Club Arnage

Me and a mate have decided this is the year we 'do' Sebring. We're looking a flying Manchester to Orlando on Virgin, out Tuesday, back either Sunday or Monday, for around £400 which seems quite reasonable to me?

Our plan at the moment is to stop in hotel near Orlando airport on the Tuesday / Sunday nights, any recommendations or are they pretty standard?

We'd then be looking to head on down to Sebring on Wed morning, picking up some camping gear on the way at a WalMart or similar, I take it this should be easy enough, particularly if we stop well away from Sebring?

From looking at the official website and sebringfans.com I take it we'd need 2 4 day supertickets and 1 parking pass? Is it worth paying the extra for North Paddock parking?
How does the camping compare with Le Mans? (We stay on Tertre Rouge) Camp next to your car or separate parking? Toilet and shower facilities ok? Any areas quieter / rowdier than others (I know this will be relative!)

Any other advice / things we might not have thought of?

Thanks

There are about a billion hotel rooms in orlando, so you should be fine there.

2 supertickets and one car pass, correct. Don't need to to north paddock, head for the green park.

Camping at Sebring is GREAT! pitch a tent wherever you park...

Sebring is flat. you can walk the entire circuit, only restrictions are outside of the t13-15 area
and the outside from the hairpin to T10

Paddock is open to any ticketholder, pit area is restricted.

see you there, come visit us out at turn 10

-Lee

All of Lee's advice is good advice but I can add a bit more.

You may find a cheaper hotel room nearer the Kissimmee area rather than by the airport. The Virgin flight gets in mid afternoon which gives you plenty of time to drive down the 192 and find a reasonable rate in Kissimmee. Also there are a couple of easy to find Walmart Superstores on the 192 and they are open 24 hours so i would do your shopping Tuesday night and save yourself a couple of hours on wednesday morning. Kissimmee to Sebring is about 1.5 hours to 2 hours drive depending where you are on the 192.

No point with North Paddock as i think these are mainly numbered spots that are more suited to having motorhomes rather than tents.

Green park is traditionally the party side of the camping but has been toned down a bit recently, toilet facilities although adequate they can be a bit primative particularly near the hairpin, although there are i understand pay per use shower facilities.

I always camp on the camp area behind the midway about 1 minute walk to the toilet block which has two trailer shower blocks outside which are open until around 10 pm each night and these are free to use and usually warm and well maintained. Also this side is a bit quiter and family friendly and is where you will find Canada Phil, Pidgeon, Smokie and myself usually.

Its also an idea location for walking to the midway food outlets and into the paddock area over the walk over bridges.

Once the track is open each night, its about a 10 minute walk from here to Turn 10 at the opposite side of green park.

So those are your options, Party central in green park, or behind the midway and closer to facilities and paddock and a shot walk to green park.

Personally looking at taking in the Concours De Elegance at Amelia Island the Sunday before Sebring this year as a change to the norm.

Mostly covered already in the above excelent posts. Orlando holds no appeal to me so suggest you get the hell out of town avoiding the people trap run by a mouse and visit one or other coast. Daytona Beach and coast road down to Jupiter before heading inland to Sebring  plenty of motels along th way. Wal Mart is everywhere including Sebring. Plenty of other options before and after the race so suggest the Monday return.
Canada Phil

FWIW - there are usually great deals for Orlando hotels on hotwire.com.

Right now, there's a 3.5* w/shuttle near the airport for $46 on both Tuesday and Sunday nights.

Many thanks for your help chaps, if we don't get the flight back until the Monday evening getting away from Orlando and having more of look around the area sounds good. Budget have a Mustang for hire which seems reasonable, when in Rome and all that. Chris the area you're talking about is around the 'general parking' and racing school on this map?

http://www.sebringraceway.com/images_sebring/trackmap/TrackMap-2010.pdf

Slightly quiter and handily placed camping area sounds our kind of thing.

Thanks again all

Well I have been there three of the last four years, with the above guys (Pidge is the site manager and puts the whole thing together in the most admirable way with incredible cooked breakfasts every day), but obviously I have not made an impression on Chris, I feel hurt, though I have probably spent more time on site and not just visiting for sleep and food  ;D

Search on the web for hotels on I-drive etc for £25-30 per night for a room, try www.roomsnet.com bear in mind the proximity to the restaurants so you do not have to drive. You can also pick up an economy car with fuel for $120 for the week including insurance, generally you get upgraded. The best deals seem to be from the companies/agents which book for the larger companies like Dollar etc. though last year I queued for 90mins in the queue, it is worth trying to get vip/quick check in status from Dollar, I think this is free.

>Martini...LB

The cheaper Mustangs are not quite the "real thing" - only 2.8s IIRC - but still good to have for a few days.

Cheapest car hires over the past few years have been www.netflights.com and www.carhire3000.com .

Martin,

Apologies for not including you on the list, brain fade and all that. And you are right, you do spend more time there than me, but thats because there is so much to do and see at Sebring that the days just aren't long enough. I guess thats the problem with being a motorsport nut, when i get to Sebring I feel like a dog with two dicks and don't know what to do first LOL !

