It was really cool, need to always be paying attention to make sure that you are not in anyone’s way but otherwise its pretty relaxed. May not be the best place to watch a race, but its the best way to experience a race
What’s the likelihood of a rain delay or cancellation this Sunday? Would they announce it ahead of time? I haven’t been to a race since I was a kid so I don’t really know how it works
They won’t postpone the race ahead of time unless they are 100% certain they can’t make it to halfway/end of stage 2 before the rain starts.
I haven’t looked at the forecast but I imagine they’ll stick to the original start time because Martinsville has lights & they have the wet weather package this weekend. There may be a delay at some point but the track should dry pretty quickly (once the rain stops).
A postponement (during the race) would depend on the timing/length/intensity of the rain before it’s an official race, but I would imagine NASCAR would wait it out for a while given the circumstances.
I'm headed to Martinsville for the first time this weekend. Looking for parking tips around the track that will make it easy to head west on 58 (see the map below). It looks like lot 21-22 would work best for me. When they are directing traffic, do they let you pick which free lot or do they direct you to one lot until it's full then move to the next? Also, I'd like to try to see the town before the race. Maybe eat at one of the local spots, but I'm curious how much of a mess Martinsville will be on race day morning and if it's worth the potential headache? I'm planning on getting to the area by 10AM
Any Sonoma experts in this group? Looks like I'm headed there for the first time this July and it'll be my first road course race without general admission seating.
How strict are they about enforcing assigned seats for Saturday Xfinity? And in general, do you still get to see a lot of the track from the main grandstand despite being at the bottom of the hill, as opposed to one of the bleacher sections in the sun further up?
I’m considering attending the Coke 600. What’s better, sitting halfway up near the start of pit road or high up at the kink before the start/finish line? I believe the first section has individual seats verses sitting on the bleachers.
My wife and I are both going to our first race in a few weeks at Bristol. We are also both new nascar fans so really don’t know how we should prepare or what to expect. Any help you experienced fans could give us would be greatly appreciated!
Serious hearing protection required. Loudest track experience on the schedule due to totally enclosed sides. Attending Bristol is a visual adventure. Enjoy!
Big thing for races that not everyone realizes is that you can bring any food and drink in, each person is allowed a 18x18x14 soft sided cooler and a backpack that’s roughly at most the same size. Definitely do that and bring your own stuff and avoid paying stadium prices.
Bristol I'd suggest hearing protection for sure, either earplugs or scanner headsets, also check out the track website or app as we get closer they will announce a driver appearance schedule for the weekend.
Hi Everyone. My son and I will be going to Sonoma for the first time this year. We've been going Portland the last few years and excited to finally see a cup race. We will be staying with family in the Hayward area. Does anyone know if there's shuttles from the bay to the track? Also where would be a good place to sit?
It was the Dash 4 Cash. They were eligible for it by being the 4 highest finishing drivers in last week’s race. The highest finishing of them today won $100,000 (Allgaier won it while also winning the race). The same thing will continue for the next three races
It’s becoming more rare, in part because a large majority of teams are funded by the drivers themselves, so someone will only be in the car if they have a sponsor attached to them.
What it means is that the driver themselves was able to get the ride without a sponsor, and the team was unable to sell sponsorship at their normal price. Joe Gibbs in particular is known to have some minimum dollar amount that they won’t sell sponsorship for lower than, and would rather run unsponsored than take a sponsor at a cheaper price.
It started as lack of sponsorship, when Larson came back from the 2020 incident and joined Hendrick he had no sponsors so they put Hendrick Cars on the car, but they ended up seeing such good results from that sponsorship that they kept it up and expanded to lower series as well.
Going to Bristol for the first time for the spring race. I’ve been to races before, it’s my wife’s first race. Other than hearing protection, being a cooler and seat cushion what’s some tidbits to know to know before going
Expect to have to cover some ground up/down hills when walking. The tram is pretty clutch getting to the fan zone & different gates depending on where you’re parking at.
Just depends on what your tolerance for walking is. We parked in someone’s yard on a side street, was a further walk but we (in our 20’s) did just fine even with coolers all loaded up. Seemed like we had an easier time getting out to the highway afterwards. If you’re worried about that may be worth it to buy a parking pass to be in one of the paved lots outside the track.
Just depends on what your tolerance for walking is. We parked in someone’s yard on a side street, was a further walk but we (in our 20’s) did just fine even with coolers all loaded up. Seemed like we had an easier time getting out to the highway afterwards. If you’re worried about that may be worth it to buy a parking pass to be in one of the paved lots outside the track.
My husband and I have been planning our camping trip to Dover since the tickets were available to purchase. We are Canadian, so I’m extremely concerned about going with our toddler given what’s going on. From what I can see on the website, the tickets aren’t refundable, is that correct? Really hoping to still go but I don’t know
It should be open. I’ve parked there and tailgated at Speedway Parking a few times. We took the shuttle to the track and then walked back after the race. Not a bad walk. Wasn’t terrible getting out.
Looking at the website, I’m surprised not to see them selling passes for the lot. Not for sure what’s up with that.
