Spectator guide to watching a live race

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Joe Hartshorn

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Starting to plan a trip for next year (doubt it'll come off due to money but I can hope!).
One thing came to my attention during last couple of races:
If you're sat on home straight in lowest half of stand do you actually see the cars cos they seem to come very close to the spectator wall naturally. Guess it depends on the track and they have different lines but I'd be gutted to not see them close up.
Any other tips would be great
 
On this topic - do they still rent out traditional scanners? Aren't the fancier ones called RaceView now? What are the benefits of that and how much does a rental cost?
 
cheesepuffs said:
On this topic - do they still rent out traditional scanners? Aren't the fancier ones called RaceView now? What are the benefits of that and how much does a rental cost?
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I rent a regular ole scanner for about $60 for the weekend. I'd like to buy one but it works for now and I'm not going to 10 races a year..
Race view has a screen and timing/scoring as well as audio, I believe.. Not sure how much..

Joe Hartshorn said:
Starting to plan a trip for next year (doubt it'll come off due to money but I can hope!).
One thing came to my attention during last couple of races:
If you're sat on home straight in lowest half of stand do you actually see the cars cos they seem to come very close to the spectator wall naturally. Guess it depends on the track and they have different lines but I'd be gutted to not see them close up.
Any other tips would be great
Click to expand...

You can see them all just fine for the most part. I'd recommend sitting halfway-all the way up in the stands though.
 
You generally want to sit at least halfway up imo. Every track is obviously different. At Martinsville and Bristol you can probably get away with being in the teens. I sat in row 16 or so at Martinsville one year and had a great view. At a place like Pocono or Daytona you want to be at least 2/3's of the way up.
 
Great thanks.
Assumed bit higher would be better. End of home straight normally best to see all action coming towards you too and raCE off pit lane etc?
 
How do you watch daytona once past you? Binoculars? Big screen? Or don't bother and just wait?
 
Guess it's better than no extra viewing once they've passed you like I'm used to at f1
 
Half way up or higher . Sat in the first few rows at Daytona once , all I saw was the roofs going by , a little in the corners , and nothing on the backstretch.
 
kymartin6 said:
I prefer as high up as possible in either the exit of turn 4 or the entry of turn 1. I've not really had a problem following the cars all around the track at either Daytona or Talladega as long as you are sitting high up.
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Yeah, I'm a corner guy too. Entry to middle of 1, middle to exit of 4. If those aren't available (and I usually don't wait until they're gone), if there's a dogleg in front, as far past it toward 1 as possible.

I've sat low in Martinsville and Bristol with great views. Actually, at M'ville, low is my preference, maybe 10 to 20 rows up. And remember, 'low' varies not just by track but by grandstand. In some grandstands, the bottom row may be level with the 15th or row in the grandstand beside it.
 
My seat at Loudon today is on exit of 4. I've only been there once before last year for the truck race and I was in the grandstand just after the start finish line a bit. I'm looking forward to a seat at a corner although they are low seats. We'll see!
 
What track(s) are you thinking about? Seating varies not only by track, but by grandstands. For example low seats in turn 4 at Darington are fine. But low seats on the front stretch are not so good. Are you planning to camp or get a hotel/motel? Either way book as far in advance as possible. Now that the schedule is out you missed the opportunity to get some cheap rooms. I have gotten rooms near Bristol for $59 and the people next to me paid over $300 because I booked before the schedule was released. Another expense can be parking. Charlotte and most other tracks are free. Daytona has free parking, but it is a couple miles from the track and you have to take a bus. Anything close will run you around $50.

What I am saying is depending on the track you can easily spend $700 per person for the weekend or you can pull some sweet deals off like Atlanta (on of my favorites) and only spend about $200 for the weekend.

In general, I prefer to sit in the corners as close to the track as possible as long as I can see the entire track. I don't use a scanner, even though I have one. I prefer to watch the race and enjoy the live sights and sounds. I also don't like to bring in backpacks/coolers so I can move around a bit when possible without additional baggage. It's all a matter of individual preference.
 
