Guys, I'm travelling to Florida with my nephews 15th Feb to 1st March and would appreciate some advice before I book the tickets for the 500. 1. Where's the best place to sit? 2. Should I bring ear protection or any protective clothing? 3. Must see or do attractions whilst there? 4. Any do's and dont's or any other information? Whilst in Florida are there any other car related activities that would be suitable for a couple of nine and eleven year old petrolheads? And of course one older one? Thanks in advance. George
I was just there for the 24 Hours.I wandered up into the new grandstand expansion,the view is phenomenal!As for attractions Disney World,Universal,and SeaWorld are 1.25 hours away.Sunscreen,earplugs,and clothes for variable weather recommended.
sitting higher is preferable to sitting lower. anywhere between exit of turn 4 and the start/finish line is probably best, as that's where most of the accidents happen plus you get to see pit lane. absolutely bring hearing protection. even the cheap foam ear plugs you buy at the drug store make a huge difference. sunscreen and ponchos/raincoats are recommended, I managed to get a sunburn and drenched in a rainstorm last year...there's very little shade/shelter. Daytona is close (~1 hour drive) to Orlando, so almost endless things to do...depends what you're into. where are you flying into/out of? that might help with suggestions.
I like to sit near the exit of pit road. That way you can see them scramble off pit road and get a great view of them crossing the finish line. The higher up your seat is the better the view. I haven't been in the new seats yet but will be getting my tickets somewhere up there. You don't need protective clothing except for the weather. It could be warm for T shirts and bitter cold needing a jacket. You can probably get a good weather forecast far enough in advance to pack the right clothes. The cars are loud but not so loud that you can't talk to the person next to you and gets quieter the higher up you sit. I wouldn't bother with ear plugs but some people use them. I believe they are for sale at the track if you decide to use them. The 500 will be a great time but there isn't a whole lot to do or see leading up to the start except over where the souvenir trailers and manufacturer displays are. If you are big fans and want to see as much as you can, I suggest going to the track on Wednesday the 18th for the practice session if you are willing to get the extra tickets for access to the Fan Zone which allows you to stand on the roof of the garages and look down on all the action as the teams practice. If your nephews want to get autographs the practice days are the best as the drivers are walking about and often will stop at the fence to sign. A few key spots are at the tech inspection station where each driver has to weigh in so eventually each driver will come by. Another great spot is over by the Press office where lots of drivers go in and out for media and will stop and sign if time allows. Drivers will also use the Fan Zone as a short cut so you never know who might come walking by. None of that happens on the day of the 500 because the cars are impounded and the drivers are all off doing something so that's why going for a practice day in the fan zone lets you get close and see the drivers and the cars. A practice day and then the 500 will allow you to see it all. I don't know if they will have the Richard Petty Driving Experience going while you are there but I highly recommend it. It will give you a whole different perspective and gain a much greater respect for those drivers going four wide on sunday Across the street from the track is the Volusia Mall and sometimes they have nightly driver appearances in the center court and its another good time to see drivers up close. They usually have several drivers each night so check the schedule if you are looking for a favorite. As far as attractions go I'd say the track and the beach are the best Daytona has to offer. You can drive on the beach so you can try that. For a really nice beach head south on A1A for a few miles to Ponce Inlet Park where the light house is. Great place to walk around if you want to see the beach, fisherman, surfers and boaters. Other than that all the attractions are a little over an hour away in Orlando. Hope that helps and I hope you have a great time at the track. I've been going since 1994 and I still haven't got tired of it.
Tickets all booked, turn one, upper stalls. Thanks for the advice guys we're really looking forward to it. Daytona 500, Le Mans and British GP Silverstone! It's shaping up to be a great year for motorsport. We're taking the nephews to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Kennedy, Busch Gardens, aquatica And a couple of others. My wife and I both have firearms licences so we plan on visiting a few ranges as well. We're managing to escape for a couple of days just the two of us and we're thinking of Naples for a bit of sun and sea, is this a good choice or any other suggestions within three hours of Orlando. Cheers guys.
Disney World. If you bought tickets to Disneyland you are in for a drive Sounds like you have a great trip planned with lots of variety. I grew up in Naples and still visit there often. It's a three and half hour drive from Orlando and very nice however it has become a bit congested compared to how it was back in 1970s. If you decided on Naples a walk on the pier at sunset is very nice with lots of dining options close by afterwards. You should also consider checking out the Revs Institute there in Naples which is a world class car collection. The cars are displayed beautifully. You can walk through and see them all in an hour or spend several if you like. Here is their website The Revs Institute | Car Collection
The traffic from Orlando to the Speedway on Sunday is horrific. I've heard it's bad at Silverstone, but I've never been there. Anyway, it backs up and takes hours to get parked. Plan on being there early. Read the rules about what drinks and food you can bring in and take full advantage of that. Not only are prices expensive, but the selection and amount of time to get your food is terrible. Bring those little drug store ponchos like chas said, you can get sunburned, wind burned, and drenched all in one day. It is a spectacle worth seeing at least once. Kennedy Space Center is cool now that they aren't doing as much, more is open. There is a rocket launch scheduled for Feb 8, but if it's delayed, you may get to see it. The Navy Seal museum is a little known attraction, but it's down in Fort Pierce.
Traffic is bad from Orlando to Daytona on I-4. You need to leave Orlando around 5 AM. or find the back roads, I think that is US 92. You still need to leave very early, the race usually starts at noon or so.
When I drove from Daytona to Sanford in December, it appears that they are now six-laning all of I-4 that wasn't already, so hopefully there'll be a little relief in the future.
Make sure you visit St Augustine which is 50 miles north. It is the nations first city and is celebrating its 450th anniversary this year.
Yes, that's part of the "I-4 Ultimate" project: I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project I was at a wedding in Daytona on raceday for the Coke Zero 400 July 4th weekend some years ago. Holy crap what a PITA to leave Daytona to get back home to Orlando. Of course the reception ended at night just like that race...felt like the drive never ended. It wasn't bad getting up there earlier in the day, though. +1 beautiful area and nice beaches. The First Coast beaches are probably my favorite to go to with the Space Coast being my second favorite. Treasure, Gold, and Gulf Coasts aren't as nice IMO. Either too busy with tourists or no waves to have fun with a board (gulf).
