Sunday entrance into Watkins Glen

[4EyedFoxbody]

Hello Everyone,

Was wondering what the situation is for entrance into Watkins Glen on Sunday? I know we had so issues last year regarding camping before the event and wanted to know what the protocol is this year? Are we good to go the same as last year? Thanks for any insight and look forward to seeing you all at the track!

Best,

John French

[TroyV]

Officially, due to the presence of the vintage racing and camping crowd being cleared, there is no camping prior to our event. There will be no entry to the paddock on Sunday at all for COM members. Trailers will be allowed to be dropped off at Lot 3 as it was last year.

Tom will put out the info blast soon.

[4EyedFoxbody]

Okay, thanks for the heads up Troy.

[brucesallen]

Last year after many phone calls we were allowed to stay
Cluster**** on our trailers in the grass lot "if we did not tell anyone". It was a cluster****.. we must do better.

[DanDarcy]

Troy, We need to be able to camp on Sunday night even if it is just at the registration office at the top of the hill. There is plenty of room there and a rest room . Other clubs have used this area in the past. Please make it happen.

[brucesallen]

last year was the first year that COM was not allowed to camp the night before, inside the paddock or outside up on the hill by Registration. We had no advanced warning that we were prohibited.

[DanDarcy]

Is the COM Club going to work with the track to allow camping or should those of us that camp contact the track directly ?

[jeffw]

Tom Cannon is Chief of Ops and should be the person to deal with the track.

[dinoracer]

I am aware that this is a pain point. The track has made it clear that they are not allowing us early (Sunday night) access. Please do not contact the track yourselves, it will not be helpful. We are appealing again to the track to allow the same access we had in the past. stay tuned.

[dinoracer]

Here’s the FINAL word.

No overnight on Sunday night Inside the track.

In the past, our event was not next to a major event on the calendar. For the past few years, our event ihas been immediately preceded by the Vintage weekend. The track is no longer allowing us night before access, as it takes them hours after the Vintage event ends to completely clear the property of the rigs and campers from the event. They do not want to have trailers and RVs coming in while they are pushing the previous group out. We have pleaded again, and this is not negotiable. Stop asking.

You have these options:

1j Come early and enjoy the Vintage Racing. There is camping available for the event, tickets are on the tracks website. I understand we had a few members last year that came in early , camped there, and then were allowed to stay in place until the next morning when they moved into the paddock.

2) Camp at Watkins Glen state park. On the surprisingly good State of NY parks website, it looks like they have 30 RV sites available Sunday night at the huge price of 18 bucks each. Stay there, then come on over Monday morning.

3) the KOA in Watkins Glen looks to have sites available, at a higher price but I expect better facilities.

DO NOT plan to camp at the Walmart in town; they are on a list of “no overnights allowed” that I found online so I expect you will be rousted at 2 am if you try to stay there.

Thanks for your understanding on this matter.

[Gidyupp]

Hi Tom,
Do you have any information about being allowed to remain on site Tuesday night for an early Wednesday departure?

Thank You.

[dinoracer]

Hi Tom,
Do you have any information about being allowed to remain on site Tuesday night for an early Wednesday departure?

Thank You.

Hi Mark

Just got this response back from the track:

" No - I'm sorry. The next renter's insurance is in place starting Tuesday night. We're going to need all to exit the facility"

So the answer there is also a hard no Tuesday night camping allowed.

The track seems to be making it more difficult each year for us to make this event work. Sorry about the late notice.

[Gidyupp]

Appreciate the effort Tom.
We made alternate camping arrangements for night before / night after.

[4EyedFoxbody]

So to be 100% clear, the lot on the hill outside of the track is a NO GO for us arriving Sunday night? The lot is not inside the track/paddock. I'm not trying to be difficult I am just looking for clarification.

Thanks.

[4EyedFoxbody]

Just read Tom's sticky note post on the event... good to go on top of the hill