San Jose GP

[RichK]

I drove the course last weekend, it should be a fairly photogenic race on TV, palm trees, etc. The parking lot area less so.

The race is generating a lot of interest, everyone I know is asking me about it, and I must say that we are excited to go! The local sportbike and lowered-Civic-with-neon-stuff-and-coffee-can-exhaust forums are all abuzz; it appears that bringing the racing to the people will work here.

The track may be only 1.4 miles, but I'm betting that it will be a successful "event".

[FTG]

it will be a successful "event".

That means everyone here will hate it.

[Winston Wolfe]

The Santa Fe GP should be a big hit with the coffee can exhaust crowd as long as there is a bikini contest, loudest exhaust exhibition, and plenty of free Game Boy \ XBOX displays set up while the race is going on, so the fans have something to do while the cars pass by them every 55-60 seconds or so....
Heck, Cork may even pry himself away from the bikini contest to see his favorite ride buyer Lavin get a top 10 finish. :rolleyes:

[racer2c]

Hey! There are no palm trees in Santa Fe! When did they move this race? This race is going to suck!

[Methanolandbrats]

Won't be hard on equipment either, they'll won't need the tall gears.

[NismoZ]

Yeah, ONE whole straightaway longer than Milwaukee and TEN turns! What a way to showcase 750 hp, 220mph turbocharged openwheelers! No wonder BMW is saying bye-bye. Hard to blame them. :(

[racer2c]

Yeah, ONE whole straightaway longer than Milwaukee and TEN turns! What a way to showcase 750 hp, 220mph turbocharged openwheelers! No wonder BMW is saying bye-bye. Hard to blame them. :(

BMW leaving what? Do tell.

[Railbird]

Don't get around much 2c?

While the course certainly won't fill the void left by Laguna to the purists it may actually make a few bucks for those involved.

[cart7]

From the SJGP website:
The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. In addition, Mexican drivers Mario Dominguez, Michel Jourdain Jr. and Rodolfo Lavin will compete among an expected 18-car field. The title is contested on oval circuits, temporary street circuits and permanent road courses.

First Helio, a 2 time Indy 500 race winner is expected to be there and now a REAL LIVE NASCAR DRIVER will be in the show. :eek: This is gonna be big!

http://www.sanjosegrandprix.com/images/SJGP05Vasserdrivebanner.jpg

WTF? Maybe Helio and his earl team were there cause that sure looks like an .1rl pit demonstration going on in the background behind the flagstand. :gomer:

[Railbird]

The always flashy Hemelgarn pit crew.

[racer2c]

Don't get around much 2c?

While the course certainly won't fill the void left by Laguna to the purists it may actually make a few bucks for those involved.

My internet browser only connects to OC. Go figure. It's some sort of bug. :gomer:

[Fitti Fan]

But it's in San Jose!!!! What the heck is there to see in San Jose???? I may fly in to California that weekend, just to go to Monterey and Santa Cruz!

[NismoZ]

See!? Look at that...Vasser is already into the barrier. I told you the track was too tight! That new firesuit modeled at far right is pretty tight, too! :eek:

[Dougrun]

But it's in San Jose!!!! What the heck is there to see in San Jose???? I may fly in to California that weekend, just to go to Monterey and Santa Cruz!

there's a great america amusement park a few miles up the road.

[FCYTravis]

FBMW done with Champ Car?

I try to get around to most spots but that's out of deep left field...

[racer2c]

FBMW done with Champ Car?

I try to get around to most spots but that's out of deep left field...

Tell me about it. I can't find a thing on the world wide web. But then, 'bird does get around. ;)

[CARTNUT]

But it's in San Jose!!!! What the heck is there to see in San Jose???? I may fly in to California that weekend, just to go to Monterey and Santa Cruz!

Well, there's the Tech Museum which is very cool for the kids! On the other side of town there's the Winchester Mystery House (don't waste your time) and for the big kids there is the Pink Poodle (look it up.) Oh and I remember seeing Christian Fittipaldi in the Airport there a few years back! Another good thing about San Jose is my wife's (Jer) best friends live just 2.1 miles from the track in a nice big house with extra bedrooms! Isn't that convenient. San Jose has been our home base for our Laguna Seca trip for the past several years.

[KLang]

FBMW done with Champ Car?

I try to get around to most spots but that's out of deep left field...

It's a rumor at AR1.

[Fitti Fan]

Well, there's the Tech Museum which is very cool for the kids! On the other side of town there's the Winchester Mystery House (don't waste your time) and for the big kids there is the Pink Poodle (look it up.) Oh and I remember seeing Christian Fittipaldi in the Airport there a few years back! Another good thing about San Jose is my wife's (Jer) best friends live just 2.1 miles from the track in a nice big house with extra bedrooms! Isn't that convenient. San Jose has been our home base for our Laguna Seca trip for the past several years.


Like I said, what's there to do in San Jose. Don't think the PP's my kind of adventure, no interest in WMP, been to Great America plenty of times. :shakehead

[JLMannin]

There isn't jack **** to do around Elkart Lake, but many here, myself included, loved going there to see the race. If you're not going to San Jose for the race, why go at all? :confused:

[Methanolandbrats]

There isn't jack **** to do around Elkart Lake, but many here, myself included, loved going there to see the race. If you're not going to San Jose for the race, why go at all? :confused: Lunch and shopping?

