Santa Pod Raceway Northamptonshire Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by LW
Santa Pod is a drag racing track located on the Northamptonshire/Bedfordshire boarder – an old airfield turned it to something quite special.
From the outset, let it be known that I am not interested in cars, therefore, a trip to a racetrack was not something I have ever really experienced before. I will however be going again; I had a fantastic day!
Every single one of my 5 senses experienced the day. First off what is drag racing, it is a short track with only 2 lanes which stretches for a quarter of a mile, with no turns or bends. The cars and motorbikes literally hit the accelerator and off they go. The races last anything from 5 – 11 seconds and we experienced some cars hitting speeds of up 250mph, as they headed down the track, into the headwind.
Visually we saw some fantastic cars, some with fire expelled from them as they warmed up right in front of us, others lifting up on to their back wheels with the pure power as the headed off up the track. The smell of the burning rubber and the fuel as they took off into the distance. We were so glad of the ear defenders we had; as the noise that some of the machines make is quite phenomenal, so much so that this also meant we could feel the cars – the stands shaking as engines revved and the feeling of the power of the cars passed straight through the body. Not all the vehicles were as you may expect – there were old fashioned vans, cars that resembled Go-Karts, fat ones, thin ones, short ones and some that really did look funny racing along the track. It was like real life Wacky Races! In addition, some of the drivers were not what I expected- I believe that one may only have been 8 years old! It was great to see so many female drivers and riders too.
However, a day at Santa Pod is not just about the cars and the bikes. There is a full funfair. A vast array of some delicious food (all sorts of cuisines) a few shops and stalls. There is even an interactive game you can play on your phone with others around the stadium during the quieter moments. (Sometimes the action must stop due to the weather to ensure that the drivers are safe – only racing when conditions are suitable). Further to this there is an arena where, several times a day, there are live action events including a motorcycle troupe preforming stunts, a stunt car driver – who operated two cars simultaneously, at times exiting the vehicle leaving it to drive itself, as well as driving the circumference of the arena on two wheels; and a Monster Truck which drove over a pile of cars and then drove along on two back wheels.
On top of all of this, the pit is open for you to have a wander around and see the cars and bikes up close and speak to the crews who work on the cars supporting the drivers – a real team effort goes into these events. Furthermore, those who chose to camp and make a weekend of the events held at Sant Pod are treated to music performances each evening.
What we really noticed was how fantastic and enthusiastic the staff were. Every single person we interacted with was so warm, friendly and happy. Santa Pod has a real family atmosphere, and we felt so welcomed into it, clearly the staff know that even though it was my first time, it wouldn’t be my last.
There is a wide choice of reasonable priced food, but picnics are welcome along with deck chairs as you sit on the bank trackside to enjoy the day. Once the ticket is purchased you don’t need to spend any money (Great news for families on a budget) Even the event programme was only £2, it’s really not an event looking to make as much money as it can!
Santa Pod has a full programme of events for the summer and a big variety of vehicles – Trucks, a Bug Jam, Monster Trucks and Hot Rods to name a few. They even offer the chance of a ‘Run What you Brung’ event, where you can drive your own vehicle down the track. It is a great day (or weekend) out for all the family, even those like me who aren’t interested in cars.
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All the information and ticket booking can be found online santapod.co.uk