NASCAR Sprint NEXTEL CUP Busch Series GUIDE AND INFORMATION
1) NEVER purchase tickets from a "second chance"
offer UNLESS it appears on your "my eBay" page under the second chance
offer section. There are individuals from overseas who scan auctions,
and collect names of the losing bidders and offer to sell additional
tickets to them for a set price. They will insist that you pay them
with either Western Union or an instant transfer of some sort,...It is
never a good practice to purchase tickets outside the scope of eBay.
Save your hard earned cash for the track...if it does not go through
ebay...chances are you won't be going through the gates at the race
track. You have NO recourse when the deal goes south if it does not go
through eBay. I recommend purchasing from people who have tickets "in
hand" and can ship upon receipt of your payment. Check the sellers
feedback rating, and see what other people have purchased from them.
Always check with the track for tickets first...this ensures you will
get the seat, for a fair price or if nothing else will give you a
"baseline" for the price of the seats...and some tracks will let you
"renew" you seats from the following year after you purchase from
them.
2) The higher the seats the better...period.
Unless you want your cavities rattled out of your head, stay off the
first 20 rows of any track. Secondly, if you are too low, you will not
be able to see anything more than what is going on in front of you, and
at 180mph at some tracks, that is NOT much. You want to be up high
enough to see the whole track. Ask your seller if the seats have
backs (there is nothing worse than sitting in a section
without seat backs and being surrounded by 500 pound gorillas...voice of
experience), what part of the row, if there are any visual obstructions,
etc. If the seller won't disclose the exact seat location to you, they
should at least let you know if they are aisle seats, or middle of a
section, etc. I find it amusing when I see a seller touting their
seats as FRONT ROW...and then go on to describe how you will feel the
thunder (but leave out "feel the rubber marbles pelting you and won't be
able to see squat and the burning fuel")...personally I am there to see
the race. NASCAR races are not like other sporting events (i.e.
Football, Baseball, Basketball) where you want to be closer to the
action...and I would be willing to bet that if it is your first time
attending, and you were to get to low of seats, chances are it will
spoil your experience and probably would not inspire you to go back
again.
3) Find out the restrictions of the track you are going to. You
can save a TON of money by bringing your own cooler and food to the
track. We rarely drop a dime inside the track. Most of the "legal"
size coolers at tracks such as Atlanta, Texas, will accommodate easily a
case of beer, I mean favorite beverage. Check the FAQ page on the
tracks website for more information. Another thing I have found that is
great for keeping my cooler cold is to freeze a couple bottles of water
and put them in with the other beverages...they keep them cold and there
is no additional weight or leakage from melting ice. Another
"secret" if you do put ice in your cooler...put some ice in, a little
rock salt and then beverages and then more ice with rock salt...use it
sparingly. I know it sounds ridiculous...but the same stuff that you
use to melt snow and ice in the winter will actually make your cooler
and ice COLDER. (Look at a package of rock salt the next time you are in
the store if you think I am feeding you a line) If you use too much it
will freeze your drinks. It will make your ice go a WHOLE lot farther
on a hotter day. I usually do this for my cooler we leave in the back
of the truck so we still have cold drinks for after the race. **Soapbox
time** After watching the race at Chicagoland on Sunday I feel obligated
to point out, that if people continue to throw beer cans at the end of
the races to display their displeasure in the outcome of the
race, tracks may take away the PRIVILEGE of taking
coolers into the track...NASCAR gives drivers penalties for doing stupid
things...5.50 a beer is a huge penalty for all of the rest of us to have
to pay for the ignorance and stupidity of others ***Gets off Soapbox***
(I am not a Jeff Gordon fan...so please don't view that comment in that
context...ha)
4) Allow ample time to get to the track. For example...if it
should typically take an hour to get to the track...you better leave 3
hours early...traffic is a nightmare. We usually get out to the track
around 8am on race day to avoid the traffic, to park closer and to walk
around the trailers. If you manage to score a VIP or upgraded parking at
a track that typically will not cut down your wait time getting into the
track...it just gets you to park closer to the track itself...it is
better to leave WAY earlier than to be sitting on the interstate in
traffic and listening to the command to start engines on your car
radio...
There are usually drivers out at their merchandise trailers early on
race morning signing autographs. Stop by your favorite drivers
trailer, some will have a dry erase sign out front with appearance
information. Some of the boards will say "tickets" needed. What they
mean by this is the trailer will hand out a certain amount of tickets
for the autograph session, you must have one of these tickets in order
to get in the line to get the drivers autograph. Even if you don't get
a ticket, you will still be able to get pretty close for some photos.
People pay a buttload for pit passes...but we have seen so many drivers
just by getting out to the track early. If you want to better your
chances...get out to the track on qualifying day...Also, I have found
that if you do a web search for "driver appearances and the event name"
on google you will find information about different events held in the
city on race weekends where you can have a chance to see drivers. Fort
Worth has a great event in the spring at Sundance Square on the Friday
night before the Texas race, well worth the time... check out this link
for details WWW CHEVYTHUNDERDAYS .COM It is a free event...they usually
have live bands in the evenings...not to mention a ton of great give
aways...and downtown Forth Worth is a wonderful place to visit.