How loud is Homestead race? Been to Martinsville, unbearably loud, couldn’t talk to others at all. Talladega only loud when pack went by. Phoenix was in between. Just wondering if headsets would be good for Homestead.
Kind of in-between lol. You usually have some time to talk when everyone’s bunched together, but when the field spreads out with pit strategies, then you definitely have to start playing the yelling in ear game. Have fun at the race!
What are some good recommendations for the Homestead area other than the race? Food/entertainment/etc. I’ll be down there with a group of 4 guys and although we’ll be going to xfinity and cup races, looking for things to do on Friday and Monday. Appreciate it!
Cafe Versailles (Versailles Restaurant on Google Maps) is always a staple when we’re down in Miami! They serve great Cuban food and the prices are really reasonable. Always a little bit of a wait to get in, but no more than 20-30 minutes. Have fun at the race!
Hello! I have garage/pit passes to Homestead this weekend. I had the same tickets in Atlanta as a guest of the sponsor and after the race I was told I should have been able to drive into the infield and parked there. Does anyone have experience with this at Homestead in particular? I'm awaiting on an answer from the team, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask here.
Hey everyone, reposting in this thread as I inadvertently posted in the wrong place initially.
I'm a fan from the UK visiting North Carolina in May for the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600. I'm looking to take in as much racing culture as I can while I'm here. Looking for any recomendations for other racing related events, museums, attractions, collectible shops and places to eat.
I already have in my itinerary the Cars Tour on the 13th/14th at NWB and ASA Stars on the 22nd at Hickory. Does anyone ever do the NASCAR race on Saturday afternoon followed by Bowman Gray in the evening on the same day?
I have visited Charlotte briefly a few years ago during a roadtrip around the Homestead Miami and Martinsville fall races. So i've already done the Hall of Fame, a few of the race shops and mid-week racing at Millbridge before.
It probably will be possible to do both races, but you might miss some of the bowman gray stuff. Xfinity Series race at Charlotte is scheduled for 4:30 so it will be close to 7pm (or later) by the time they finish up. Then there is traffic leaving and it is over a hour between the 2 tracks, so I'm not sure if it is worth the drive up there afterwards.
I'd also check the raceshop socials as we get closer since most do a fan appreciation day or activity in the week leading up to the 600, I went to the Jr Motorsports one a few years ago and it was pretty cool. But those don't get announced till maybe a few days/weeks before so I'd keep your schedule pretty flexible to go to those.
Question about the schedule over the years. How do they determine where the races will occur when? Obvs we start at Daytona. Are there a certain amount of other "fixed" locations for timing? For example, they always race at XYZ track for Labor Day. Or there's two races at ABC each season no matter what. I assume there are general guidelines. Thanks in advance!
There’s only 3 major races that hold the same date/weekend every year, the Daytona 500 (President’s Day weekend), the Coke 600 at Charlotte (Memorial Day weekend), and the Southern 500 at Darlington (Labor Day weekend).
There’s a few other races that hold the same spot on the calendar, like the Fall Daytona race is the last regular season race, the Bristol Night race is the last race in the Round of 16, the Roval is the last race in the Round of 12, Martinsville is the last race in the Round of 8, and Phoenix is the Championship. However most of these were recently moved to those dates and could change in the future.
Can you buy fan zone tickets the day of the event? I got two tickets to the coke zero 400 this august in Daytona. Also, typically how early does parking sell out before event? You can park in lot 4 for $50 bucks, is that close?
Is there some sort of testing going on at Martinsville today? Christopher Bell rented a car from the Roanoke, VA private airport this morning and I can’t figure out why.
Some do for sure, but not as much as say F1 or other motorsport. For example when Kyle Busch made the switch from Toyota back to Chevrolet I didn't hear much of a outcry from Toyota fans. People care more about the driver/team than manufacturer most of the time.
And yes they are for sure, most have their own engine suppliers and run their own sim programs. They also distribute data differently to the teams, for example Legacy might get some date from JGR about setups via Toyota because Toyota wants all their teams running well.
Good question though, most of it is just behind the scenes.
Hello! Going to martinsville for the first time, are the fan zone/scanner rental pickup outside of the stadium? And if I’m sitting in the glen wood section in T1, is it easy to get snacks and drinks or is it a hike.
Going to Phoenix for the ship again this year and missed out on getting merch signed last year. How early do the doors open and when should I get there?
Random question: what's the benefit of a car being able to finish a race from the garage after being towed? Is there some incentive to finishing the race at all? I would think after losing that many laps being towed it would make more sense to DNF instead of risking further damage to the car.
Followup question, if you're down multiple laps and a yellow comes out, do you regain those laps?
You may be able to gain additional spots if other cars can’t finish. Before the Playoffs/Damage Vehicle Policy it was a pretty big deal to get the car back on track to gain as many points as possible to limit the damage in the point standings.
The second question is situational, if you are the first car a lap(s) down, you’ll get a “free pass” and earn 1 lap back under caution (granted you weren’t involved in the caution).
