The WorldSBK paddock’s Fan Zone features many spectator-friendly features. Some of them are present at every round and some more tailored to each host venue. Yes, once again the powers that be are actively encouraging the fans to make the most of paddock life in all its many facets.
PIT WALK
The Pit Walk, as you might expect, is an experience that allows you to enter pit lane itself (if not quite each pit box) to get a unique view of the circuit. And, more importantly, you get to see inside the garages of all the teams, while staying behind the security barriers. The Pit Walk sessions deliver another potential opportunity to get a selfie taken with your favourite riders. Being able to meet the riders in person for an autograph session, and maybe even a short chat outside their garages, means you are as up close and personal to the competitors, bikes and their colourful working environments as it is possible to be. Unless you become a pit lane marshal - or a famous racer yourself one day - you won’ t get any nearer than this. There is also no better way to get a close-up look at the machines in their day-to-day environment, in between practice, qualifying or race sessions. TV pictures can take you inside each team’s pit garages from afar but nothing beats experiencing the sights and sounds of a working pit garage like witnessing them yourself at first hand. For the tech-heads among the spectators, they can marvel at the factory team’s top quality garage equipment, specialist tools and gleaming work stations - and quite how almost surgically clean everything appears to be. Make sure you get a personal POV experience from inside the sharpest end of the WorldSBK racing world.
Spectators inside the main body of the paddock can take part in the now traditional and much-anticipated Pit Walk and rider autograph signing sessions, on Saturday and on Sunday. Naturally, the crowds can descend on pit lane only when the bikes and pit lane equipment are all safely taken back inside their pit boxes.
Access to the Pit Walk is possible only buying a supplementary wristband in advance.
MOTUL ACTION BOX
Valued WorldSBK title sponsor Motul will once more return with their popular ‘Motul Action Box’ initiative at all the rounds of the year. This takes the form of a colourful Motul pit garage where fans take turns to get really close to the mid-session action going on right inside pit lane, but also from a place of safety inside the pit box. Just follow the special Motul red carpet and barriers that start in the main paddock, and ends inside the Motul branded pit box. Once there, you can take your turn to stand very close to the action in pit lane for a couple of laps or so during the busy practice sessions. It feels a bit like having a time-shared pit lane pass. During a visit to the Motul Action Box you really get an insider ’s eye view of the sometimes frenzied pit lane action. If you yourself are one of the fortunate few you could also even be escorted to the Motul section of the actual pit wall, just a metre or two from the on-track action.
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