Is it ok to bring family

General chat that fellow COM'ers may be interested in.
User avatar
tang-o
Rookie Racer
Rookie Racer
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 2:07 pm

Is it ok to bring family

Post by tang-o » Tue May 15, 2012 1:15 am

Thinking about bringing my wife and 3 year old to NHMS at least on Monday. Are there any legalities that prevent this?
WOuld you recommend it? Will there be other wives and kids :)

Thanks!
Cheers,
Emilio
T30
1990 Miata

Chrispy
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 531
Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 11:46 am
Location: Chelmsford, MA

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by Chrispy » Tue May 15, 2012 7:22 am

As Will would say they are allowed but must be kept leashed at all times!

You also want to be conscious of the fact that some of the cars can be quite loud as they start up and pull through the pit area so consider some hearing protection for the young one during the active sessions.
Chris Parsons
#22 - 95 Miata

zchris
Speed Setter
Speed Setter
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 11:38 am

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by zchris » Tue May 15, 2012 9:00 am

A word of warning about bringing wives. If your wife is at all the nervous type, probably not a great idea. My wife came to Limerock with me for a race about 15 years ago. On lap 12 I spun on the uphill avoiding someone. Could not get the car restarted. By the time I got back she had imagined the worst. It was a quiet ride home and she has never been terribly supportive about my racing since, except to buy me safety gear. If your wife is the daredevil type, its probably OK.
Chris

TroyV
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 1519
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:02 pm
Location: Salem, NH
Contact:

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by TroyV » Tue May 15, 2012 9:08 am

+1
Troy Velazquez
#5 T50

User avatar
tang-o
Rookie Racer
Rookie Racer
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 2:07 pm

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by tang-o » Tue May 15, 2012 9:52 am

Thank you for the information. Good point about the ear protection. I'm not going to Canadian GP just because of that and the big crowds so I thought this was a good even for the kid to be introduced :) - maybe i will wait another year or so.
Cheers
Emilio
T30
1990 Miata

Foosh442
Rookie Driver
Rookie Driver
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:16 pm

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by Foosh442 » Tue May 15, 2012 10:44 am

I brought my wife and 14 mo. old to Summit Point and they also usually come to the races. We try to park away from the really busy parts of the track so that it is safer/not as much noise. Both of them have a great time and plan on coming to more events, but we will not be at the next NHMS event.
Mike Fuchswanz
'01 Corvette Z06 #442 SA/SB
'02 Corvette Z06 T100/SB (shared ride)

User avatar
brucesallen
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 1468
Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 9:56 am
Location: NH
Contact:

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by brucesallen » Tue May 15, 2012 11:31 am

COMSCC is a VERY family oriented club. We have a number of children at the track----- who race! And grandchildren that aren't old enough. Just make sure little ones are watched.

And what kids don't like endless grilled meat??
Bruce Allen
The Greased Shadow
"It's all about the fast lap"

Mark Swinehart
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 911
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2002 2:31 pm

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by Mark Swinehart » Tue May 15, 2012 11:44 am

I wish I could get my kids to the track. They always say they are too busy.

WillM
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 1453
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2003 10:14 pm

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by WillM » Wed May 16, 2012 9:52 am

brucesallen wrote:COMSCC is a VERY family oriented club. We have a number of children at the track----- who race! And grandchildren that aren't old enough. Just make sure little ones are watched.

And what kids don't like endless grilled meat??
Yes, family is always welcome! That said, leave the bike(s) and scooter(s) at home. The paddock, especially the paddock at NHMS, is very busy. There are cars coming on and off the track and in and out of garages, all day long. Visibility for drivers of some cars can be challenging, and in the heat of an event, some find it tough to remember to slow down in the paddock, let alone consider that there may be children or pets running around.

There is no part of the track that is available to us that is not 'hot'. The club rents the track and has use of the racing surface, pits, and North Garage paddock area. These are all 'hot' areas; cars are driving on 'em at all times. We do not have access to the rest of the infield or other garages for our use, and as such, those places can't be used as playgrounds.

As I'd say in a driver's meeting; "kids and pets should be leashed at all times!"

