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We are headed down to Florida (from NY) for 2 weeks. We booked an RV tour from Camping World for the Daytona 500. It includes 6 nights camping starting Feb 12th and tickets to most of the speed week events (qualifying, truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup races). It will be our first NASCAR race in person.
Then the second week beginning Feb 18th we stay at FtW! As cool as the NASCAR portion will be, FtW and Disney will be even better.
Anyone else going?
Cool!
You've never been to a Nascar race?! We have tickets to Loudon every year and went to Daytona two years in a row a few years ago. We stayed at Disney both times as I simply could not find decent accommodations any where near the track. As I moved further and further away from the track, I decided to simply stay at Disney - such a hardship!
I'd recommend starting out VERY, VERY early on race day. You can't believe the amount of traffic you will encounter.
The Daytona track is HUGE! I felt like I walked forever to get to our seats. Plus, it is highly likely that you will not get to park any where near the track. You will likely to shuffled off to a parking lot that is quite some distance away from the track. They will then bus you to a point that is still quite a hike from the track itself. (Or is part of your package that you will receive transportation from Disney to the track?) There are some shopping malls directly across from the track that charge a small fortune to park on race day.
The first year, we attempted to drive "home" right after the race. I think it was close to midnight by time we got back! (And the race ended early due to rain).
The second year, we decided to go to the after-race party held in the Museum. Overall, we decided it was not worth the money and wouldn't do it again. They had advertised that buses would run from the party site to the parking lots on a regular basis. When we were ready to leave the party, we needed to wait for an hour or more before 1 bus showed up to transport us back to the parking lot. We were one of the last ones allowed on that bus and ended up standing for the ride. While waiting, folks were getting pretty testy! It was, after all the end of a VERY long day!
Getting a bus back to the parking lot (without the party) is quite a mob scene as well. It's almost scary!
Pack lots of patience!
Actually the first week we camp in Deland which is about 10 or so miles from Daytona. The tour package includes Motor Coach transportation from the campground in Deland to the track and back each day.
We have driven past the huge track a few times and know what you mean about parking. It must be a madhouse on race days.
We thought about just going to Disney for 2 weeks and making FtW our home and just getting tickets to the one big race, but I recall driving down in Feb 2005 and seeing how backed up I95 and I4 got on Daytona 500 Sunday. Also I figured that this being our first NASCAR race and it being the 50th anniversary of the 500, we might as well go all out. The package is about $1000 each but includes camping, all tickets to all races and time trials, a tram ride around the track including the pits and inside where the drivers park their RVs, tickets to the NASCAR experience, a trip to Daytona Beach, a few meals, etc. All in all not bad given we will get to experience so much.
Sounds like you'll have lots of fun!
We are going down later in the month...the end actually...we get there on the 29th!
we have done the feb trip from NJ to disney the only thing that you have to worry qabout is wheather we left NJ one year and hit a storm on the way we ussually drive to either the NC SC border area or try to grt to savanha GA the koa in savanha is close to 95 and a good overniter then depending on wheather we try for northern NC or Va on the way home good luck hope your trip is as great as it sounds:thumbsup: