Learn me attending the Daytona 500

As some of you may know, my in-laws live in Deland. Due to the recent house move we couldn't make it out there for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but we recently got a call from them asking "hey, do you fancy coming down for the Daytona 500?".

Well, why not. So we have tickets in ear-bleed range of the track, have no idea how to get to the track (Lyft?) with the mimimum amount of fuss - I remember this being an issue when we went to the Rolex 24 last year - and also have to get down to Orlando after the race as muggins here needs to fly to Silicon Valley Monday morning.

Right, so what do I need to know?

As a PacNWer, I’ve only been once, but we arrived with some time to spare, parked our rental car in one of the remote parking lots and rode a bus into the track. Getting there was fairly easy and the race was a real experience. Easy to poo-poo NASCAR until you are close to the track, feeling the wind off the pack, and tracking the action around the circuit. Leaving the track took a while waiting in a huge line for a bus back to our parking lot, but still a good experience overall. I’m sure others will have more insight to add.

Listening to the pack do their first flyby past the grandstand at race speed is life changing. And the view is so good that you can see the cars the whole way round, although they are about a half mile away on the backstretch.

Park in the free remote parking and take the shuttle. Super-easy. They use the power line right of ways so the buses get you in and out quickly. It's pretty well organized. We were staying in Orlando and it was easy enough to get home that night.

You can get an app for your phone that will give you the scanner feed for free or cheap, but I found the cell reception in the seats to be very poor so it didn't work all that well. The cars aren't as loud as you might think in person, perhaps due to the restrictors. Still, we brought our rally intercom system so we could talk comfortably :)

Keith Tanner said:

Park in the free remote parking and take the shuttle. Super-easy.

What Keith said.  It's Lot 7.  Entrance is from Clyde Morris Blvd.  Parking in Lot 7 is free and so are the shuttle buses, and they run a LOT of shuttle buses so the wait isn't terrible for such a big event.

We usually stay north of Daytona, but the one time we stayed in Deland, it was tough to get back there b/c the cops made traffic turn right at every intersection.  You may need to make a U-turn or two to circumvent that.

This year will be my first visit with the new grandstands.  Also, it's -2 degrees ambient right now in Columbus, OH.  Can't wait!  See you there.  I'll be the middle-aged white guy in the racing T-shirt.  You can't miss me!

Thanks, noted. We'll be headed to Orlando straight after the race  so hopefully that'll be easier to get to.

I'm sure we'll be the only two middle age white guys at this race .

I read somewhere the new grandstands cost 3/4 of a billion dollars. 

By the way, bring lots of clothes. It can get dang cold up there. Like Canadian prairie winter cold.

Hotels on the beach are not that hard to get, especially in Ormond.  The 7 day minimum and 50 week advance reservation from the 90's is gone.  We used to park at the High School on Clyde Morris and walk in, but that was when they still had the back stretch seating, and were still building seats.  

Never been to a superspeedway, but apparently it is wise to go stand as close to the fence as allowed coming out of turn four on a restart lap.

By wise, I mean YAAAAAHHHH.

I don't have any Daytona specific advice but I recommend that at any of the three top tier NASCAR events that you buy, borrow or rent a scanner with a full cup headset for everyone on your party.  Some scanners have two outlets so you can share a scanner between two people.  Having a scanner allows you to hear the race broadcast and driver/crew chatter.  Without that connection watching the race is almost as boring as non fans would lead you to believe it is.

If you're going to be in the area for a few days take in some of the other events in the area.  New Symrna Speedway (paved) and Volusha County (dirt) attract some of the best short track races in the country during the week.  

In reply to car39 :

The last time I went to the 500 was 95 and nothing from then really applies but for the price of a couple rooms we got a house on the water in New Symrrna Beach. It was money very well spent.    

The one and only time I was at the Daytona 500 was the year that Dale Sr won so that makes it 1998.  I went with an old girlfriends parents who were huge fans.  

I do remember that we went to Volusha County Speedway the week we were there.  The racing at Volusha was excellent! 

Her father was a former dirt racer (who had shared to track with Dick Trickle before) and by this time in his life he was no longer racing but he still sponsored a few cars with his business name every year back home at the local track.  

Contrary to most sporting event, at Daytona and most super speedways, the higher seats are more desirable than the lower seats.  If you sit low, you will not be perched up high enough to see the other side of the track or to see the cars on the horizon.  

APEowner said:

I don't have any Daytona specific advice but I recommend that at any of the three top tier NASCAR events that you buy, borrow or rent a scanner with a full cup headset for everyone on your party.  Some scanners have two outlets so you can share a scanner between two people.  Having a scanner allows you to hear the race broadcast and driver/crew chatter.  Without that connection watching the race is almost as boring as non fans would lead you to believe it is.

 

Renting a scanner is really good advice. Even if you don’t tune in the communication between drivers/crew chief/spotter having the race broadcast keeps you informed as to what’s going on which is an awful lot. Sometime when there are long green flag runs it’s hard to keep up with the lead cars in lapped traffic. Most tracks allow a small cooler the will fit under your seat. Take your drink of choice and some snacks it can take a long time to get to a concession stand plus trying to get by seated fans and people walking around is a hassle. Also take a light jacket as it can be windy and cool in Florida in February especially if your seated  where you are not in the sun. Don’t believe all the negative comments about NASCAR until you at least experience it. 

I'm going to reiterate this: bring your phone and download the NASCAR Mobile App. It'll give you data on the race and also works as a scanner.

https://www.nascar.com/mobile/