Springtime bring flowers, rain and NASCAR. Although NASCAR officially begins in February as far as point accumulation, NASCAR for me has always reminded me that Spring is here. 36 season races and 36 tracks, but five tracks stand out as my favorites. We start the conversation in my home city, Las Vegas.
1. Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Located just 12 miles north of the Las Vegas strip invites many fans from across the nation to combine two great pastimes, racing and gambling. One of the newer tracks, engineered with high banks and abrupt turns, L.V.M.S offers fans some of the year's most exciting racing. Normally scheduled for the first week of March, the race takes advantage of mild temperatures in the Las Vegas valley. Fans love this event because of the infield feature called The Neon Garage. Here they can walk above the crews and cars as they tune them in preparation for the race. Fans also get access to amazing concessions and live entertainment which has included some very famous strip performances from The Jersey Boys,The Blue Man Group and other top name talent. Nicknamed NASCAR's Disneyland because of all the fun things to do besides watching ear splitting racing. The speedway is very friendly to RVs and campers and offers special areas for parking and fans can enjoy once in a lifetime tailgating parties. For more info: Las Vegas Motor Speedway Recreational Vehicle information. This is more than a race event, it is a three day party with a race on the side. If you haven't been, make sure you add this on your bucket list even if you have zero interest in NASCAR, it's for everyone. Just make sure to bring ear plugs and wear casual clothing.
2. Charlotte Motor Speedway
Located just 20 minutes outside the beautiful city of Charlotte, North Carolina, this 1960s built race track is considered the "home track" because most of the racing teams are headquartered in the area. Perceived as a technically simple drive, it is NOT. This asymmetrical 1.5 mile quad oval features 24o banked turns and 5o banked straightaways makes for a deceivingly challenging course. The larger than normal front width stretch funneling into a smaller turn creates bottlenecks and makes drivers keep mentally focused at all times or risk crashing easily. Charlotte is physically and mentally challenging because of this design and makes for a lot of close calls, accidents, and "I-can't-believe-he-did-that" moments. Charlotte Raceway is a town within a town. Scattered all around the Speedway are hotels, shops and dining areas. Charlotte also has a great place for people who want to camp out. Both inside the track and outside afford all campers different opportunities. Speedway Camping will accommodate all ranges from Class "A" motorhomes to a family and their tent. A 50 year old track that continues to wow all fans.
3. Talladega Super Speedway
Talladega has the distinction of being the fastest and arguably the most dangerous track in the country. The Speedway is located North of Talladega in the small city of Lincoln, Alabama. Incorporating steep banking turns and an unconventional placement of the start/finish line challenge drivers and make them choose a race strategy early. Talladega is the longest track in NASCAR boasting a tri-oval 2.66 miles in length. Top speeds exceed 200 MPH and at times cars can be five wide on a stretch which have benefited fans with exciting finishes and some of the closest NASCAR finishes. Because of the wide stretches, A term coined at Talladega is "The Big One" because of the amount of multi-car accidents and the quite common occurrence of cars going airborne. The Talladega Curse known because of some of the unusual events that have occurred on this track in it's history. Racingtimes has a great article on it "Talladega Jinx Gets Halloween Test". Talladega is a great place to see a race and also a great place if you like to party as the three day event holds the distinction as some of the best and rowdiest parties in NASCAR.
4. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Located in Speedway, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis it is the Home of the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. Built in 1909 and recently celebrated it's centennial, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the original speedway for automotive racing. A near rectangle, oval 2.5 mile flat track with a seating capacity of 400,000 makes it the largest venue in sports. The "INDY 500" remains one of the most prestigious and known events in racing worldwide. A fan favorite attraction is the The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum located just 5 miles away. It features 75 vehicles on display as well as a presentation showing the evolution of the sport and it's technologies. A definite "no miss" for a true NASCAR fan. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for ages 6-15. The museum is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas with convenient 9am to 5pm hours during the season and abbreviated hours the rest of the year.
5. Daytona International Speedway
Located in Daytona Beach Florida, adjacent to the airport, it is the home of the Daytona 500. Daytona Speedway is a multiple layout track, it hosts a 3.5 mile high speed tri-oval, a 3.5 mile sports car road course, and a 3 mile motorcycle course. The Speedway is known for it's attention to fan entertainment outside the big race. It offers two fan amenities that will delight all ages. The Sprint Fanzone allows the fan to become part of the pit crew by being able to view all the adjustments being made real time on the cars below. The fan is also able to hand things to drivers for autographs, a sure way to bring a smile to any child fan. Also on tap are great places to eat and drink and live entertainment events by renown musical groups. Another fan favorite is The Budweiser Party Porch. Atop a 46 foot high, 200,00 square foot party platform, fans will overlook the 3,000 foot backstretch and enjoy the race in a fun filled environment stocked with food, drinks and entertainment. Below the deck, you will find other activities like amusement rides, Go-Karts, giant slide, carousel and display cars from NASCAR. A great experience for all and not required to even be a NASCAR fan to enjoy everything Daytona has to offer.
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