Charlotte Weather

[Betsy]

It'll be touch and go with the weather..

 

[tkj24]

It'll be touch and go with the weather..

Oh my guess I better get my rain coat packed.

 

[buckaroo]

If it rains, I'll just drink a little more wine and eat more cheese in the suite!

 

[WNY24Fan]

If it rains, I'll just drink a little more wine and eat more cheese in the suite!

So what time should I be there to get in your suite with you?

 

[toledo47]

I'm sure Matt Crafton is hoping to see the All Star race rained out til Sunday. He is praticing and qualifying Paul Menards car at Toledo on Saturday so Menard can run ARCA on Sunday.

 

[Digger]

I'm sure Matt Crafton is hoping to see the All Star race rained out til Sunday. He is praticing and qualifying Paul Menards car at Toledo on Saturday so Menard can run ARCA on Sunday.

I'm sure the competition would rather see Menard race. Crafton has more talent.

My people tell me it's pretty much looking like it will be the ARCA Ansell/Menards Series in 2010. Hopefully they'll shell out the dough for a real TV package.

 

[toledo47]

I'm sure the competition would rather see Menard race. Crafton has more talent.

Either way, I'm sure Frank Kimmel is pretty nervous about this weekend. It is one of his teams cars, I'm sure he is hoping to impress Paul and his family so they'll keep sponsoring him. He'd probably rather see Paul win this weekend than himself.

 

[Digger]

Either way, I'm sure Frank Kimmel is pretty nervous about this weekend. It is one of his teams cars, I'm sure he is hoping to impress Paul and his family so they'll keep sponsoring him. He'd probably rather see Paul win this weekend than himself.

Do you remember Clint Bowyer saying, last year, that ARCA sucks and anyone with the kind of equipment Scott Speed had should be able to win every race?

Does he stand by that statement now that Austin Dillon (who had RCR pit crew and racecar) didn't see the top 5 at Kentucky and then wrecked? Does that mean Clint Bowyer thinks Austin Dillon sucks?



Oh, and I'd love to see Frank Kimmel win. Only thing that would make me happier is if James Harvey Hylton or Darrell Basham (this guy is a character) won.

 

[toledo47]

Only thing that would make me happier is if James Harvey Hylton or Darrell Basham (this guy is a character) won.

I like Darrell and James a lot, but I really wish they would move on to something lower budget like ASA or CRA. They really ruin a lot of the short track races. They are constantly in the way during those events, it isn't too much of a problem at the large tracks though.

 

[Digger]

I like Darrell and James a lot, but I really wish they would move on to something lower budget like ASA or CRA. They really ruin a lot of the short track races. They are constantly in the way during those events, it isn't too much of a problem at the large tracks though.

If any of you guys ever go to an ARCA event, spend some time with Darrell Basham -- man does he have some stories. Made a night at a Days Inn in crappy Wadesboro, NC go by a lot faster.

 

[toledo47]

If any of you guys ever go to an ARCA event, spend some time with Darrell Basham -- man does he have some stories. Made a night at a Days Inn in crappy Wadesboro, NC go by a lot faster.

I talk to Darrell at all of the races that the fans have access to the drivers(All of them but the large NA$CAR facilities). He is a great guy.

 

[tkj24]

If it rains, I'll just drink a little more wine and eat more cheese in the suite!

Now if it rains you come down and fetch me out of the rain...

 

[muggle not]

Now if it rains you come down and fetch me out of the rain...

Are you kidding. he is afraid you will drink some of his "red".

 

[buckaroo]

Are you kidding. he is afraid you will drink some of his "red".

Uh Muggle, dat ain't my red, it belongs to Gatorade. But I'll partake of it though.

 

[WNY24Fan]

I thought I was in the wrong thread all of a sudden! I THOUGHT this was about Charlotte weather! Sheeesh!