[NismoZ]

JL, my sentiments, exactly! I guess I'm just not an "event" kind of guy. Pic-nic tables and outhouses were my friends! Heck, if an outhouse wasn't available (The Kink!) there sure were plenty of trees! A lot of stuff has passed me by, I suppose, but 500 acres of Wisconsin countryside will always be my ideal race venue. Plus, that "nothing to do" statement is why you always took your girlfriend, then wife, then family for the weekend. Now I'm back to "just brother" but we still manage to have a good time and always recall the good ol' days! (esp. at the BRIC!) :)

[Fitti Fan]

There isn't jack **** to do around Elkart Lake, but many here, myself included, loved going there to see the race. If you're not going to San Jose for the race, why go at all? :confused:


Sorry, I'm just pi**ed about Laguna. Was my first race, and went every year for awhile. Was the yearly "event." Having the racetrack so close to the beautiful scenery made it spectacular. For me, it was quite the package. Grew up going to Monterey and Carmel so it all worked out beautifully. Just bummed, that's all.

Will try Elkart this year hopefully!

[NismoZ]

Good. Try the July 17th weekend. (if you aren't going all the way out to Edmonton!) Can Am. F-1. IMSA. Unbelievable array of historic race cars! Mario will be the honored guest this year and you just KNOW he'll have to drive SOMEthing! Cameras at the ready! The Fri. afternoon parade of cars from the track to Elkhart Lake for on-street viewing is wonderful to see. Just wander down the street and view about the last 50 years of racing history! Great food and drink only steps away, and bring an extra $100k, or so, and buy a neat ol' car at auction across the street at the Osthoff Lodge! Over the years I've had many interesting conversations with guys like Jim Hall, George Follmer, Brian Redman, David Hobbs, Bob McKee, Lenny Kaplan, Augie Pabst and others, that I NEVER could have had in the midst of their racing careers. Great fun. C'mon up! :)

[RichK]

San Jose: downtown has some great restaurants (Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese and a very nice 'upscale' one called Bella Mia (http://www.bellamia.com/) , my favorite), the best beer in the world IMO at Gordon Biersch (http://www.gordonbiersch.com/) , and the usual city stuff to do.

Santa Cruz (beach) is close, the mountains are close, San Francisco is less than 1 hour away. The Napa wine country is just a little further, and the Livermore wine country is only 30 minutes away from San Ho' (and a better experience than Napa IMO).

There's a very cool new aviation museum (http://www.hiller.org/) in San Carlos.

Downtown Los Gatos is about 10 minutes away from San Jose, it's good for shopping, a great local coffee (http://www.lgcrc.com/) shop and an excellent wood fired pizza place (http://www.willowstreet.com/) . A good walking town.

Just up the road 5 minutes in Saratoga is
Big Basin (http://www.bigbasin.org/trails.html), a state park in the mountains where you can hike among the redwoods (with the occasional sport bike screaming at 15,000rpm on Highway 9, not that I would know.... ;) ).

[KLang]

Livermore wine country is only 30 minutes away from San Ho' (and a better experience than Napa IMO).


Hmmm, Race and wine tours. Should not be too hard to talk the wife into that. :)

Any more info/links/advice on the Livermore wine county?

[RichK]

Any more info/links/advice on the Livermore wine county?

Here's a good start:
http://www.livermorewine.com/

If you go over the list of wineries, you may recognize a few. The experience is a little less "snooty" in Livermore, and tasting is free at many of the smaller wineries, which is the way it used to be in Napa/Sonoma/etc.

[KLang]

Here's a good start:
http://www.livermorewine.com/

If you go over the list of wineries, you may recognize a few. The experience is a little less "snooty" in Livermore, and tasting is free at many of the smaller wineries, which is the way it used to be in Napa/Sonoma/etc.

Thanks, I'll look into it this weekend. This might be my RoadAmerica replacement.

[Gnam]

The SF Giants will be out of town, but Pac-Bell Park is still pretty cool.

The Oakland A's are playing Detroit that weekend. Not great, but baseball is baseball.

The Lick Observatory (http://www.ucolick.org/public/index.html) on Mt. Hamilton is open to the public. You can see most of the Bay Area from there.

North of San Jose along I-280 is the Filoli Estate (http://www.filoli.org/visitor_gen.html) which is much better than the Winchester Mystery House. I think they filmed 'Dallas' there. You can tour the mansion and the large formal gardens. Also if you want to take a hike you can walk up in the hills at Windy Hill (http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_windy_hill.asp) or around the Stanford Dish (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/neighbors/visiting/dish.html).

Also a visit to the Stanford, Berkeley, or San Jose State campus is a good time.

As for weather, it will be hot (80-90F+) in San Jose. There may be fog in the morning, but it will be gone early. As you go north, the fog may linger longer and come back in the evening quicker. If you go to the City, the fog may not lift at all and it will be windy and cool. Basically, the closer you are to the Bay the cooler it will be.