Rookie Questions about Laguna Seca

I guess there were a couple of different places I could have posted this, but this seemed as good as any of the others.

I'm thinking of making my way down south to attend this event but I've got a few questions as I've never been there before. If I can go, I'll be staying with the relatives just outside of San Francisco.

1. Is there a reliable/affordable (besides hitching) way to get from San Francisco to Laguna Seca Raceway and back during the race weekend?
2. What would the best ticket package be? I've been to the Laguna Seca Raceway web-site but there are several ticket options. What does general admin vs. grandstand give you? Which one is better?
3. Do I have to get tickets before or can I get them once I get there?
4. Anything important one should know going there for the first time?

Thanks to any and all who can offer help with these questions.

 

Can't help with much, other then logistics.

Air service between SFO and Salinas/Monterey is minimal/prohibitive. Generally, the most reliable method is rental car. Could be looking at 2.5 hours depending on traffic/location/etc. Another source for ground transportation would be, Welcome to Monterey Airbus

The preferred method is by bike. I think people are only allowed in on foot or by bus, bikes are allowed to park at the event however.

 

Boy does this bring back crazy times. LOL. ^ What they said, Bike is the best way to get in, general admin. is probably the only tickets, then hoof it around. but man leaving from San Fran will be a tough one if you don't use your bike. plus you need a bike to get around after or before, any way one needs to hit up Cannery row Saturday night if one really wants to see a good time.

 

Thank you to all who've replied so far. Unfortunately, I'm not able to bring my bike down (perhaps another time) so that won't be an option. Does anyone think it would be worth a try to throw a shout out here to see if any forum members are going and have an extra seat in a car/truck/van leaving from the SF area? There's gotta be a few people car-pooling to this type of even, no? Would that even be safe?

Thanks again.

 

I drove a car in 2006 and got stuck for three hours waiting to get on a bus back to the parking lot after the race. If you'll recall, the '06 race was super hot (remember Chris Vermeulen took the pole but had engine problems because of the heat).

While waiting in line, the Monterey FD was handing out bottles of Perrier to the thousands of people doing the same thing I was doing, waiting. You know that the defecation has hit the ventilation (sh*t has hit the fan) when the fire department hands out Perrier.

I rode to the event in 2007 and everything was much smoother. Cars can now park close to the track (I think you have to pre-buy parking). Motorcycles are free. Also, there are track crossings before and after major events since the bridges only allow two single file lines.

To get to the event without a car, you may want to investigate taking Greyhound to Monterey or Salinas and using public transportation to get to the track. Either way (by rental car or bus) it will be a long day.

As far as tickets go, I always get general admin and walk the facilities (the corkscrew is awesome). This year I have a pit pass too. Oh and by the by, bring earplugs. If you hang out trackside opposite of the grandstands, you'll need them. Those bikes are loud.

Good luck!

 

Another thing to consider is the will-call window. The Laguna site shows that it's off Canon del Rey at Seaside. If you don't rent a car, you should probably get tickets mail to you and not bother with will-call. You can purchase tickets the day of the event, but again, you'll probably need to rent a car to get them. Best to call the ticketing office for advice.