I have a question for you experts. We're thinking of driving down for the 600. I can still get decent tickets in the Chrysler grandstand and there's still some motels around that don't cost an arm and a leg. What I'm not sure about is WHERE to get a motel coming from the north. Charlotte is southwest of the track, but it seems like that's where most of the motels are.

Are you two going to the All-Star race or the 600? I know if it's the All-star, well, you're probably already there! We're looking at just going to the 600 since our oldest daughter wants to go (not because of the race so much, but because she wants to go somewhere warm and doesn't want to stay at the motel while we're at the track and said she wants to see what it's like. I told her if she starts reading a book, I'll kill her. LOL) So anyway, since it's 3 tickets instead of 2, that adds a chunk of change and we could save a night in the motel if we got there on Saturday. We also thought we could go tour the race shops on Monday. I'm also thinking I want to pay more to be on the front stretch and that leaves me the Chrysler where there are seats higher up. The ones in the GM are too low. I've heard you can barely see the top of the cars if you're too low. I forget if there were seats in the Ford grandstands and if so, where.

Now on to the weather! When I looked at it yesteday for next weekend, it didn't look bad. Now they have rain all 3 days. I'd hate to drive all that way to have it rained out. So, does the weather forecast change a lot down there? I really hate to spend the money on travel, a motel and tickets only to have it rained out. That would be a total bummer!!

This is really disjointed writing, but I keep having to leave and come back to write! So tell me wise ones... what advice can you give me as far as where to stay , getting to the track, and all that good stuff? Oh..and are there elevators to get to the higher seats? Thanks!!!

PS - Where are you sitting tkj?

 

[kelloggs5TLfan]

I thought I was in the wrong thread all of a sudden! I THOUGHT this was about Charlotte weather! Sheeesh!

I have a question for you experts. We're thinking of driving down for the 600. I can still get decent tickets in the Chrysler grandstand and there's still some motels around that don't cost an arm and a leg. What I'm not sure about is WHERE to get a motel coming from the north. Charlotte is southwest of the track, but it seems like that's where most of the motels are.

Are you two going to the All-Star race or the 600? I know if it's the All-star, well, you're probably already there! We're looking at just going to the 600 since our oldest daughter wants to go (not because of the race so much, but because she wants to go somewhere warm and doesn't want to stay at the motel while we're at the track and said she wants to see what it's like. I told her if she starts reading a book, I'll kill her. LOL) So anyway, since it's 3 tickets instead of 2, that adds a chunk of change and we could save a night in the motel if we got there on Saturday. We also thought we could go tour the race shops on Monday. I'm also thinking I want to pay more to be on the front stretch and that leaves me the Chrysler where there are seats higher up. The ones in the GM are too low. I've heard you can barely see the top of the cars if you're too low. I forget if there were seats in the Ford grandstands and if so, where.

Now on to the weather! When I looked at it yesteday for next weekend, it didn't look bad. Now they have rain all 3 days. I'd hate to drive all that way to have it rained out. So, does the weather forecast change a lot down there? I really hate to spend the money on travel, a motel and tickets only to have it rained out. That would be a total bummer!!

This is really disjointed writing, but I keep having to leave and come back to write! So tell me wise ones... what advice can you give me as far as where to stay , getting to the track, and all that good stuff? Oh..and are there elevators to get to the higher seats? Thanks!!!

PS - Where are you sitting tkj?

start/finish line.
That crazy heifer sent me a pic to blow up and send to you. I bet you couldn't guess what she trashed my phone with.

 

[WNY24Fan]

start/finish line.
That crazy heifer sent me a pic to blow up and send to you. I bet you couldn't guess what she trashed my phone with.

Hahahahaha... LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! You know my email address? I think it's in my profile.

 

[buckaroo]

Yorkie, look for place all around Concord for a place to stay. Yes Charlotte is the choice of most, but if you go north a bit, there are many other places as well. You could even find a place here in Winston Salem if necessary as it's only about an hours ride from here.

