review of USGP (us grand prix)

[azndng]

first and foremost BIG CONGRATS to Takuma Sato and Lucky Strike BAR for placing 3rd and being the first japanese driver in over 15 years?? to place podium.

secondly, being my first F1 experience, i will honestly tell you, it won't be my last. but in the future, i'll be traveling to montreal instead of the USGP.

-my expectations were well exceeded for the cars.

1. i didn't expect them to be that LOUD! these cars just love to rev. and almost 20k rpm... just LOUD!!! LOUD i tell yah! its so loud, it shakes the entire grand stand!

2. how quick they are in person. i tried to take pictures of them on the straights. FORGET about it. i set it the lens at 2000 and i just can't get one 'good' shot. but my seat (terrace 6) was great for pics (will be posted soon-- over 300 pics)

3. how they can fit Carbon Fiber on ANYTHING! anything! any part of the car that doesn't use metal uses cf. something pretty funny too, the ropes that held the crowd back were held by CF stands!
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pitwalk was a great experience, but i wished more drivers would come and greet their fans. many came from over seas to see these drivers and support them. the only people that came out the pit was jarno trulli and fernando alonso. which, btw, i think they were kinda forced to. (inside story)

after pitwalk, there were autograph signings.. mostly the lower teams, but they did have anthony davidson (BAR test driver) but i missed him. but i did hear trulli was doing autographs, but i left before i could tell.

practice was great.. but i forgot my ear plugs.. so it wasn't nice being in the grand stands. 1st gear launch, downshifts.. so scary hearing these amazing machines.

qualifying was great! i was at turn 10 and was able to get amazing pictures.

race. the race was annoying at the beginning because of the accidents and 15 laps of yellow flag which made it uninteresting from a spectators stand point. only when the race started again i enjoyed it more.
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review for the city. *** this is my personal opinion and others can drop their opinion as well***

1. from the websites i looked up, i would imagine the down town to be a lot bigger and better. but it was a real disappointment. i met a woman who's husband worked for FIA of Italy TV, and she totally agreed that the city wasn't very nice.

2. the locals were very rude and prejudice towards me. each and every person i met being at a restaurant, bus stop, street, or worked in city looked at me as if i didn't know english. that really annoyed me because i wouldn't get served properly. but when i open my mouth and speak perfectly good english, they get this shocked face. --- and it might sound like i'm jumping to conclusions.. but the first question they ask me is "do you know english?!?!" and this wasn't just downtown. my hotel was on the edge of indianapolis.

3. the public transportation is HORRIBLE! i would love to take a taxi everywhere, but that would add up to a lot of money... ($40 alone from airport to my hotel) so i decided to take the BUS around town. and i didn't realize that they stop EVERY hour! what kinda stuff is that??? even during rush hour...waiting in the HOT sun and humid air... just ruined my first 2 days.

indianapolis USGP

 

[DangerMoney]

azndng,
We've been to F1 races in Montreal and Indy (and a couple of the European races too). We found the people in Indy just as friendly as Montreal but in all other aspects found Montreal head and shoulders above Indianapolis.

Go to Montreal, you'll love it. Be prepared for a little culture change though... being in Montreal is more like being in France than North America. Go in with an open mind. Montreal turns into one big party on F1 weekend. Everybody is in a great mood and you meet people from all over the world. We love it.

Get your hotel room NOW! Everybody books a year in advance.

 

[NSX-Racer]

2. the locals were very rude and prejudice towards me. each and every person i met being at a restaurant, bus stop, street, or worked in city looked at me as if i didn't know english.

indianapolis USGP

Sorry to ask but what made that people think you couldn't speak english? Your look???

 

[FGG]

Never let the actions of a few locals interfere with your enjoyment of a good and historic race venue, like Indy. Indy is not and never will be like Monoco or probably even Montreal, however we have been to all the F1 races at Indy and have been treated very well by the locals. We have always found the downtown has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, pubs, hotels and entertainment. I would recommend the F1 race there to anyone who has an interest in F1.

