My second 1000rr.co.uk thread! I am heading to the Ulster GP this August with a bunch of mates. Never been before, in fact it is my first road race event. Any tips? Places to stand, where to park (we are staying in Belfast), what time to turn up etc etc. Looks 100% mental; absolutely freakin' cannot wait: - - MOST - EXTREME - SPORT - ♛ - ✔ 200_Mph_320Km/h - Irish Road Racing ✔ UGP_NW200_Isle of Man TT - YouTube
When you coming over? The Dundrod 150 is on the Thursday! same track! practice for it is probably tue!The Thursday is great as its not as busy and ya can walk around the pits and generally have the craic.Standing! well We walk around and watch from as many places as we can Deers leap if ya want fast! Quarries if ya want to see them in some bends lindsays hair pin to watch MD cut up the inside of Everyone lol.
Talking to a guy in the queue for the ferry home rom the TT, and he was saying the NW200 is like a smaller version of he TT (atmosphere etc). But he suggested that the UGP didn't really have an atmosphere. I was wondering if this was correct from those in the know, as it would rather go see the UGP than the NW. Well I would like to visit them both, however the UGP appeals more. As an aside I have just received my first Emerald Road Racing magazine through the post today.
I used to alternate my trips home to Northern Ireland to do the UGP and the NW200 year about, now I just do the NW. I just find that there's more ability to change where you're watching from at the nw200 , whereas at the ugp you're a bit more restricted to wherever you settle on viewing from, personally I usually went to Ireland's or deers leap. For the nw I start at magherabuoy chicane, cos that's where my folks live, and move around to usually end up on the coast road near the start/finish line by the time of the last superbike race. Plus you're on the Antrim Coast, it's a cracking ride to get up there along the coast road from Belfast, there's plenty of cheap camping or b&b's, watching is free, the town likes having bikers in, the crack as we say is mighty. Whereas after the ugp chances are you're gonna be heading away to some town or Belfast to get back to your hotel. In terms of the racing, I enjoy both, and the ugp is still the fastest racetrack anywhere, but I just find the NW is more about being there! and the UGP is good telly. Saying that though, just get yourself over to watch either, like people have told you, it's like the TT, but with them all setting off at the same time like a proper damn race should be!
I'll just be there for the main event on Saturday as we're a stag group so have a number of other things planned too. Deer's leap is where I was thinking, so it sounds like that's the place to head to. I'm sure it will be epic.
For the past couple of years it's been audio streamed live as well on the bbc ni sports website, well worth watching on a smart tv! Just wish they'd get some different commentators, the two muppets who do it now are a pita.
Didn't know that Pete. Is it those same couple of guys who were at the NW this year ? Larry something and whatshisface ? (i.e. not Parrish, Plater, Whitham or Watson) If so I agree they are muppets.
Richard Nichols and David Moore, , terrible terrible commentators, they appear to have been chosen due to their ability to use five sentences repeatedly for an hour, create their script using a random word generator, have no understanding of how bikes work, become fixated on one aspect of a race, such as slipstreaming, and then talk about it at length, using the same phrase punctuated with ooooohhhhhss and aaaaaaahhhhhs, they are shockingly bad. They make phil mccallen appear to be a wordsmith the equal of Shakespeare.
Yeh I think it's the same guy who used to commentate on my old Duke Marketing 500 GP VHS videos, totally crap!!
The UGP is an awesome race. Get yourself a large scale ordanance survey map and you will be able to find all the little back lanes that will enable you to get around the outside of the circuit to different spots. The stewards also let you walk between sessions but you have to be quick or prepared to hedge hop. Leathamtowns grandstand is good for crashes and has big screen so you can follow the rest of the race. The bank above and outside touragraph gives a great view of a fair bit of circuit and is a real mans corner. Deers leap also great. I've been 3 times and each time watched from most points on the circuit. The local police are also fairly relaxed about you doing your own hot laps (just do it early in the week before it gets busy)