There have been many, many kids, families, and pets at our events. :)
96 Miata #72 SC
PRA 4 :sunny:

User avatar
StephanAlfa
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:01 am
Location: Merrimack, NH

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by StephanAlfa » Wed May 16, 2012 10:51 am

Mark Swinehart wrote:I wish I could get my kids to the track. They always say they are too busy.
Come on Mark, tell the truth.. you would put them to WORK :lol: :lol: :lol:

All kidding aside I miss seeing them there.
Stephan de Pénasse - Classroom Instructor - http://www.comscc.org
2001 BMW 330i Sports Package (T-60 Class)

User avatar
StephanAlfa
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:01 am
Location: Merrimack, NH

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by StephanAlfa » Wed May 16, 2012 11:05 am

tang-o wrote:Thank you for the information. Good point about the ear protection. I'm not going to Canadian GP just because of that and the big crowds so I thought this was a good even for the kid to be introduced :) - maybe i will wait another year or so.
Cheers
If you need to have a place with a bit more peace and quiet come see me and I can set your wife and baby at the Media room whereI run the classroom. Good view of the front straight and not so noisy. :idea:

As for the GP-Canada:
Maybe you'd be better of getting a pit pass to the GP like I did :wink: . Just kidding .. unless you have connections in high (and low) places, a pit pass like I used to get would be worth over $5 grand in todays market value.
I would "cuddle" in the media room (hardly any noise there) or go for a glass of white wine at the Williams or Ferrari hospitality suite, have a nice pasta lunch at Minardi, and best of all (to stay "away" from the crowd) park in the F-1 paddock area (see the pic of me with Jackie, the parking area on the other side of the water) .. ahhhh... good ol' times ... 8)
Image
Image
Image
Image
Stephan de Pénasse - Classroom Instructor - http://www.comscc.org
2001 BMW 330i Sports Package (T-60 Class)

User avatar
horizenjob
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 281
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:47 am

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by horizenjob » Wed May 16, 2012 2:41 pm

Introducing your family to the track is a great idea. It should be a family activity considering how much time and effort can be involved.

I would second the opinions it should be done carefully, I'll share these two stories so you can know how badly it is possible to mess this up!

I ran Mt. Ascutney for years in my Formula Ford. The one time my better half came to visit didn't go so well though. She left to do a little shopping or something. When she got back there was just a pile of wreckage on the trailer and I was walking around in a neck brace that looked like it was half of a body cast. Somehow I managed to miss a turn and took all four wheels off the car and then hit a tree head on for good measure. Sigh...

My brother had the good fortune to share a garage with a Chevy powered open wheel car when he brought his FF up for a COM event. Wife was happily based in a folding chair between the cars reading a book when they prepared to start the Chevy.

They were like "we going to start his thing up, perhaps you'd like to move away a bit."
"No, I'm all set, go right ahead"
"Are you sure? This is going to be loud!"
"Really, I'm all set"

So I guess we should have explained to her that Formula Fords are just cutsey little cars and not really as hairy chested as an Indy car...

The starter grinds for a moment. A little conversation and a squirt of gas in the intake. The starter grinds again. The first cylinder fires. Disaster! A huge ginourmous spontaneous nose bleed erupts from his wife. The second cylinder fires and now the chair has collapsed as she tries to rise in panic, leaving her sprawled on the floor. At this point we're just talking wild cornered animal in fear of her life trying to get out of that garage.

Neither of our wives has ever been all that supportive in recent years....
Marcus Barrow - Car9, an open design community supported sports car for home builders.
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

CP
Speed Racer
Speed Racer
Posts: 524
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:19 pm
Location: West Simsbury, CT

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by CP » Wed May 16, 2012 5:25 pm

:lol: You gotta break her in easily and try not to crash during her first few visits to the track. Bring food and drinks in a cooler, a comfy chair and let her know that her laptop can get multiple wireless signals at NHMS. Show her where the bathrooms are as well as how to access an air conditioned building (cafeteria or media center). Show her several places to view your sessions from if she's interested.

On the other hand if you want your track time to be "me" time, bring her along on a hot day (preferrably getting her out of bed at 3:30am and driving the "track" car with no AC to the track), plop her into a chair on asphalt in the sun and don't show her where the bathrooms are. She won't ever want to come with you again.
-Cy
99 Spec Miata (SM/STU/STL/EP)
2011, 2013, 2014 NER STU Champion

User avatar
boltonite
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 504
Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2005 12:18 pm
Location: Bolton

Re: Is it ok to bring family

Post by boltonite » Wed May 16, 2012 5:34 pm

CP wrote::lol: On the other hand if you want your track time to be "me" time, bring her along on a hot day (preferrably getting her out of bed at 3:30am and driving the "track" car with no AC to the track), plop her into a chair on asphalt in the sun and don't show her where the bathrooms are. She won't ever want to come with you again.
For added insurance, buy her a hot-lap ride along and request a "cowboy" instructor with a reputation for inducing nausea. And be sure to comment on the belts ("hey, these things appear to have expired') as you strap her in.

lesta993
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 3:21 pm

Post by lesta993 » Fri May 25, 2012 10:40 am

Delete Please
Last edited by lesta993 on Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 1 guest