[s-cars] ALMS photos

[Brett Dikeman]

At 12:19 PM +0000 7/4/04, bob.rossato at att.net wrote:
>  > Enjoy, and give a holler if you'll be at the races on Monday!
>
>Sorry, but at $65 you won't see me.

I don't think that is a very fair comment.

Advance tickets were $50 for monday, not $65; a 20% difference. 
Further, some of the cheaper-ticket-on-race-day ALMS venues seem to 
split out the paddock pass- in some cases, such as Portland, on a 
-day to day- basis, which makes it nearly the same cost since LRP has 
open paddocks.  Don't know about parking at other events, but it's 
free at LRP, and pretty decent.

If you want cheap tickets...go up to NHIS and see a NASCAR race, the 
tickets are $25-35(and assigned, I believe?)  You'll get a great view 
of a couple dozen identical specs zooming around...an oval.

Or you can go to the Indy 500.  It's $20-$50.  To PARK.  Tickets 
start well over $50 for the US GP, and go up to $150 or more.  The 
major difference is that the specs are smaller, higher pitched, move 
faster, and crash less.

Or you can come and see Spec Miata, Formula SCCA and ALMS tomorrow at 
Lime Rock.  You can wander around as you well know, and watch the 
action at almost every spot along the track save the Downhill because 
of the Skip Barber garages and B Paddock hospitality tents.  It is 
quite diverse; Spec Miata is probably one of the "cheapest" series 
races in the US; the 'weekend warrior' types racing a hugely popular 
and inexpensive sports car.  An hour later some of the world's most 
technically advanced prototypes, like the R8 (which has enjoyed one 
of the most successful campaigns of any race car).  Audi isn't 
exactly hiding it either, with the pit area open along most of the 
length, and the crew working at tables right in front of you happy to 
answer questions from fans.

ALMS at Lime Rock is a bargain for those of us "in the area", not to 
mention it is the first time ALMS has come to LRP.  None of the other 
ALMS events are within practical driving range for you, much less 
under 2 hours.  That means no other costs save gas and lunch, if you 
don't pack it - we all love the Lime Rock "ham and cheese on Stale, 
hold the mayo", right? :-)

While easy to blame the track for inflating ticket prices, let's keep 
in mind that LRP is probably one of the smallest venues ALMS will 
come to, and reasonably close to NYC, Boston, etc.  Draw at Laguna 
Seca, the cheapest track, is probably many, many times that of LRP. 
Is it any real surprise tickets are some of the more expensive of the 
series?

I'd love to go to LeMans.  I'd love to go to ALMS at some of the 
other tracks.  I can't- too expensive.  I'm thrilled I can see the R8 
race, and do so on what I thought was a pretty tight budget.  Am I 
missing something?

Brett
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