 

[azndng]

dangermonkey: i've been to montreal. that's why i suggest going there. i speak french fluently as well. so the language barrier (which is very little because they speak pretty good english) isn't a problem. also, the pure culture alone in montreal is by and large more superior. you can tell by the restaurants there alone. (ex: mexican, japanese, vietanmese, thai, indian, portugal, french, spainish) i guess the problem i had with Indy was that i was expecting to be treated equally as i am at home. i guess i forgot that not all of USA is up to date with other cultures.

nsx-racer: i am vietnamese american. i was born here. i didn't dress like i was fresh off the boat. i dressed pretty preppy if you asked me, despite the weather. also i have 2 eye brow rings, which i highly doubt many non speaking english asians have. i had such comments as "are you indian?" which i have no idea where that came from. "do you speak english?" "do you do karate?" "i don't understand what you're asking me." i had my doubts about the asian population when i seen that the japanese and chinese restaurants were run by all mexican people. (@ the centre circle food court)

FGG: i'm from philadelphia... and from your comment of "We have always found the downtown has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, pubs, hotels and entertainment." i saw mostly hotels.. and restaurants that can be found anywhere else in the USA. ex: houlihan's, pf chang, hard rock, jilians <-- spelling?, etc etc.

if you think that downtown indianapolis had a lot to offer, then you haven't visited cities such as philadelphia, nyc, montreal, boston. those cities will make you retract your comment.

i understand that these incidents may have happened to me, and by no means am i trying to defer anyone away from Indy. but if you have the chance to head to either of the North American grand prix, i would suggest montreal. the downtown there is 20x better.

 

[FGG]

To azndng: My opinion of Indy is that it has more than enough good quality restaurants, etc, to make the venue a good experience; one need only be selective enough and capable enough to find the right locations. Perhaps if you do not know the town well enough or are not connected enough to have access to the better sites, your experience could, understandably be tainted. Your comment that Indy doesn't hold a candle to other prominent US cities such as NY and Phila, frankly, is irrelevant since I never rendered such a standard of comparison. In fact, I am sure you would agree that Indy and, in fact, such locations as Phila., don't hold a candle to the restaurants, etc. which one may experience in Monaco, which I have had the good fortune to visit for several F1 races. Despite that fact, I wouldn't say don't go to Montreal or Silverstone, simply because they don't compare, at all, to Monaco.

 

[azndng]

whoa there, we're talking US cities minus montreal, not international here. and it seems as if you were attacking my 'opinion' of the city. and if you visited the same city as i did, the down town was a mere 10 blocks or so???? the rest was banks/hotels/skylines. i understand what you're trying to say if i don't know the city that well. but the thing i said prior, was since i didn't know the city, i checked the official city site, which showed me sites to see, things to do, and restaurants to eat. and i did. and i wasn't impressed--IMO of course. and on top of that, you probably had a car when you were in town, i had to take the horrible public transportation system which also added to my fustration. from downtown to indy cost me $14, for pitwalk, practice, & qualifying i took the bus which cost me $1.25 and a farmers tan. =)

** keep in mind that the USGP is still young, (5 years old) compared to other cities. and the city isn't all that adjusted to the international crowd yet.

i enjoyed the USGP very much, i'm just stating my opinion that the city isn't all that the SITE (http://www.indydt.com/dtmap.html)said it would be. once i was at the track, i was totally enjoying my stay.

 

[Big_nate]

Indy

I've only lived here for two years but you're making me a little defensive....... . If any of you ever come back to the area for another race or any event for that matter please let me know and I'd be a happy to provide some recommendations. I've learned from living in a number of places and travelling extensively that you can't always just wander into a town and know it right off. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the race, the weather was beautiful and I was driving to work when the green flag waved

Nate

p.s. Montreal is a great town and the race there is a huge party, I highly recommend it!