First NASCAR race. Going to Dover. Help!!

For $50 bucks I'll let you park at my apartment complex in New Castle.
 
My wife and I were able to get a pair of "HOT PASSES" for the weekend. The paperwork says we can bring our son in as a "COLD PASS". From what I understand, a HOT PASS allows us to wander about the infield anytime during the race. The COLD PASS is only before the race. The problem I'm seeing is that the COLD PASS guests are asked to vacate the infield at 12:30pm. Driver intros are at 1:30. I -REALLY- want my son to see the driver intros. I wonder how strictly they enforce this? I wonder what the chances are of us keeping a low profile in the infield, watching the driver intros, then going back to our seats?
 
OtisCampbell said:
My wife and I were able to get a pair of "HOT PASSES" for the weekend. The paperwork says we can bring our son in as a "COLD PASS". From what I understand, a HOT PASS allows us to wander about the infield anytime during the race. The COLD PASS is only before the race. The problem I'm seeing is that the COLD PASS guests are asked to vacate the infield at 12:30pm. Driver intros are at 1:30. I -REALLY- want my son to see the driver intros. I wonder how strictly they enforce this? I wonder what the chances are of us keeping a low profile in the infield, watching the driver intros, then going back to our seats?
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It varies track to track. Minors are tricky, since they're so dang easy to spot. But, I've had some experiences when I felt like I could have snuck an entire kindergarten class on to pit road...and other times I couldn't even sneak an adult with a cold pass there. Dover is little more on the strict side...they'll likely even ask you to show your driver's license to make sure it matches the name on the pass.

While you might get thrown out of the garage and pits, you WON'T get thrown out of the infield. I haven't read this thread, but here's my advice...the back stretch at Dover, between the bridges, in the infield is one of the best kept secrets in NASCAR. You can bring chairs with you over the bridge, and park yourselves anywhere on that back stretch. There's enough room that you and your friends could play an 11 on 11 game of football. Seriously. It's a huge space, and always empty. I'm always surprised. Sit there for half the race...it's way close to the action, great view coming out of 2 and well into 3, loud, intense, etc. Then, about halfway through the race, walk over the bridge, and just sit right there in turn 2. PLENTY of empty seats. It's actually a view of the race I enjoy. If you follow this advice, make sure to park your car in turn 2 as well. In other words, enter using the main casino entrance. You'll be really far from the Midway, but really close to the infield bridge.
 
We already have seats in turn 4. Did I put the carriage in front of the horse by buying the seats first, then getting HOT Passes?

EDIT: My son is 14, and has a full man-beard. He easily passes for 17 or 18. As long as we can sneek into the driver intros, I'll be happy. I wonder how difficult that would be?
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
If you have an issue @ Dover, they have a service where you can text the track and have security sent directly to your section. I don't recall the number that you use but is should be printed on the info provided from the track or simply call the track to get the number. We've had to use it before in our section and they responded immediately.
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Did Johali ever find out that was you?
 
Great thread, It is so good you are excited and will not be disappointed I am sure.

The head set scanner is a must at a race, any race. WOW, getting HOT passes is like really hard to do, congrats on that. Please let us know how it goes.

What ever drive time you think it will take on a good day, add 5 hours to that. Take a pillow or two and get a nap after you get parked at the race.
 
Five hours? Really? Yikes. My GPS shows 4 hours, and it does not know it's a race day. We're leaving home at 3am. Think we'll have enough time?
 
sdj said:
What ever drive time you think it will take on a good day, add 5 hours to that. Take a pillow or two and get a nap after you get parked at the race.
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When was your last NASCAR race? The early 00's? As I said earlier in this thread, you can expect 1-2 extra hours of traffic. 5 hours extra is crazy talk. I'm sure others will agree.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
When was your last NASCAR race? The early 00's? As I said earlier in this thread, you can expect 1-2 extra hours of traffic. 5 hours extra is crazy talk. I'm sure others will agree.
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Crazy talk ? Crazy talk ? On this forum ?
 
So if a non-race day takes 4 hours, and we want to be parked by 8am, what time do we leave home?
 
You're honestly better off getting a hotel room closer to the track, maybe within a couple of hours or so. You'll have to leave at like 3 am and you're going to hate yourself all day for doing that.
 
But even if we get a hotel 3 hours from the track, won't we still hit the same traffic at 7am?
 
Why can't we just sleep all day Saturday, then make the drive at 3am?
 
It just seems like the nearest available hotel to the track is just a few miles from my house. Why not just sleep at home?
 
In that case, sleep at home. I just know that being sleep deprived at a NASCAR race is no fun so I would've encouraged you to get one as close to the track as possible. I'm not a morning person though, maybe you are.
 
I'm not a morning person, either. I just can't find a hotel within 3 hours of the track, and I live 4 hours away. I can't see any point in driving one hour, paying $200 for a room, then driving 4 more hours in the morning. Why not just drive the whole 4 or 5 hours and save the $200? Do you have any suggestions on a hotel that is closer than 3 hours from the track? I've used Google, and EVERYTHING is booked.
 
If you hurry, you can score one for $70 in the "Dover area" on Hotwire. I just ran a search. The downside is that it's a 1 star, only 35% of people recommend it and you won't know what it is until you book it.

I mean, I don't know if it's worth it but I'd keep it in mind.
 
I wonder how close it would be? And how big the ****roaches are?
 
It just says Dover area so I assume within 10 miles or so. If I were more familiar with the area, I'd be feel more comfortable recommending taking a random motel with unfavorable ratings.

It's an option but you might be better off just driving the 4-5 hours to the track. Just make sure you get plenty of rest on Saturday.
 
Otis will be fine . He has a good plan . Lots of folks will be doing the same thing .
 
OtisCampbell said:
It just seems like the nearest available hotel to the track is just a few miles from my house. Why not just sleep at home?
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Did you try any of the places in the links I gave you back at the beginning of this thread? There are plenty of places south of the track to stay taking the traffic flow out of the equation.
 
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Speedbowl14 said:
When was your last NASCAR race? The early 00's? As I said earlier in this thread, you can expect 1-2 extra hours of traffic. 5 hours extra is crazy talk. I'm sure others will agree.
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I have been to a lot of races, this family has never been, there is a lot to learn about getting in and getting out, at a Nascar Race day event. This gives them time to secure a good parking spot, rest, see the souvenir trailers, fan zone, pre race events, fully use their Hot Passes, etc without being pressured in f'ing traffic. I have Daytona down to a science, where I park there, I can watch from the tower seats, I watch race and all events after the checkered flag, then casually walk to my vehicle, about 10 minutes, and be gone in 60 seconds with little to no traffic. Same way at Atlanta the last 5 years, Charlotte is the same as Daytona for me, easy peazzy, so don't tell me this is crazy talk, what else have they got to do that day besides be at the race track.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Did you try any of the places in the links I gave you back at the beginning of this thread? There are plenty of places south of the track to stay taking the traffic flow out of the equation.
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Yes. I tried every hotel I could find on Google and the link you provided. No rooms available. I have two questions:

1.) What time does the Blue Hen Mall parking open? Do they allow entry all night Saturday/Sunday morning? We may try to get there REALLY early Sunday morning and just get a quick nap in our SUV.

2.) Since we now have HOT and COLD passes, do we even need our turn 4 seats? Can we just bring folding chairs and hang out in the grass in the infield?
 
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