MotoGP Phillip Island - best views?

[stonefish]

Hi all
Hubby and I bought flights yesterday to get over to Oz for the MotoGP in October. :woohoo:

I was hoping I could find people online who have been there and can recommend the best tickets to get.

We're thinking of splashing out and going for the VIP treatment - though we will definitely be camping so there is an element of slumming it! Anyone been on the Pit Roof stand? The Gold package looks great with pit walks etc but for about $1300 each :shit: is it really worth it?? Has anyone out there taken up the VIP packages in the past - any recommendations/advice/general rants would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, stonefish

[ernie953]

Go for it. Wife and I went last year and due to extreme weather conditions were glad we payed extra. We went Honda corparate and were in a marque on main strait. 3 day package, (food, pit walk, jacket etc) was glad to get out of freezing wind and rain. Only gripe about PI, they need to upgrade footpaths etc. Inclement weather = mud. We went to the first one in 1989 and not a lot changed since then. BTW, we're going to Sepang in Oct and looking forward to a world class facility.

[Oscar]

I've been most everywhere on that track.
The pit roof is pretty good in terms of the cool stuff (start line, pits) and also how far you can see.

The High Octane Club looks good, too. It's at the bottom of MG on the inside of the track.

[BMWST?]

We went to the first one in 1989 and not a lot changed since then.

jeepers what it that long ago!It was muddy there too the very first tnight,we were camping somewhere, half our tents were flooded when we arrived....(some sort of group arrangements)

[Sketchy Snr]

Talk about wet, cold and muddy last year. Hope this year is better weather. Still wouldn't missed it the crowds awesome and looked like the camping was full on.

[BMWST?]

southern loop and or up siberia way

[Nasty]

we did siberia ... is bloody cold but was a good place to be when hayden threw a tante in front of the stand.

[ac3_snow]

Very jealous, sure it will be a wicked time wherever you stand!(might be worth planning a vantage point near the bar tho?!)

[stonefish]

Talk about wet, cold and muddy last year. Hope this year is better weather. Still wouldn't missed it the crowds awesome and looked like the camping was full on.

That is definitely some impressive mud! I hope the rain holds off a bit better this year!!

Thanks to everyone for their comments so far... I think it'll be the pit walk opportunity which sways us in the end. We've been thinking about going over for the past 2 years but finally pulled finger for 2011! Can't wait! Now all we have to do is pray to the gods of motorcycling for a sunny October - Yeah Right!!

[F5 Dave]

Lukey heights is always popular, we did that a few times both on ground & in the stands, but for me the best view is Siberia grandstands. You see great racing at that point of the track with a lot of curves & there is a big screen where you can see the rest of the action. Why would you want to be on the straight?. The weather will either be great, average or miserable. We took a tarp so if it did get bad we could wrap ourselves up from the wind & rain. But most days you won't need it.

[Muppet]

Been there twice-here is my advice. Don't waste your money on a stand ticket, because you'll get bored sitting in the same place all day. Just get a general admission it's cheaper and you can walk around the whole track, there's too much to see to be sitting in one place. Prepare for both the heat and the rain-take a brolly and a light breathable raincoat and sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat.

[pritch]

Honda sell a rain poncho with hood. It's supposed to be Honda red but being made of such thin material it looks pink. If you can handle the colour the price is attractive: less than $3.00 IIRC. Your local dealer should be able to get them.

[F5 Dave]

Been there twice-here is my advice. Don't waste your money on a stand ticket, because you'll get bored sitting in the same place all day. Just get a general admission it's cheaper and you can walk around the whole track, there's too much to see to be sitting in one place. Prepare for both the heat and the rain-take a brolly and a light breathable raincoat and sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat.
Been 6 times & had general admission first 3 times. Stand gave you flexibility. Of course you walked around the track, but more so in first 2 days. If it is a high attendance race day you will struggle to get near the fence in a decent place & have to stay there for a while before the final. Much easier to just retire to a stand seat.

[DEATH_INC.]

Been twice, both times just general admission. Wouldn't bother with anything else, can see plenty from around the place. If ya wanna watch the racing, watch it on tv. Being there is about the experience, the noise, the speed of those bloody things in the flesh.

[Drew]

Very jealous, sure it will be a wicked time wherever you stand!(might be worth planning a vantage point near the bar tho?!)
No danger there. Was there last year, think there were at least six beer stalls around the track.

[DEATH_INC.]

No danger there. Was there last year, think there were at least six beer stalls around the track.
Eggsacktlee!!!!

[F5 Dave]

Yeah but they sell crap like VB which is undrinkable until the 7th. Not sure how busy it get these days, used to be packed when they raced real racebikes instead of coal burners.

