GettReal

A bunch of us are heading down to WGI in a few weeks and with the price of gas/towing, track fees etc.. I thought "what the hell, I'll sleep in the truck and save a couple hundred in hotel costs". I have a new Yukon and with ALL the seats out of it theres a LOT of space. So I'm thinking, single size air matress, sleeping bag, Pillow, they have showers there.. I'm good... right?

Side note, one of my friends is coming down with a big motor home, big enough to entertain but not for us all to sleep in.

So..... Who sleeps at the track??

Gary2KC5

I have the "tent" option for my Avalanche.

Some folks have RV's for tow vehilces...

Let's face it, we are wanna be racers on a budget. saving a few bucks here and there will contribure to pads, tires, fees, fuel, food, and not to mention broken parts.

Kanmer

I always sleep at the track. If not in the motorhome then in my Suburban. there is a crew of us that set up a little compound and share tools, food, beer, whatever and it makes it that much better. I always say that track time is only half the fun of going. The other half is the friends and sense of community.

Bob

94ZR1#444

WGI is a great track. I was there in July of 2005 I believe. Get ready to pay $50/day for electricity if you need it.......

WNeal

How true that is.
I am 50 y/o and have made the best friends of my life the past 3 years at the track.
A few of them are like brothers to me.

varkwso

I sleep at the track more often then not - started in tents and the back of my Suburban. Now sleep in my enclosed trailer most sites, or mooch rooms off of friends. Some tracks/event organizers charge stupid money for power access or "camp fee".

It really saves gas and money to stay at the track and eat off the camp stove/grill.

The social time is great also....

bb69

Sleeping at the track is the main reason I bought my enclosed trailer. We always have a good group of people camping the night before. I did the tent thing for a while, but I hate it when it rains and when you have to pack up a tent after a day on the track. With the gooseneck trailer, I throw a queen size mattress on the upper deck and I am all set.

Hanging out with the other guys the night before is great way to start the event. We walk the track, do some bench racing, etc. And, in the morning I don't have to wake up at 4AM to get to the track on time.

Ken

sothpaw2

I've done it. What I like to do is go to the track early in the morning from the house to avoid the first night's stay. Then, the 2nd night, I stay at the track--a sleeping bag &tent is all you really need. I don't have an RV or electricity etc.

The key is overnight low--in the summer it's typically a perfect 68-70 by midnight & stays above 55 all night. You can't do this in the Fall or early Spring.

JohnD60

I have an RV and stay at the track all the time. I've seen folks do everything from sleeping on the bench in their pits, to inflatable mattresses in enclosed trailers, to some of the nicest RVs you've ever seen.

The earlier comments about making great friends with the other folks who stay at the track is right on. Look forward to seen them each track weekend.

However, there is another side to this story. The organizers for the events I regularly attend usually have dinner saturday night with the instructors somewhere near the local hotel. Several of the regular drivers will join these dinners. Appears to be a great networking opportunity. I've enjoyed the few times they've arranged for dinner at the track and suspect it would be fun to "bench race" with them at these off track dinners as well.

It's still worth it to keep the car track prepped and relax in the RV AC!

John

Bill Dearborn

WGI has rules about camping at events. You need to check with the track and the group you are running with to make sure you can camp there. If you can't camp at the track try Watkins Glen State Park which is right next to Seneca Lodge. Here is the link to the State Park web page http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=105

Bill

GB'sZo6

I take my Motorhome every time I go to the track. Most of the time at WGI they will not let you stay over unless the group that has rented the track hires the extra secuirty from the track. About 2 miles away is a very nice KOA campground.

Tintin

Why would you sleep at the track? You can get a pretty good hotel room for about $200- at most of the tracks so it doesn't make sense to be sleep deprived and uncomfortable for the race. It costs at least $30K to prep a Corvette for the track so if $200- is an issue, prepare to lose the race... There will be people like me there who couldn't care less about the cost of their car and they will beat you every time..

Can't afford to pay, can't afford to play.....

John Shiels

I could not get dressed with out a morning shower.

sgsvette

I hate to brake the news to you Tintin, but money doesn't buy talent! I've seen plenty of guys who sleep at the track because they truly can't afford to stay at a hotel that go out when it counts (race time) and put a whooping on (some) guys who show up with more money than brains.

Just so you don't get the wrong idea...I always stay at the track, but I have a million dollar RV so don't go thinking I'm sticking up for the guys who are less fortunate because I don't have money. I started out years ago sleeping in my trailer and after many years of hard work God has been good to me and I never forget where I came from.

getreal:go for it! The best times to be had are with new and old friends after hours to BS about the races. WGI is the perfect track with weather at night and great camping spots.

varkwso

You beat me to it....


40 years of scouting, 25+ years of military, and ~30 years at tracks - if I can sleep just fine with an F-15 taking off next to my tent I feel pretty good about sleeping in a paddock with a bunch of drunk spec E30 guys.

I have cut way back but I still think we will do 25 events this year - the math works for my budget - we spend it on tires, brakes and ##$^$&* tow diesel. But I do it mostly for the benchracing with my buddies....

Also the vast majority of these guys are not "racing"....

gkmccready

I've done it a bunch. Slept in the car, slept in the truck, slept in a tent. I have to say it's much nicer to find a Motel6 or something to sleep in a bed, but I see nothing wrong with sleeping at the track!

TedDBere

Get yourself a nice folding cot for the back of the Suburban. It's better than the hassle of an air matress, IMHO. And you can store stuff under it too.

GettReal

Thanks for all the replies, even the snarky ones... not all of us are millionaires racing fully prepped hobby cars. Besides, I dont think I've ever lost a HPDE, can you tell me how many you have won?..LOL

Im not in this to make money and I dont get a trophy at the end of the day, however I love driving my car and HPDEs are a total kick for me. If WGI will allow it..I'm hanging out at the track and spending the money elsewhere.

Thanks to all the folks out there who dont mind slumming it with us low lifes at the track, I hope to make some new friends..

DRKCYDE

I agree. The camping is just another part of the "event" that I always look forward to rain or shine. I have camping greag for it.
Gives us time to check out meth labs, light off some fireworks, and play C or C, or G or E.

BuckeyeZ06

I don't want to pile on, but let's just say that normally mooney isn't much of an obstacle to me, but for the Lime Rock SCCA National I "camped" in my 40' gooseneck trailer and slept on an inflatable matress. It was the first time I had done this, and I did so because it did NOT want to pay $200 per night for those bad hotels in NW CT.

I slept fine, better than I did in the hotel room I was in this past weekend at Mid Ohio (no noisy neighbors!).

When our daughter leaves for collage I am buying a 40' RV so my wife and dog can come with me. I really enjoyed it and look forward to doing it again and again.