First trip to Southwick

FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd
Edited Date/Time 1/23/2012 1:08am
What a beautiful day at a beautiful track. Couldn't have asked for better. Didn't feel super humid (and that's coming from dry Cali) and definitely not super hot. Perfect, really. Great place to shoot pics; I'll have to weed through about 1500 and hopefully throw a few up in the next couple days after the flight home and catching up on the domestic and work responsibilities. Good to see old friends and make new ones.



|
500guy
Profile picture for user 500guy
Posts
12468
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
USA
500guy 8/24/2008 6:34pm
8/24/2008 6:34pm
right on Michael

We will have this place fully stirred on super sonic blend mode by then
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/24/2008 6:42pm
8/24/2008 6:42pm
I'm in Hartford, burnt after two full days of races and shooting,still a little jet lagged, watching the Olympic closing ceremonies in Bejing, and there some old guy they say is Jimmy Page playing "Whole Lotta Love" (and pretty damn well, too!).

The world's a little surreal sometimes.
wpcjs
Profile picture for user wpcjs
Posts
956
Joined
1/11/2007
Location
Yorkville, IL, USA
wpcjs 8/24/2008 6:46pm
8/24/2008 6:46pm
How was the track to spectate? When I heard Marc was going to be there I was close to pulling a road trip but someone here said its not a good track to watch a race at.
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/24/2008 6:55pm
8/24/2008 6:55pm
Hard for me to say because I was on the infield. It's a terrific track to shoot because it's easy to get around or even shoot three or four locations from one spot. I would for sure think that parts of the track couldn't be seen if you were camped in a spot (a little like Washougal that way). But a lot of the spectating area seems to be laid out well and in the trees.

I have to say, as a westerner, it's always different to go east in the summer and find it so green and lush. Once the rain stops in April or so in Nor Cal, and a hot wind blows, with the seasonal grasses going brown you're not going to see any green until November again when it rains. Reminded me a lot of BC and Washington. Imagine the winters are a pain though.

The Shop

See All »
Ashleymx
Profile picture for user Ashleymx
Posts
694
Joined
8/12/2008
Location
Cumming, GA, USA
Ashleymx 8/24/2008 7:05pm
8/24/2008 7:05pm
In 2005 I was shooting from the infield. Nowdays Im a normal paying spectator lol. BTW I flew in from Australia for the race. I cant knock anything and had a great day but I got the feeling from what we read on these message boards spectator numbers are shrinking?? That place was packed!! I could hardly see anything lol.
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/24/2008 7:08pm
8/24/2008 7:08pm Edited Date/Time 4/16/2016 8:10pm
Glad you had a great time and hope you felt welcome. I think the economy has hit everything, but the three nats I hit this year have been pretty well attended; not real obvious down numbers looking around. One thing I noticed about Southwick is that there are, I think, more people there earlier staking out favorite spots.


Sometimes it pays to ignore the propaganda from people who aren't actually going to the Nats.
GuyB
Profile picture for user GuyB
Posts
35722
Joined
7/10/2006
Location
Aliso Viejo, CA, USA
GuyB 8/24/2008 7:16pm
8/24/2008 7:16pm
Jimmy Page and Mitch Payton...separated at birth?



todder
Profile picture for user todder
Posts
1608
Joined
10/20/2006
Location
Sw, WI, USA
todder 8/24/2008 7:18pm
8/24/2008 7:18pm
I bet Mitch doesn't play as sloppy.
racefan451
Profile picture for user racefan451
Posts
47
Joined
9/15/2007
Location
Pleasant Valley, NY, USA
racefan451 8/24/2008 8:29pm
8/24/2008 8:29pm
FreshTopEnd wrote:
What a beautiful day at a beautiful track. Couldn't have asked for better. Didn't feel super humid (and that's coming from dry Cali) and definitely not...
What a beautiful day at a beautiful track. Couldn't have asked for better. Didn't feel super humid (and that's coming from dry Cali) and definitely not super hot. Perfect, really. Great place to shoot pics; I'll have to weed through about 1500 and hopefully throw a few up in the next couple days after the flight home and catching up on the domestic and work responsibilities. Good to see old friends and make new ones.



I agree with you on the weather part. It was really nice out today and Southwick has a really nice look about it. It was a great today and even though there weren't many battles for first, there was still plenty of battling today.
andymoto
Profile picture for user andymoto
Posts
4771
Joined
11/28/2007
Location
Carmichael, CA, USA
andymoto 8/24/2008 8:32pm
8/24/2008 8:32pm
FreshTopEnd wrote:
Hard for me to say because I was on the infield. It's a terrific track to shoot because it's easy to get around or even shoot...
Hard for me to say because I was on the infield. It's a terrific track to shoot because it's easy to get around or even shoot three or four locations from one spot. I would for sure think that parts of the track couldn't be seen if you were camped in a spot (a little like Washougal that way). But a lot of the spectating area seems to be laid out well and in the trees.