Also wanted to mention, the "free" displays are also a great way to
kill time before the race. All the tracks I have been to have a
"midway" area with sponsor tents set up, most have some small give away
item (tshirts, koozies, keychains, posters, etc.) or free sample of a
product. Warning to first timers...they have alot of things you must
fill out to get the "free" stuff...unless you want a TON of phone
solicitors and surveyors calling, PUT YOUR WRONG PHONE NUMBER or do not
put one at all!! I learned the hardway...it does not matter if you are
on the no-call list, you are giving permission by completing these
entries. If it is for a "prize" giveaway, and they can not contact you
by phone, then they should contact you via mail should you be the lucky
winner.
Pre race activities are also fun to attend...get up close to the
fence and you can get great photos of your favorite driver and close
enough to boo your not so favorite drivers. Alot of times they have a
concert with some fairly decent acts...check the track website for this
information.
5) Take ear protection...you will need it. Foam
ear plugs are inexpensive and work fine, the ones with the "string"
attaching them together is better. (Purchase these BEFORE you go...they
can be as much as 3.00 a pair at the track...we bought a gross of these
on eBay for 12.00) Best is a race scanner set up. If you rent one from
the track it can be kind of pricey. They will give you a weekend rate,
which also will include a "deposit" to make sure you return their
scanner and headsets. The deposit can be as much as 300.00. The
weekend rental for the scanner and headphones is approximately 40.00. I
have purchased all my scanners used on eBay...they will pay for
themselves the first time you use it. Look for scanners during the "off
season" if possible. The demand is not as high as during the race
season and you will get a better price. Even if you buy a
scanner set up for ONE race,
you will probably be able to resell it on eBay and get the majority of
your money back. You can also purchase a "splitter" so two people can
share one scanner, each must have their own set of headphones. You will
have to purchase the scanner frequency lists from one of the rental
trailers....they are approximately 5.00. I keep mine from season to
season, as they rarely change...the drivers may change cars....but the frequencies
stay with car. Example, I can go back to scanner listings to 1998 for
Dale Earnhardt...and Kevin Harvick is still using the same frequencies
this season. Also, take the essentials...sunscreen, sunglasses,
hat, camera, binoculars and rain ponchos. Most tracks do not permit
umbrellas and will make you leave them at the gate.
6) Plan enough time off. In case of rain...for
example...if the race is scheduled for Sunday...plan on being off on
Monday also. NASCAR will do everything it can to run the race, but if
the weather does not permit, they will postpone for the next day...they
do not give refunds unless the event is completely cancelled.
Rained out races are the still fun to attend...only about 1/3 of the
original crowd show up the next day and "upgrading" your seat is usually
not a problem.
7) Tailgate!!! This has to be the BEST part of race weekend
for my family and friends. Avoid the stress and frustration of leaving
by staying and cooking out afterwards. You are going to have to wait
more than likely...might as well be enjoying the time flipping burgers
than getting flipped off trying to get out of the parking lots.
8) Should I take my kids?? With the
high price of Cup tickets and the length of the races I recommend taking
the kids to a Busch race first. The races are shorter and most race
weekends the Cup drivers have two practice sessions on Saturday morning
for approximately two hours before the Busch race. That way they get
to see the "big boys" run and still get to see some great racing. My
kids are 11 and 13 and they can stay interested in the Busch race...500
mile cup races they get a little restless. Another thing...when taking
your kids you might want to go with an open mind...my 11 year old son
was exposed (pun intended) to how girls get strings of mardi gras beads
driving out of the parking lot this spring...needless to say he will be
taking a bag full of beads to the next race....JUST KIDDING
(I don't think he was as freaked out by this as I was)...just
wanted to make the point, that if you take your kids, there is a chance
they will see, and hear some things they usually don't and you will just
have to shrug it off. NASCAR races are great, and I personally would
not hesitate taking my kids to a race due to any of the rare
but possible "sideshows".
And finally...this may be my best advice to finding
cheap seats on eBay. Some sellers end up letting go of great tickets
because they don't know how to list them properly. Always search with
"title and description" box checked and
instead of putting in TICKETS in the search try the
word SEATS. Put the City or State where
the event will be held also...and the word "RACE" you
will be amazed on how many auctions you can find this way. Use these
words in all combinations and you will find items appear that don't in
the traditional "NEXTEL CUP TICKETS" searching. Set up Automatic
searches with these combinations and you will get daily updates from
eBay when new items are posted...Another thing...if you find one of
these auctions where someone has a really vague description...contact
them right away, and if they seem like good seats bid on them
immediately...little known to most eBayers, once an item has a bid on it
the seller can not change the original title description, therefore if
the listing continues "as is" this will increase your chances of winning
and getting the tickets for a great price. |