[Petrolic]

We went last year and got vip last corner. Food was awsome drinks were great bus ride and melbourne night life was fantastic and Hotel.....BUT race was tooooo short weather was hopeless and there is no contact with any riders,,,like their GODS or somthing. Cost me $5000 for a week end and would not do again even though I think breath and sleep racing. Rather got to super bikes or not go and spend the $5K on my bike ,but wife surprised me. Give me beer and sky then I see whole race not one corner.

[Marknz]

If you can afford it, have a look at this:

http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Events/2011_MotoGP_Event

I've done three different MotoGP events now with Honda Australia, and it's a brilliant place to be. Highly recommend it due to ease of access, guaranteed seating, full access to the whole of the track at anytime you want to go walkabout, and really good cover if the weather turns to shmuck! Too many other benefits to mention here, but if I wasn't racing myself now, this is where my spare cash would be going each year.

[pritch]

If you can afford it, have a look at this:

http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Events/2011_MotoGP_Event



The Honda arrangements are brilliant. The Honda Riders Club NZ do tours each year.
It costs more but everything is taken care of. Motels and transport as well as the Honda hosptitality. And you don't have to own a Honda, the more the merrier.

It might be frowned on though if you wore off-suit clothing on race day. (No pun intended.) They like their stand to be full of Honda clothing for the TV cameras.
Thus probably, the free jacket.

[stonefish]

If you can afford it, have a look at this:

http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Events/2011_MotoGP_Event

I've done three different MotoGP events now with Honda Australia, and it's a brilliant place to be. Highly recommend it due to ease of access, guaranteed seating, full access to the whole of the track at anytime you want to go walkabout, and really good cover if the weather turns to shmuck! Too many other benefits to mention here, but if I wasn't racing myself now, this is where my spare cash would be going each year.


The Honda arrangements are brilliant. The Honda Riders Club NZ do tours each year.
It costs more but everything is taken care of. Motels and transport as well as the Honda hosptitality. And you don't have to own a Honda, the more the merrier.

It might be frowned on though if you wore off-suit clothing on race day. (No pun intended.) They like their stand to be full of Honda clothing for the TV cameras.
Thus probably, the free jacket.


Thats interesting...I actually came across this site today while I was googling ...errrrm...I mean 'working'... Looks like a good option (best price I've seen that includes pit walks).

What are the views like?? Can you actually see anything other than the straight??

We were starting to lean toward Champions Club which apparantly has views from the Southern Loop through to Siberia. We'd be taking advantage of the whole track for the qualifying and the earlier races but it would be a great place to return to for food (and drink :innocent:) and to watch the big race - some live and some on the superscreen. The VIP ticket here costs A$1050 but no pit walk...hmmm...that would mean I miss out on the riders :love: and the other half would miss out on the pit girls...hang on he told me last week he was only interested in the bikes!! :shit:

Decisions decisions - its a tough life sometimes...

["D" FZ1]

No danger there. Was there last year, think there were at least six beer stalls around the track.

At the Superbikes a couple of months ago they were charging $9.50 a can !!!!! :gob:

["D" FZ1]

We went to the Moto GP in 2005. Took some deck chairs and sat at Siberia on race day. Awesome view of turn 4, through Siberia and up to the Hayshed plus had a big screen in front of us to catch the rest of the action.

Went to the SBK's this year and got shouted into the Yamaha VIP area on the main straight. Not the best place to watch the racing but a good base, catered food, and plenty of cold drinks. TV screens to keep an eye on qualifying times and to kick back while nothing was going on. We walked up to between turn One and Two to watch the first race. Watched the 600's from turn Twelve and the second Supers race from the pit roof.

We got to do a lap of the track in one of the Alpha pace cars which was pretty cool. A totally different view of the track.

We got to do pit walks on Saturday and Sunday. It was awesome to get up close to the bikes and meet some of the riders.

We had Melandri and Laverty come up to our area for autographs and pics which was cool.

Definitely recommend doing the VIP thing if you get the chance :yes:

[k1w160]

A few of us went to MotoGP in 2006 and did the VIP thing - higly recommended.
Good viewing over most of the track from the front and rear deck (ok, the rear is more of an access way, but you still get a good view), and the open bar and food was a bonus.
TV coverage was lso available inside the VIP lounge for those wanting to give their ears a rest from some of the most gloriouly loud engines on the planet, plus it's a chance to get out of the wind when the actions not happening.

["D" FZ1]

A couple of pics from the SBK's........

[Hailwood]

Went a few years ago, stayed in a camper van next to track and watched racing from Siberia on sunday after walking around whole track on saturday looking for a spot...best tip get to Siberia early for a seat though. It was full at 9am...dress for a typical day in Auckland...wet, fine everything...enjoy