Now back to the weather, and this is coming a day after the race. We left here about 1:30 and there was no rain. But after we got on I 85, it really started to pour. There came about three really big cells, about ten to fifteen minutes apart with the hardest rain coming down when we were about ten miles from the track. Our friend, who got us the tickets was ahead of us in the traffic and called to tell us that he'd called the track and that it wasn't raining there. When we were about two or three miles from the track, it stopped and we didn't get another drop of rain from then on...or at least we didn't feel anything. But when we were doing the garage tour, it sure looked as though it would rain. During the race, I couldn't tell you what the skies looked like because we couldn't see the sky. Only the track. But I couldn't believe that it didn't rain.

 

[Digger]

I like Darrell and James a lot, but I really wish they would move on to something lower budget like ASA or CRA. They really ruin a lot of the short track races. They are constantly in the way during those events, it isn't too much of a problem at the large tracks though.

1 7 77 Parker Kligerman/Westport CT Cunningham Motorsports Dodge 205 Running
2 2 6 Justin Lofton/Westmorland CA Lofton Cattle Toyota 205 Running
3 10 1 Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ Classic Auto Group Ford 205 Running
4 32 98 Paul Menard/Eau Claire WI Johns Manville-Menards Ford 205 Running
5 1 32 Matt Merrell/Portland TX ColinsHope.org/Merrell Leasing Service Dodge 205 Running
6 27 29 Chad Finley/Lansing MI Auto Value Certified Service Centers Chevrolet 205 Running
7 15 16 Joey Coulter/Miami Springs FL Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevrolet 205 Running
8 6 11 Bryan Silas/Stuart FL Rockingham Speedway-Oasis Outsourcing Chevrolet 205 Running
9 18 36 Robb Brent/Shelby Township MI Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dodge 205 Running
10 16 34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN Heatwell/AntiMonkeyButt Powder Chevrolet 205 Running[/SIZE]

Wish he was "in the way" like that every weekend...

Way to go DB!

 

[WNY24Fan]

Yorkie, look for place all around Concord for a place to stay. Yes Charlotte is the choice of most, but if you go north a bit, there are many other places as well. You could even find a place here in Winston Salem if necessary as it's only about an hours ride from here.

Now back to the weather, and this is coming a day after the race. We left here about 1:30 and there was no rain. But after we got on I 85, it really started to pour. There came about three really big cells, about ten to fifteen minutes apart with the hardest rain coming down when we were about ten miles from the track. Our friend, who got us the tickets was ahead of us in the traffic and called to tell us that he'd called the track and that it wasn't raining there. When we were about two or three miles from the track, it stopped and we didn't get another drop of rain from then on...or at least we didn't feel anything. But when we were doing the garage tour, it sure looked as though it would rain. During the race, I couldn't tell you what the skies looked like because we couldn't see the sky. Only the track. But I couldn't believe that it didn't rain.

Thanks Buck. I did look around Concord and they're either all sold out or they cost an arm and a leg. After not actually seeing the race all night, just watching the 4 car buddy thing and reading about it, I wanted to go more than ever!

If we had seats in say row 40 or 50 something.. do we have to climb up all those stairs? If so, I shouldn't have let the gym go this past month! LOL That's a big hike, esp. if you want to get up and use the rest room or get something. I'm also concerned since we have no idea what the track is like - parking, etc. I've read their guest guide, but it's hard to gauge anything on just paper. The Glen is A LOT more walking than it looks like on paper. I also kind of hate not going to the Nationwide race, but dang... I think hubby thinks the 600 would be plenty. I'm SURE our daughter would think it will be plenty!

PS - ANDY...... THERE IS AN ARCA THREAD... PUT YOUR POSTS THERE, PLEASE!!! Can't we have one thread that's just for NASCAR cup or Nationwide w/o always having ARCA thrown in? I don't think that's too much to ask. Thanks.

