This past Sunday, we went out to the Formula 1 track to see the big race. I'll be the first to admit that car races aren't typically our thing, but since Ben has been working out there for the past few months {Wheeler Companies supplied the asphalt for the track and did all of the infrastructure -- parking lots, roads, etc.}, we were lucky enough to score some free tickets in a VIP suite.
We weren't sure how bad the traffic would be getting out there, so we left the house around 9 o'clock that morning. It really wasn't bad at all though, and in addition to our tickets, we also got a parking pass that was so close to the track that we ended up parking right next to where all of the helicopters were dropping off their passengers.
We didn't have too far to walk, and when we got to our suite, the girl at the door welcomed us, told us that they had a complimentary full bar both upstairs and downstairs, and then said that breakfast was currently being served downstairs if we were hungry. Considering I had never been VIP anything, I really wasn't sure what to expect, but needless to say, VIP is definitely something that I could get used to. ;)
The upstairs of our suite was a huge outdoor patio, and the downstairs was completely indoors with a private bathroom {something that came in very handy with as many times as I had to use it}. Our suite was located on Turn 2, but we could also see Turn 1, which was a really tight turn, and we weren't too far from the start/finish either.
Before the F1 race, we got to watch both a Porsche race and a Ferrari race. I kept commenting on how fast those cars were, but everybody kept warning me that those races were nothing compared to the F1 race. Clay Walker sang the national anthem, and in addition to a flyover, they also had someone parachute out of a helicopter with the American flag.
After the national anthem, the U.S. Grand Prix began.
Seeing the F1 cars come around Turn 1 was like nothing else. They were going SO fast, and they were so loud that we had to wear earplugs. You could feel the vibrations of their engines in your body, and you could even feel them shifting gears.
After watching them make a couple of laps, we decided to venture out of the suite and walk around a little bit. Considering the cars had to make 56 laps total, we figured there was no sense in watching them make every single one while standing in the exact same spot. ;)
Walking over the track and feeling/hearing the cars underneath you was pretty cool...
...but we didn't make the trip up the tower. At $35 per person, Ben said he'd just wait and go sometime at work for free -- haha.
It ended up being a great race. Luis Hamilton overtook Sebastian Vettel right in front of our suite during lap 43 and came in 1st. It was such a beautiful day for a race, and I had a great time seeing what F1 was all about and also meeting a couple of Ben's coworkers that I had never met before.
The only problem though is now I have a feeling this baby is going to come out thinking that his mom is way cooler than she actually is. Never before have I ever been to a car race or been VIP anything, and I have a feeling it might not ever happen again. The general admission bleacher tickets didn't look nearly as appealing as our suite {can you say spoiled?}, and considering our suite tickets were $3,000 a piece for a 3-day pass {crazy, huh?}, I have a feeling this might be my first and last F1 experience -- haha. It was definitely fun while it lasted though. Thanks for the hook-up, B! :)
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