Bang Saen Speed Festival

This time of year sees a load of activities in the Pattaya area. Last weekend was the ridiculous but amusing bed race which I did not get to photograph due to horse commitments. Here’s the event from two years ago if you want a reminder. Next weekend sees the Burapha Bikes, and during the week there is apparently some dragon boat racing although nobody seems to know anything about it apart from a poster. Then there is tennis and LPGA golf and no doubt other things I have yet to find out about. But this weekend there is the Bang Saen Speed Festival.

Bang Saen is a seaside town to the north of here and every year they close off the roads and hold four days of motor racing; so well done them.

I made the trip down there this morning, partially because my mother-in-law is visiting, but also because ace windsurfer and all-round nice guy Dean was driving in a four hour race.

The track is a street circuit very like Monaco, with no run-off areas to fall into if you screw up. But unlike Monaco, there was no glamour. Or so I thought until I walked into the pit area:

Very impressive chassis (on that Toyota).

I took a few more pit shots…

I decided I liked it in the pits and would probably hang around there for the next couple of hours taking similar racing themed shots. Of course, I was not meant to be there, but my long lens and amusing line in T-shirts has got me into similar locations before with no problems.

There was a tap on my shoulder. It was a man with a badge.

You are not meant to be here.

Ah, yes, well, I am a close, some would say intimate, friend of the driver of car number 37.

You are not meant to be here. You don’t have a badge.

It’s with my intimate friend.

And you are wearing flip-flops, not allowed in the pit area.

I started to tell him that the Swiss institute of testing the impact of cars driving over feet had concluded that his sneakers were no more effective than my flip-flops when it came to toe protection; but he would have none of it and I was thrown out. Damn, no more photos of models with little clothing cars parked in the pits.

The efficiency continued round the track where the best vantage points to take photos were marked “media only”, and I didn’t have a media badge; and when I tried to get in they threw me out. So I had to limit myself to little holes in the fencing, or sometimes shooting right through the fencing, like here:

Not too bad, given this is what I was shooting through:

My lens was too long, the viewpoints were minimal, and it was hot; but here are a few shots:

A four hour race requires driver changes, this is Dean about to climb aboard:

The drivers are very hot and sweaty after their stint, and the last thing you would want to see is a driver peeling off those damp overalls…

The Speed Festival lasts for two more days and there are worse things to do than eat seafood next to the sea whilst racing cars blast past a few metres away. Just don’t wear flip-flops if you want to take shots like this:

Comments 🔗

2012-02-03 | Bob says

Best post in years!

2012-02-03 | Spike says

You are overly influenced by mammaries young Bob; it has always been so.

2012-02-03 | Spanky says

I’m with Bob! Why can’t Polo events be like this?

2012-02-03 | Spike says

What; more car photos?

2012-02-03 | Spanky says

As a Top Gear fan I support more car photos and the beautiful scenery that goes with them.

2012-02-03 | genuinej says

A long overdue return to what used to be normality. Please keep up the the good work and for f’’s sake cut down on the cars.

2012-02-03 | Grant says

That’s a consensus then, less cars, less ponies, more pit babes - your loyal fans have spoken! A question: If the car racing has pit girls, does the polo have pony girls, and what are you keeping from us?

2012-02-04 | Spike says

Photos of two of the top supermodels in Thailand who regularly attend the social events in stunning outfits and are photographed by me. Are there loads of great shots sitting on my hard drive? Yes. Can I make them public? No. Just the horse photos then, I know you prefer them really,

2012-02-04 | Grant says

Sigh…, you are a lucky lucky man!

2012-02-04 | Spike says

It’s a shit life but someone has to live it.

2012-02-09 | Chang Noi says

Nice action captions …. you should go to the open (motor) track days every monday (until April)

2012-02-09 | Spike says

Where? Bira?

2012-02-10 | Chang Noi says

Bira racing circuit along route 36 (see www.bira.co.th) has every monday (until 4 April 2012) open track day for motorbikes. I assume that there are also open track days for cars. When you drive along route 36 in direction of Rayong you will see Bira on your right hand side, then make a U-turn but at the U-turn take that small dirt-road going down to the back entrance that leads to the pit-stop. Otherwise take the u-turn and drive 100m back and take the main entrance. Sometimes there are also a group of Thai photographers making great pics.

2012-02-10 | Spike says

Thanks, didn’t know they had track days. Do know Bira though, used to shoot the Highside Tours track days until they moved to Hua Hin. Search on Bira on this site to see cars, bikes and karts at Bira, plus the occasional pit girl.

2012-02-10 | Grant says

Pit girls! Get going Spike…