 

[buckaroo]

Yorkie, since I've only been there for two NASCAR races, and both were in a suite, I can't tell you about climbing steps...much. We used the elevators! But I can tell you that when we went on the garage tour, we did have to go down a bunch of steps, and of course, that meant that we had to climb back up those steps just to get to the elevators. So keep this in mind, when you enter the track, you are about at the middle of the stands, and that might make it much easier if you are going up. BTW, after the race, we decided to walk down the stairs from the suites instead of waiting for the elevator. Not sure if that saved us any time though.

Parking is parking, and I'll just give you my experiences at the track. Last year, we didn't have VIP passes so we parked at the entrance of the drag strip. In distance, it's probably a good half mile from the track, but it was so much closer than many of the other parking lots. After the race, I really thought it would take us a good hour to get out of the parking lot, but lo and behold, as soon as we got into the car, we were able to move and keep moving. We were on the interstate heading back to home in less than 30 minutes. Okay, now for this last race. We had VIP parking and of course, that was much closer to the track, but still a good distance. I'd say that we were about a quarter mile closer than last time, so that would make it about that far, quarter mile from the entrance. But the real difference came when we left the track. We sat in the car for just over an hour before leaving the parking lot, but once we got going, it was quick and we moved very good then.

It would be a very good idea to research the area and parking lots to know where you will be going after the race. The police will send you in a direction you might not want if you get in the wrong lane. Of course, you'll be able to change directions sooner or later, but finding the right lane first would work better. If you can tailgate at all, that is what is probably best, but with the race being at night, I'm sure you and the rest will be wanting to get to the hotel and a bed as quickly as possible. Good luck. Now tkj24 can give you her advice.

 

[speedwayphoto]

well, i've been goin since the late 70's, and this has been my expierence.........

First, as for parkin, I always park on the backstretch, near turn 2..... no matter if im on the frontstetch grandstands...... that way, when I leave, I make the left comin out of the parkin lot, headed to Concord..... its a two lane hwy that they use both lanes to divert traffic outta the speedway. Then At the the first light, i take a left...... everyone else is headed to the right to hit interstate....... You can just follow that road for about 10-15 miles, then will see a sign for 601....... take that, it will run ya by the Concord Speedway and such, and drop ya off in Monroe..... There is rarely any traffic that way, and Monroe is only about 45 minutes from the speedway.and i would think that there would be decent motel rates there....... IF not in monroe, follow the same directions, then turn right at the 601 exit.... that will drop ya off on the interstate...... Always worked for me, but then again, I live south of Charlotte anyways, and that is the fastest route to get home, even though it is a backroad...........

As for the steps....... Im thinkin, if ya come in the front gate, you should be about 30 or 40 rows up already, dont remember, but I think its close........ the entrance to the stands are mid-way to 1/4 way up already.

parking on the frontstretch side for me was always a pain...... so much foot traffic and such, and the police move them before cars........ so expect some delays after reaching the car. Anywhere ya park at Charlotte, it is gonna be a WALK....... just seem, and I may be wrong that back stretch parking is easier, with less cars, and less peeps. About 10 or 15 years ago, before the Diamond Tower, that was THE place to park...... I could get outta the track, hit the road and be home in less than 2 hours...... and its normally an hour and half trip................

 

[WNY24Fan]

Thanks for the info, guys! I like that when you enter the track you're mid-way up the stands. Sounds good to me! We parked "fairly" close to the gate at The Glen, but .... we walked all of the infield, came back for food and then found we should have parked around in another lot since we were in another grandstand. We picked up a cart ride for a little of it, but mostly we walked. I wanted to crawl at some points. LOL

Am I off in thinking there might be more traffic going toward Charlotte than say north or east? One thing we'd like to do is on Monday visit the race shops. I know a majority are in Mooresville, but I want to see Hendrick, obviously, and I think I read they are close to Concord? My other daughter's sis-in-law lives in Mooresville and if we really wanted to be beggers, we could ask to stay with her, but we don't know her well and we'd like our privacy probably as much as she would!

