Japfest at Silverstone yay or nay?

[boosted]

So with Japfest moved do we think a good idea or not?
My views...
Should be a saturday not sunday.
I didnt go to gate B..i didnt know it was there....
Track was great...plenty of run off unlike combe.
Traffic and driving around pits and complex excellent.


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[re japi]

Well, dunno what kind of event it was on Combe. But I have to say that moving to Silverstone was a good idea.
Just because I cant see how that amount of people and cars can fit to smaller track! And I saw those roads to Combe 

I think I saw about half of those cars on show area...
I agree with Jon´s views

[C J R]

Saturday events are better for me.
I liked the Silverstone track,
Overtaking on track was a lottery, with different ability drivers on at the same time, think the organisers should take this in to account and provide either stricter overtaking rules, or make sure participants in a session have similar experience (novices in one session etc etc)
Didn't get time to walk around any stands or displays, so cannot comment about the overall venue.

[boosted]

Yeah that overtake anyside rule bit hairy. I looked online for a proper trackday and prices are a bit steep.
I think combe holds a great show and seems more track orientated...but due to size of event now handicapped by the road infrasture outside ....
If silverstone Japfest takes punters away from Combe then quieter and less numbers on track and i can get in and out without queing then combe for me.

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[clive]

Here we go,

As you know the FD celebration was a bit of a damp squid, or perhaps its just me ?.

Strike 1/
I wrongly expected because of what I have seen in the American car world that the cars would have been lined up on the track for photo opportunities and maybe a commentator talking to owners, WRONG

Strike 2/

The organisers contacted me to say they wanted to have as many FD's being part of this as they could and yet Chris (CJR) and other FD's were prevented form taking part, to me if you was in an FD you were in the right car for this supposedly "special"  day, WRONG

Strike 3/ I personally felt and have seen people write that the event was just about the money and the event lacked atmosphere, or was I WRONG ?

Strike 4 / Where were the public ?, normally you also have lots of family's but with £25 per adult and not £25 a car this probably killed that,

It will be interesting to see if you guys want to go again next year .

Plus side we have Jap Day at Coombe coming up .         

[boosted]

I forgot i had a stroppy marshall telling me pitlane closed when i had to come off for Jarno.  Oh sorry ill drop him off on track then.

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[re japi]

I forgot i had a stroppy marshall telling me pitlane closed when i had to come off for Jarno.  Oh sorry ill drop him off on track then.

Yes, that was really weird. I dont know any other event that you cant go back to track after pitting...  And sorry about that Jon...

But I think Clive has a point there. I have been watching Japfest Facebook site. There is no mention about that it was FD theme, anywhere. No pictures of FD´s, nothing... And why Supra`s won "best stand" award? There where just few stock Supras!

Dunno about atmosphere, I think it was ok. But yes, that kind of events nowadays are just about the money. And that one moron sold me tee when I asked coffee at one food stand...  But area was so big, that public just melted to there. Centre of that area was full all the time, maybe we were abit further from main area...

And I think there where good amount of familys too. Actually, I was quite surprised to see that there where lots of activitys for children too.

I thought there will be some kind of lineup for FD´s too as Clive said, but no. At one point I was talking to Smiler and heard that commentator saying that parade is within few minutes. I runned to one of grandstads to take photos, and waited. I was listening what people was talking about, and they didnt know that there will be parade. Actually they didnt even know about FD theme...

Anyhoo, I did see lots of things to improve. But maybe changing to Silverstone was price to pay for some of these bad point...

But I had frickin awesome time! And that is all because of you guys  I did spend lots of money for and at that vacation but it was best vacation ever!

[noyzboy]

Great turnout of FDs on the Fast Car stand and they were well lined up to show them off.

I felt the Fast Car arrangements left something to be desired.
While there was mention of a briefing at 1 and the parade at 2. There was no instructions as to where!!.
I expected that as this is a RACMSA track there would be some signing on required, but given the lack of info, I doubt if everyone got it, and I don’t know if it mattered in the end. I did not see wristbands inspected for the FD parade laps

I only went to Combe once and I felt it was cramped. Silverstone was better.  There could have been more posted info on club stand locations. I don’t know where the MX-5s were, over the bridge I expect. I suppose it was in the show guide, but I have given up on show guides as they re usually an uninformative worthless rip off and something else to carry around.

I would go to Japfest at Silverstone again.

[adamgaltress]

Didn't seem the same as Castle Combe last year, I don't think it was as intimate this year, I find Silverstone quite spread out compared to Castle Combe. As opposed to club stands right up against the track boundaries and better viewing areas. Most of the stands were closed at Silverstone and viewing isn't as good in my opinion. But saying that I would go again

[boosted]

Yeah combe is more festival orientated...cars everywhere...a little manic in a good way.

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[Clarky]

I too expected the FD to be the Star of the show, but turned out to be a black hole, and there were so many other FDs that could of been in the Parade if you could call it that, could of been a bit more dynamic, with a bit of History being told over the tannoy about this iconic Car.
I was directed to the RX8 stand rather than MRC, and was blocked in before i could get out again.


Being in such a large area, i did not see all that may of been there, track viewing could of been better too.

[exiled-viking]

Don't think I would ever do Silverstone as an event done trax there and its got no atmosphere Castle Combe is better for me