I was recently was in Daytona Beach and had the opportunity to take in the start of Speed Week. Speed week is the start of the Nextel NASCAR race season and this year was hosted at the Daytona Motorsport Raceway. The week started on February 10th with the Budweiser Shootout, races are held throughout the week and culminating with the Daytona 500.
I have never been to a NASCAR event so I had no idea of what to expect. We pre-purchased our general admission tickets for $40 US maxi bucks. These tickets allowed us access to only the main grandstand, no infield or paddock area. The race we went to see (the Budweiser Shoot Out) was scheduled to begin at 8pm in the evening but we were told to arrive early. Once again we had no idea what to expect so we were on our way to the track at 3pm. We arrived to flashing road signs that directed us to parking lot #7. We were picked up buy a shuttle and moved to waiting school buses because we were still about 2 miles from the track. The parking area was a sod farm field. The school buses moved down a hydro right of way crossing main roads where the Police controlled to on coming traffic. What a machine the Daytona Motor Sport Park is, very organized and well controlled. Returning to the car later in the evening was equally easy, just the reverse process. The real neat thing is that parking areas are spread around the area and are accessed from different major road ways so entering and leaving is really easy, no major traffic issues.
The afternoon started with a very exciting ARCA race at about 4pm.
ARCA racers are the fellows trying to make it to NASCAR, lots of action and crashes from the 41 car field. We were located at the start finish line 11 rows from the track, this turned out to be some of the best seats in the house. The warm up laps were kind of easy behind the pace car. Once the green flag dropped all HELL broke loose, the sound, the smell and of course the action being so close to the track was unreal. I had chills running through my body the first couple of laps just from the sound of these cars. There was a crash right in front of us and in spite of the high fencing pieces from the crash were coming over the fence, WOW! The ARCA race was fun to watch lots of action and noise. Just by good fortune I had purchased a pair of foam ear plugs, these are highly recommended pieces of kit should you ever attend one of these things.
Later in the evening the real NASCAR racers turned out for the Budweiser shoot out race. For anyone who might know, names like Tony Stewart (winner of the shoot out), Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and the likes participated in the 21 car field.
What an unknown difference these NASCAR cars and drivers were in comparison the ARCA cars. The ARCA cars looked like used cars in comparison to the NASCAR cars which were all new and shinny looking. As well the NASCAR drivers were in all ways superior drivers. They were driving closer to each other than we park our cars in a parking lot and all this at speeds up to 190mph. They went around the track and it looked like a freight train passing through. They were completing a 2.5 mile track in 49 seconds; average track speed for the race was around 168 mph. They did not have an incident until about 1 second before the actual finish of the race. Once again all hell broke loose right in front of our seats at the start finish like, all very exciting stuff.
The seats we had sent me home with the entire feel and smell of rubber, gas and oil all over my body. I went home and had a shower before bed, that’s how much I felt like I was in the action.
The people watching at the track was also very special, lots and lots of people (75,000 to 80,000). The actual race fans can only be described as Southern Good Old Boys (AKA Rednecks). Lots of people there who look like they could not afford a ticket, lots of smoking, beer drinking (you are allowed to bring in your own 6 pack in a soft sided cooler) and lots of young dirty looking half dressed young girls around.
All I can say is what and experience, glad I did not miss it and I would highly recommend that if you have the chance to attend a NASCAR race take it in for the experience, lots of fun!
I have never been to a NASCAR event so I had no idea of what to expect. We pre-purchased our general admission tickets for $40 US maxi bucks. These tickets allowed us access to only the main grandstand, no infield or paddock area. The race we went to see (the Budweiser Shoot Out) was scheduled to begin at 8pm in the evening but we were told to arrive early. Once again we had no idea what to expect so we were on our way to the track at 3pm. We arrived to flashing road signs that directed us to parking lot #7. We were picked up buy a shuttle and moved to waiting school buses because we were still about 2 miles from the track. The parking area was a sod farm field. The school buses moved down a hydro right of way crossing main roads where the Police controlled to on coming traffic. What a machine the Daytona Motor Sport Park is, very organized and well controlled. Returning to the car later in the evening was equally easy, just the reverse process. The real neat thing is that parking areas are spread around the area and are accessed from different major road ways so entering and leaving is really easy, no major traffic issues.
The afternoon started with a very exciting ARCA race at about 4pm.
ARCA racers are the fellows trying to make it to NASCAR, lots of action and crashes from the 41 car field. We were located at the start finish line 11 rows from the track, this turned out to be some of the best seats in the house. The warm up laps were kind of easy behind the pace car. Once the green flag dropped all HELL broke loose, the sound, the smell and of course the action being so close to the track was unreal. I had chills running through my body the first couple of laps just from the sound of these cars. There was a crash right in front of us and in spite of the high fencing pieces from the crash were coming over the fence, WOW! The ARCA race was fun to watch lots of action and noise. Just by good fortune I had purchased a pair of foam ear plugs, these are highly recommended pieces of kit should you ever attend one of these things.
Later in the evening the real NASCAR racers turned out for the Budweiser shoot out race. For anyone who might know, names like Tony Stewart (winner of the shoot out), Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and the likes participated in the 21 car field.
What an unknown difference these NASCAR cars and drivers were in comparison the ARCA cars. The ARCA cars looked like used cars in comparison to the NASCAR cars which were all new and shinny looking. As well the NASCAR drivers were in all ways superior drivers. They were driving closer to each other than we park our cars in a parking lot and all this at speeds up to 190mph. They went around the track and it looked like a freight train passing through. They were completing a 2.5 mile track in 49 seconds; average track speed for the race was around 168 mph. They did not have an incident until about 1 second before the actual finish of the race. Once again all hell broke loose right in front of our seats at the start finish like, all very exciting stuff.
The seats we had sent me home with the entire feel and smell of rubber, gas and oil all over my body. I went home and had a shower before bed, that’s how much I felt like I was in the action.
The people watching at the track was also very special, lots and lots of people (75,000 to 80,000). The actual race fans can only be described as Southern Good Old Boys (AKA Rednecks). Lots of people there who look like they could not afford a ticket, lots of smoking, beer drinking (you are allowed to bring in your own 6 pack in a soft sided cooler) and lots of young dirty looking half dressed young girls around.
All I can say is what and experience, glad I did not miss it and I would highly recommend that if you have the chance to attend a NASCAR race take it in for the experience, lots of fun!