I'm still worried about that weather report. It's a long ride from western NY to go and have it rained out, esp. if it goes past running on Monday. Decisions, decisions!!!!!! Do I pay more for a place with an indoor pool/whirlpool so my daughter has something she enjoys in case of rain or do I go cheap and say too bad! She has offered to chip in, I should add.

The more I look at motels, etc., the more confused and frustrated I get! I have to say though, considering it's a big race, there's a heck of a lot to choose from than when I go to The Glen and that was back in October. Yeah, it's in the middle of nowhere sort of, but there are a lot of motels around and I would have thought looking in Oct. I'd have more luck for an August race the following year! Most of them were already booked!

Now had I done this back in March when I first said I wanted to go and my husband hadn't said to wait until after April 15th, I'd be all excited and getting ready to go. I just hate making last min. decisions.

 

[buckaroo]

Yorkie, see if you can find something in Statesville or Salisbury. The later is on I85 and is a little easier to get to the track and Hendrick's shops, but Statesville is on I77 and Mooresville is just south of there. It's going to be very hard to find something much closer than that, even if there is something available there. But then again, who knows. Going north from the track seems to be quite a bit easier once you get on the interstate.

 

[Joniki]

We stayed at the Comfort Suites in Salisbury last year. Great lodging but make sure you specify a room away from the interstate.

 

[SlowNeasy]

find a local sports bar with a big screen tv that plays nascar races. save $$$, have a few (or more) beers, take taxi home and go to bed. <g>

 

[WNY24Fan]

find a local sports bar with a big screen tv that plays nascar races. save $$$, have a few (or more) beers, take taxi home and go to bed. <g>

LOL Yeah, I could do that, but there IS something about the roar of engines, the crowd....... it's the atmosphere and the people! Plus, I don't drink beer. I don't drink much of anything, but pop/soda whatever you call it. Yeah, I'm a cheap date. I think around here, I'd have to do as much research as to who actually plays the races and not some of the other "boring sports" on their TVs. I am up north afterall. LOL

There actually are a lot of race fans up here, but I think there's more of the boring sports. LOL We do pretty much sell out the Glen every year though.

 

[buckaroo]

I'd let you stay at our house since we'll be away to the coast, but then you'd have to take care of two dogs and a cat. Then there'd be those nosy neighbors, not to mention the wild animals out back. Good luck whatever you do. Be sure and book for enough days because like this past weekend, there is a chance for rain.

 

[WNY24Fan]

Thanks for the offer, Buck. My husband is weird about that kind of thing anyway. We have the cats, just no doggies unless I pup-sit. I have a next-door neighbor who isn't so much nosy as he is a pain in the ass and goes on and on and on and ....... we send out rescue teams to whomever got stuck talking to him. LOL My daughter wants to build a wall! Like I said, we could most likey stay at my other daughter's sis-in-law's in Mooresville, but if we're going to go that far, I like the idea of a pool and I found an in-door one, for under $90 a night. It's about 20 min. w/o traffic from Concord. Probably will be hours just like it is up here when there's a race.

I think tomorrow is going to be the day I make up my mind. I've actually found several motels in Charlotte that aren't that expensive and there's still one in Concord, but it's a dump compared to the others and it costs a lot more! I didn't have much luck looking up toward Moorseville, etc.

See the hubby wouldn't mind going and he will go if I make the decision, he's just not crazy about driving on Memorial Weekend, esp. that distance. I can still get those seats as of tonight. We have our van in to be fixed tomorrow and the cost of THAT might just make up my mind, too! I hate spending money on vehicles, but it's hard being w/o one.

