Help me plan the ultimate motorsports vacation.

As a person who actually works for a living I am of course, poor. As a poor person I have that universal fantasy. Nope, not that one... the other one. Yup, winning the lotto, urinating in the boss' coffe cut and disappearing into the sunset, never to be seen again.

I often think about what I would do with 'Berk you' money. I would spend a year traveling the world and visiting as many interesting and exceptional motorsports events as possible. Le Mans, Nurburgring 24, SPA, goodwood, Isle of Mann TT, no F1 races because I said interesting and exceptional, pikes peak, rolex, sebring... with the goal to be at an event every weekend for a solid year. At the end of the year I would crawl into a bunker and hibernate for the rest of my life.

I've never actually planned it out though. the logistics of such a trip. As a newfound rich person I would have to do what all rich people no. Steal from poor people. In this case, ideas.

What motorsports events are on your cost-is-no-object bucket list?

Goodwood and LeMans are easy bucket list items for me. Too many past and present cars that i would just drool all over and getting that close to them would be incredible.

A trip around the Nurburgring in an M5 taxi would be another up there just because watching videos on Youtube probably do no justice to the feeling at those speeds and the skills of alot of those "taxi" drivers. Been to nearly every country in the area except Germany. 

Mint 400, Pikes Peak Hill Climb(just to feel/hear the unlimited class cars), Indy 500, Daytona 500, Bonneville Speedweek, International Race of Champions, King of Hammers, Baja 1000 are all others that friends have attended and spoken very highly of. 

I know you said no F1, but Monaco? Maybe the classic F1 race is an alternative?

I still plan to do the Mille Miglia again - a friend took me in 2015 (spectating), it was glorious. All those great race cars, being driven hard on small italian roads.

Laguna Seca is something I want to see, but never will do in my life, unless money is no object.

Spa Historic was planned for September 2020, but we canceled it. Still in the back of the head to do this.

Goodwood must be great too.

I personally don't get the Nürburgring craze, but that seems to be just me :-)

I've thought this trip too.

Travel Europe in a camper - LeMans, Monaco F1 for the party, Indy 500......let me know how it works out.  Might need 2 years to get it all.  

I've done a lot of mine but still have a few to go. Already done a lot of big ones like Lemans, Daytona 500, Indy 500, Etc. 

I know you said no F1 but the Belgium GP while Max is driving is a nut house and I should be able to check that one off this year.

Goodwood and the Monterey Historics are just excellent and on my list. I was suppose to work the Historics in 2020 but yeah Covid.

Bathurst 1000 is on my list for sure. I've seen 2 V8 supercar races and I just love them live. 

For the pure insanity of it, Some of the Thai Motorboat races. Also some of the motorbike races there. 

24 hours of Nurburgring for being the biggest party in motorsports. 

I think that's about it for attending at least.  

Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Festival of Speed. 

I have a few but want the less or least crowded ones and or versions:

For Goodwood it would have to be the Members Meeting.

For Isle of Man it would need to be the Classic TT.

Monaco Historic.

After those I'd want to maybe see some British Hillclimbs and the less well know Irish road races.

I don't think the Bathurst 1000 has gotten enough love yet.

Nurburgring.....  rent a Cayman.  Drive until you run out of money.  Enjoy.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Nurburgring.....  rent a Cayman.  Drive until you run out of money.  Enjoy.

A Cayman will help drain your wallet pretty quickly, but awesome if that's in the budget.  We rented a Suzuki Swift and it was a hoot.  Was reasonably cheap.  Wasn't exactly fast, but that helped keep us out of trouble on an unfamiliar and long and complex track.  To be fair, the track was wet and damned slick in spots, so it seemed faster than it actually was.

Edit: misspelled awesome, but would also suggest renting a Miata at Laguna Seca and that might not break the bank.

Also WRC Finland.

F1 weekends are more than just the F1 race.  For instance, instead of doing a Spa endurance race, I would go to the F1 weekend and see all of the great other races, too.  Which keeps the endurance race to LeMans.

Also, for all of the European races, many have some major history near them- like Spa- right in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge, and a short drive from Market Garden.  Le Mans isn't far from the D-Day area.  Something to do between race weekends.

And if you are a runner, there's a half marathon that starts and finishes on the track at Monza.

Daytona 24 hrs, rent a REALLY nice RV, have it set up in an infield spot, fly in via Gulfstream, experience the race, fly out after.

Sebring 12 hrs, pretty much the same thing.

Also Road America, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, etc.

Indy 500, as a VIP.

Just about any Indy Car Grand Prix.

Goodwood, go all out - period costume, transportation, the works.

LeMans, of course.

I live 20 minutes away from Circuit of the Americas, so that box has been checked several times.

Budapest to Bamako

Peking to Paris

Mongol Rally

but most importantly, the Gambler-500.  Because those guys kick some serious butt.

After that, I'd just overland the heck out of Africa or South America.

Bonneville is magical. They call it "salt fever", and I thought that the expression was just for the racers. Went a decade ago and still MUST return.

This sounds fun.

Need some drag racing, power boat racing, that Red Bull airplane obstacle course racing, go karting school, 4 wheeling in Moab, rally, motoGP, moto trials riding, definitely mix in some hovercraft shenanigans. If you're feeling redneck some mud bogging. 

In reply to OHSCrifle :

Agreed on the drag racing.  US Nationals in Indy would be my pick.

Would add some dirt track racing, like the Knoxville Nationals on that list, too.

Le Mans, rent a racer for Nurburgring and Isle of Man are on my hit list for sure

Dakar...

At a track day a few years ago, a couple showed up in an RV towing their track car. They were traveling the US for a few months with a route that landed them at a track day almost every weekend. Give me a ton of money and I'd do that, but tack on another month or two of international tracks.

I've been fortunate enough to tick off a few of the bucket list car-items.  I've been to see a F1 race at the Hockenheimring, driven the Nürburgring a couple times, Indy races, etc.  I find that I enjoy the activities where I'm actually driving to those where I'm spectating.  

Also SWMBO accuses me of turning all of our vacation into car related adventures: I took a rental car on a WRC stage in New Zealand, jumped the fence at Laguna Seca to walk the corkscrew, took her to a Pick N Pull on our anniversary, Royal National Park near Sydney in a Mustang, many trips to work Rallies, etc.

The next car related crazies I had planned is Porsches on Ice:  https://www.belowzeroicedriving.com/  My wife loves snow, and winter in Sweden would be a fun time, add in aircooled Porsches sliding sideways on ice, and it'd be an ideal vacation.  It's also on most of the racing 'offseason'.

I'd also love to do an automotive adventure on the level of Targa Newfoundland or Targa Tasmania if I won the lottery.

In terms of spectating:  I really want to make it to the Isle of Man TT before it gets 'canceled'

You need to start with a calendar, map and schedule out what is where and when, then tank the events on a scale and determine what is the highest count of "want to" that can be attended within a timeframe within your budget. Starting with January and Dakar and finishing with December and PRI. 

East Africa Safari Classic Rally. 
 

what is that German Berg hill climb with the crazy wide body Euro machines?

You should probably add the Red Bull Air Races (now WCAR), and Reno Air Races (ain't what it used to be, but still no to see)

Skobie said:

Bonneville is magical. They call it "salt fever", and I thought that the expression was just for the racers. Went a decade ago and still MUST return.

I was gonna post that speed week at Bonneville needs to be on the list. Haven't been, but hope to make it one of these years.