If you ever go to Bristol, DO NOT sit in the first 15 rows. I was about 10 rows up last time I went and couldn't hear for a week after that, even with earplugs in during the race.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Minor quibble - I paid $10 to park on track property at Charlotte in May. Maybe there's some free parking left there, but wasn't going to drive around looking for it.
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They did that a few years ago and received so many complaints they stopped charging. I just checked the website and it says plenty of free parking. I do know there are a couple lots where people flag you in and it would appear you are on speedway property but you aren't. One specially tricky is right on the front stretch across the street. They do charge like you said.
 
dave corthell said:
They did that a few years ago and received so many complaints they stopped charging. I just checked the website and it says plenty of free parking. I do know there are a couple lots where people flag you in and it would appear you are on speedway property but you aren't. One specially tricky is right on the front stretch across the street. They do charge like you said.
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Well, I pulled in right under a sign with an SMI logo and marked somthing like 'Parking Lot R'. If it wasn't track property, SMI should get their lawyers on the phone.
 
Daytona... higher, higher, higher, higher. I wouldn't mind shaking hands with the spotters. :cool:

I sat on Row numero 1 at Bristol night race. No, I could not see them on the other side of the track, but oh my God Lordy me when they came by I left like I could touch them! :D
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Well, I pulled in right under a sign with an SMI logo and marked somthing like 'Parking Lot R'. If it wasn't track property, SMI should get their lawyers on the phone.
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All parking on the same corner as the speedway is free, but yea if what you're referring to is across Morehead or 29 then I don't think any of that is free over there. And those lots are SMI property, so I get your point.
 
dave corthell said:
What track(s) are you thinking about? Seating varies not only by track, but by grandstands. For example low seats in turn 4 at Darington are fine. But low seats on the front stretch are not so good. Are you planning to camp or get a hotel/motel? Either way book as far in advance as possible. Now that the schedule is out you missed the opportunity to get some cheap rooms. I have gotten rooms near Bristol for $59 and the people next to me paid over $300 because I booked before the schedule was released. Another expense can be parking. Charlotte and most other tracks are free. Daytona has free parking, but it is a couple miles from the track and you have to take a bus. Anything close will run you around $50.

What I am saying is depending on the track you can easily spend $700 per person for the weekend or you can pull some sweet deals off like Atlanta (on of my favorites) and only spend about $200 for the weekend.

In general, I prefer to sit in the corners as close to the track as possible as long as I can see the entire track. I don't use a scanner, even though I have one. I prefer to watch the race and enjoy the live sights and sounds. I also don't like to bring in backpacks/coolers so I can move around a bit when possible without additional baggage. It's all a matter of individual preference.
Click to expand...

I feel like going to a race right now is pretty feasible. I managed to do Kentucky last week for less than $500.That includes my ticket, car rental (compact), gas (about 1,100 miles round trip), hotel (2 nights Homewood Suites in Cincinnati), food/drinks(not much of a "drinker") and a comped round of golf Saturday morning. I did my tshirt shopping at Pocono in June so I didn't spend any money at the track. I even brought in my own water and snacks.

I'm looking at doing Michigan solo next month on an even smaller budget. They have top row seats in turn one for $59! That's what I paid for my Kentucky seat! To me that's very reasonable. I'll go to Pocono in two weeks and spend basically nothing outside of my father and I's ticket since parking is free. We pay $70(? renew cost) for top row there. That's very reasonable for a great seat at a 2.5 mile track. Conversely, our tickets to the 2002 Pepsi at Daytona were $135. Michigan in 2003/2004 were $90 iirc...
 
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Joe Hartshorn said:
How do you watch daytona once past you? Binoculars? Big screen? Or don't bother and just wait?
Click to expand...

This is how we watch Daytona when there. Plus we have head sets thst we can listen in to MRN and the drivers plus talk to each other from one headset to the other.

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The Jumbo Tron is right across from our seats.

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