 

[WNY24Fan]

OK, so my husband made the decision last night. We're NOT going. He doesn't really want to drive down there on a holiday weekend, our daughter got sick and we just had to pay a bundle to get our van fixed. We weren't going to be driving that down, but it's our 2nd vehicle so I was stuck w/o transportation, so it had to be fixed. He said we should plan way ahead like his friends at work do for next year if we want to go.

So, I'll not have to worry about the weather afterall. Oh well, maybe we can get to another oval before August when I go to The Glen.

Sounds like it's pretty humid down there. Funny, but we're getting about the same weather up here! It's in the 80s and humid. The difference (at least the last time I looked) is that it's supposed to get cooler here over the weekend and they have threats of thunderstorms.

Oh well .......... I was excited thinking about it for a while anyway.

 

[SST55]

Sorry to hear you won't make it, it's disappointing but family stuff comes first. I was ready to go to Daytona when we learned the state had plans to cut the college grants my kids were counting on. Did what I had to do and watched from the comfort of my living room.....

 

[TexasRaceLady]

WYN24, if you're going to plan, save diligently and take a tour group to the race. They have the rooms and tics, plus they drive you to the track and back.

 

[WNY24Fan]

Thanks SST and TRL! Yep, you do what you have to do. Last year even though my tickets were for the whole weekend, we only ended up going on cup day due to family problems. I've warned everyone they are NOT allowed to get sick on The Glen race weekend this year. They said they'd try to oblige. LOL Like you plan on when you get sick, right?

I did read about those tour things and there were some where it wasn't a complete tour, leaving from home, but there's packages offered at different places where they take you back and forth to the track and provide a tour.

I'll be doing my best to be festive on Sunday too, SST. LOL One thing that sucks about a lot of tracks and The Glen used to be this way, but you have to pay separate for every event and they're no small change either! I get the whole weekend at The Glen for less than it costs for the Cup race at other tracks. Of course, it's no Charlotte or Daytona, but it has great racing history. You get to get up close in the pits and even if the stands don't look full on TV, they pretty much sell out. Those lines are LONG when you leave your seat. heh heh

 

[TexasRaceLady]

WYN, the 2 best tour groups are

Grand Prix Tours --- www.gptours.com

There and Back Again --- www.thereandbackagain.com

I've used both and loved them. True, you have to get to Charlotte, but basically you just show up at the hotel and they take it from there.

 

[buckaroo]

There are some tour groups out of Charlotte that will pick you up at various cities and drive you from there. We've used the tour twice, once to Daytona and once to Atlanta and it really is the only way to go.

 

[WNY24Fan]

Thank TRL & Buck. I'll check them out. I've looked at the "tours" offered for The Glen and then have compared what it costs me to get my own reservations and drive and those things cost a whole lot more. I suppose it's good when you don't know the area, though.

I posted in the other thread, but it's turning out that I just wasn't supposed to go. I NEVER catch colds from the kids, but I've been feeling terrible since yesterday. My throat is on fire and all the other yucky stuff that goes with it. Seeing it's been raining down there, makes me feel a whole lot better that I didn't spend a bundle and had to be there feeling sick as a dog and sitting out in the rain/dampness. My couch is feeling better all the time. lol

 

[Eagle1]

Darn and I know a guy that's going to be sitting in turn 4 tomorrow with 3 extra tickets in his pocket he was trying to give to someone on my board the last couple days.

 

[WNY24Fan]

Darn and I know a guy that's going to be sitting in turn 4 tomorrow with 3 extra tickets in his pocket he was trying to give to someone on my board the last couple days.

Well, I hope he was able to find someone who will really enjoy them! Woulda, coulda, shoulda....

 

[muggle not]

The odds of doing any racing at lowes tonight is very slim, take a look at the satellite. Doesn't look very good.

 

[Guido]

One cell after another blowing up from out of the south.

Chris Myers is blowing smoke............this race ain't gonna happen anytime soon if at all tonight.

As soon as a cell dumps rain over here, 20 minutes later it is gonna pour in Concord. It is pouring her right now. Stay tuned. lol