. You see the back straight and all the turns directly in front of the stands. That may be where I'll be next year. If you have GA seating then there's lots of corners to view the action. Do like I did and come on Saturday and scout out your spot to be where you can see what you want to see.

We ended up in the GA between turns 1 and 2. That gave a good view of the bikes coming out of the turn at the top of the hill and listening to them full on the gas wheelying down the hill and ripping into turn 2. We also could look over and see the start/finish as well as look across the track toward some of the last turns. With my binoculars I could check out one of the TV's on the front straight to catch any crashes or action happening elsewhere on the track. Also I could fully see the leaderboard which was obscured in some portions of the track. There were a lot of people who came and watched in that area for a bit and then moved on grumbling that they couldn't see much. We enjoyed all three races there so come and scout and see what you like and what works for you.

 

[CopB8]

I sat in turn 11. Could see them come over the hill through the kink and then late brake each other as they backed into turn 11. Then they'd wheelie off into the distance. TONS of available seating so I'm guessing it wasn't the best spot. I also sat on a friends motorhome and watched them blaze by. Crazy speed for a bike but not too interesting.