I have to say, as a westerner, it's always different to go east in the summer and find it so green and lush. Once the rain stops in April or so in Nor Cal, and a hot wind blows, with the seasonal grasses going brown you're not going to see any green until November again when it rains. Reminded me a lot of BC and Washington. Imagine the winters are a pain though.
That is what make Southwick special to me is the green lavish trees that makes you think you're in Washington/BC......beautiful scenery......'wick reminds me of Plymouth some when it was in first weekend of April bein' so green still.

Lookin' forward to your pics. Thanks for the update and have a safe trip.
williamsmotowerx 8/24/2008 8:35pm
8/24/2008 8:35pm
Steve, LOL I thought the exact same thing when I saw that performance!
pistol
Profile picture for user pistol
Posts
282
Joined
11/16/2006
Location
Squaw Valley, CA, USA
Fantasy
1759th
pistol 8/24/2008 8:35pm
8/24/2008 8:35pm
todder wrote:
I bet Mitch doesn't play as sloppy.
He isn't a thief, either.
wildbill
Profile picture for user wildbill
Posts
4382
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Christmas Valley, OR, USA
wildbill 8/24/2008 11:38pm
8/24/2008 11:38pm
todder wrote:
I bet Mitch doesn't play as sloppy.
nor make quite as much money. Evil
Jefro98
Profile picture for user Jefro98
Posts
2472
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
6712, NL
Jefro98 8/25/2008 3:28am
8/25/2008 3:28am Edited Date/Time 4/16/2016 8:10pm
Hurry up Michael.
Can't wait to see your sand pics.
Jefro98
Profile picture for user Jefro98
Posts
2472
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
6712, NL
Jefro98 8/25/2008 3:28am
8/25/2008 3:28am Edited Date/Time 8/25/2008 3:30am
ooops, wrong button again.
Huckster
Profile picture for user Huckster
Posts
2592
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Woodstock, NY, USA
Huckster 8/25/2008 3:35am
8/25/2008 3:35am
wpcjs wrote:
How was the track to spectate? When I heard Marc was going to be there I was close to pulling a road trip but someone here...
How was the track to spectate? When I heard Marc was going to be there I was close to pulling a road trip but someone here said its not a good track to watch a race at.
The track is not a very good track to spectate at unless you get there really early and set up camp along the fence. It was packed this year and very hard to find a place to see from. With that said, IMHO, the place could be awesome with the additiion of some more stands and cutting a few more trees down. Its still worth going at least once though.
OldTiddler
Profile picture for user OldTiddler
Posts
630
Joined
4/16/2007
Location
Longwood, FL, USA
OldTiddler 8/25/2008 5:14am
8/25/2008 5:14am
todder wrote:
I bet Mitch doesn't play as sloppy.
pistol wrote:
He isn't a thief, either.
Oohh. Careful, your Nurd is showing...
jndmx
Profile picture for user jndmx
Posts
9699
Joined
1/20/2008
Location
South Kingston, RI, USA
jndmx 8/25/2008 5:38am
8/25/2008 5:38am
Southwick is our every year trip and it was a beautiful day yesterday.
There is some good shade and a few spots where you can see a lot of the action.

We like to roam around and Southwick is great for that.
The new section they cut in past the announcers tower made for some good viewing spots.
The top of the hill by the pits has that awesome downhill jump into "the woods" then it shoots them over the big table which is fairly new still and that was a great spot.

Only thing I didn't like;
I don't like the new banner wall they had over the start gate.
Those bleachers right behind the gate were a great place to see about 3/4 of the track plus you had the roaring start of every moto.
This year the entire front view was blocked, you couldn't even see who go the holeshot from the top third of the stands.
Just the flat white back of the banners, the cameras got the signage from the front.

Pit Row

See All »
Homey
Profile picture for user Homey
Posts
605
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Niles, MI, USA
Homey 8/25/2008 7:12am
8/25/2008 7:12am
The thing I noticed was that even at halfway thru the 2nd 450 moto the fans were still lining the fence.

They might not get as many fans but they all are moto fans.

Light was harsh but plenty of sand corners to shoot.


Spinner
Profile picture for user Spinner
Posts
3198
Joined
8/1/2006
Location
Fayettenam, AR, USA
Spinner 8/25/2008 2:47pm
8/25/2008 2:47pm
todder wrote:
I bet Mitch doesn't play as sloppy.
wildbill wrote:
nor make quite as much money. Evil
Don't bet on it.
ocscottie
Profile picture for user ocscottie
Posts
69092
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Redding, CA, USA
ocscottie 8/25/2008 2:53pm
8/25/2008 2:53pm
Jefro98 wrote:
Hurry up Michael.
Can't wait to see your sand pics.
Yea..we are impatiently waiting!
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
13361
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
FreshTopEnd 8/25/2008 3:34pm
8/25/2008 3:34pm
Hah! Just got home from the airport. Have a lot to do.
Spinner
Profile picture for user Spinner
Posts
3198
Joined
8/1/2006
Location
Fayettenam, AR, USA
Spinner 8/25/2008 3:42pm
8/25/2008 3:42pm
Can't wait to see your Southwick stuff, Mike!

Post a reply to: First trip to Southwick