Anyway, yes that is the correct general location for our camp site. We are usually along the side fence to the police compound area next to a big motorhome that travels from Indiana each year.

No Probs Chris, still good to see you, and after all you are the supremo at blagging stuff from the drivers etc. for charity.

>Martini...LB

Nice to see the Sebring CA's sorting themselves out.
 Phil

OK, whos up for leaving Sebring on Thursday morning for a slight detour up north and then returning again for night practice. I know I am so I will welcome a few passengers for the trip.


Date: March 18 +
Mission: STS-131
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center - Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: 1:34 p.m. EDT
Description: Space shuttle Discovery will carry a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with science racks that will be transferred to laboratories of the International Space Station.

Woo hoo, I always wanted to see a shuttle launch. ;D

Good spot Chris. Might make that myself.

If the weather is nice, you can see it from the track!

Hope you guys will get to see it, I arrived in orlando one day after the launch, that was two years ago!

Hi Chris,
 i cols be interested in that.
Phil

Hi Phil,

Not sure on plans yet and may have jumped the gun a bit, I may be leaving Sebring Wednesday night and staying in either a villa in Haines City or a hotel in Kissimmee with my mate Chris so that we are in the same place to set off from and at least half way there as you need to be there 3-4 hours before the launch to get a spot.

But I will have a better idea of my plans nearer the time. If its the villa though, there should be a two twin beds in the spare room that I will be staying in that night so thats always a possibility if you wanted to do that.

Will let you know some firmer details nearer the time.

This man is on crack. You won't get near the place 3-4 hours before a daytime launch.

Hey Roy... Is that the one that I saw with Rick, mark, and Julian?  It was awesome!   :P   :-*

Dx

 >:( Yeah, that one! Good thing the week at Sebring more then made up for it, specially the tropicoma and the yo baby's, not to mention Sef's poison!

Travel booked, out from Manchester to Orlando Tuesday, back Monday. Will head towards Kissimmee on arrival as suggested, any recommendations for somewhere on the coast to stay on the Sunday night? Vero Beach, Cocoa Beach?

I take it rolling up on the Wednesday & buying tickets on the gate will be no problem?

Your right, rolling up on Wed at the track should be no problem.  Just get your ticket at the gate.

As far as a hotel, there are SOOOOO many to choose from in that tourist area, you shouldn't have any problems.  If you do end up in Cocoa try and stop by Ron Jon's Surf Shop, lots of typical Florida stuff to bring home (or the track).

Don't forget theres a shuttle launch from KSC at 1.34 pm on the Thursday  ;)

Advance purchase (pre 13 Feb I believe) saves you a few bucks (www.sebringraceway.com), both in face value and postage. Just ask for them to be left on the Will Call desk, which is part of the ticket office at the main entrance. ISTR they want to see ID (passport) before releasing them, but I've never had a problem with them.

How far up the coast would get us a decent view of the shuttle launch?

Depends on your definition of decent. You will see it from Sebring but it will be a spec with a big vapour trail so to speak and you probably won't hear it.

We are going to watch from about 12 miles away which is the closest you can get without paying. At that distance you see alot more and hear it and hopefully feel the ground shake.

There are only 5 shuttle launches left so depends on if you really want to see and experience one. We do having never seen one so we are making the effort to go and watch it from as close as we can get.

Last opportunity so don't mind giving up most of thursday at Sebring for a special occassion. Should be back for the party's and night practice anyway on thursday night.

Surely not ::)

Go and sit on Coco Beach, then after the money you saved, you can buy some stylish clothes from Ron Johns surf shop  ;D

About three miles without paying from what I understood from the Amazing Randy back in '07. Maybe mr. Harper knows better spots ;)

Closest spot to view a launch is 3.8 miles but thats the VIP area and no chance of getting in there unless you are NASA, Press or family etc.

Closest public area is on the NASA Causeway between 6 and 7 miles depending which end you are on. But that costs $56 and tickets sell out within minutes.

Next closest is KSC visitor centre about 8 miles away  and costs $38 but view is obstructed by the tree line until it clears them.

Then its either Titusville or the space park at Titusville which is 12 miles away or a spot that Matt Harper has told us about on Merrit Island, quieter location but also 12 miles away. Both of these are free to access and view from.

Then its Cocco Beach which is roughtly 14 miles from the launch pad.

Yep, I have been doing my home work on this and consulting the locals (Matt) about it.

I don't think you have to pay (other than to park your car) to use Jetty Park at Titusville, which is only 6 or 7 miles from the launch site.
The problem is the crowd. You'll need to be there (and stay there) before daybreak, I suspect. If you want the closest view and can tolerate the scrum, Jetty Park is the place to go.
Old Haulover Canal is a good spot, but you can't see the actual lift-off from there. The vehicle is 3-400 feet up, before it becomes visible. The noise, however, is bloody ridiculous.

If any of you have a problem look to the future and buy my brother's house which is close to Cocoa Beach and Ron Jon's, mates rates apply.

If any of you local guys are interested PM me for details, it is actually rented at the mo by some people from the shuttle place.

>Martini...LB

Have a buddy who's been to a couple of shuttle launches, he says there's a great little crab-shack in Titusville where you can grab some beers and watch the launch from the patio.
Fax