If all of the lead lap cars pit and some lapped cars stay out, the cars between the pace car & leader can take the “wave around” and gain a lap at the expense of not pitting under that caution.
If you are not the highest scored lap car or if some/all of the leaders say out, you can’t gain any laps back and have to drop to the rear of the field for the restart.
Back in the 90s Winston Cup, for a single track, were there different types of tires, like qualifying, soft, medium and hard...? Or were there limitations or regulations on this regard? Also, are/were the tires the same front and rear?
Motorcycle parking at las vegas? Looks like the map online shows the south corner of lot a as designated motorcycle parking? Anybody ever parked there? Do motorcycles have to park there or can we park anywhere?
Bristol Motor Speedway seat type question:
Specifically drink rails.
It’s been really hard to find the definitive info on types of seats at this motor speedway. Info on the official site is spotty as well.
I am specifically looking for info on which sections of Jeff Gordon Terrace had the seats upgraded to drink rails? I know K and possibly L have them but would like to know of other sections. In fact, my secondary ask is, is there any place you can point me to where I can find info on type of seat each section has?
Thanks!
You already replied to which sections or Gordon (which is not many).
For the other sections, iirc, all of the Petty Terrace (my personal favorite), Pearson Terrace, David Pearson, and Darrell Waltrip have the drink rails/holders.
It's not quite the same as your photo, but you can get pretty close to the cars with an infield pass at some tracks. For example, the infield experience ticket at Phoenix gets you into an observation area in the cup garages, and the pre race stage is in the crescent inside of turn 4. You can walk right up to the inside pit wall where the cars are lined up before the race. I even got to meet Ross Chastain when he came over to sign autographs after getting out of the car during qualifying. In comparison, the Neon Garage at Las Vegas is a bit of a letdown imo; the main attraction is an elevated viewing area for the cup garages and it's otherwise pretty isolated from the rest of the facility, so do your research on what each track gives you.
Yes, you’ll need a VIP Pass to get access to the garage & pit road while the track is hot.
They’re usually reserved for sponsors but some of the tracks have started selling their own packages (I think it’s called the Ultimate Fan Pass for the SMI tracks and NASCAR One for the NASCAR owned tracks).
Long shot here but has anyone ever gone to the ARCA race at Toledo Speedway? That's the closest oval to me and I've never been to a race in person. I'm considering going later this year and then if I enjoy myself hitting up MIS or something next year.
Not a NASCAR race, I know, but I couldn't find any other good place to ask--is this year's Slinger Nationals sold out already? I was thinking of making a trip out there but the ticket site says all sales have ended. Or is it (hopefully) just a mistake and they actually haven't gone on sale yet?
Does anyone know if the Xfinity race at Rockingham is sold out? I was looking for Saturday only tickets and I could only find weekend passes on their official site. SeatGeek and Vivid Seats seem to show very limited options.
Me and my friends are looking to camp the atlanta summer race weekend. I know we at least have to buy the infield rv ticket. But what else do we have to buy?
As far as I know that is it, maybe a few extra wristbands depending on how many extra people you have going. You don't need any grandstand tickets unless you want them.
Headed to Vegas tomorrow from Boston. My 16 year old son asked to go to this race in addition to our usual New Hampshire.
We are going to all 4 races, doing a tour at Allegiant stadium, eating at Hells Kitchen and driving out to Red Rock. Also got Neon Garage and will surprise him with those passes on Friday!
I’m so excited. Would love to chat with anyone who will be there. My son loves all sorts of sports and he loves talking NASCAR with adults aside from his mom 😂
Headed to vegas now but sadly going to miss races due to health issues. Hope you guys have a blast! Neon Garage is the best. With all those activities how will you have time for the races? Or do you not do the track as an all dsy event?
I’m literally on the plane from Boston to Vegas right now lol.
I also got a Neon garage pass.
It’ll be my first time in Vegas and planning on going to the Hoover Dam tomorrow, and haven’t decided if I want to explore the strip and see the parade or go and watch Larson and Bell do their dirt race.
Hope you arrived safely! I may do the parade as my only nascar acitivity as my son could not get any time off for the races. (it's !actually my favorite part of race weekend, but was willing to miss it this year for high limit)
Took mom to the Xfinity race yesterday. It was a great time. Found out (after taking all the stairs to row 44) there's an elevator which took us up to where we were seated. One thing I did notice. The elevator shafts block the view of turn 4. We were able to sit a little lower (wasn't crowded) and see the entire track.
Hey r/NASCAR, I’m a newbie fan who’s gotten totally hooked watching the 2025 season, and I’m losing my mind over going to my first live race at Darlington Raceway for the Spring weekend (April 5-6, 2025)! Got the tickets as a Christmas gift, which makes it even sweeter. My wife and father-in-law are tagging along—wife’s not super into it but she’s down for the experience, and my father-in-law’s pumped to bond over this. We’re driving up from Myrtle Beach race morning (like an hour away), and I’m already hyped to maybe hit the Southern 500 later this year if this goes well. But since I’m a total rookie at this, I need your wisdom to make it a banger!
Here’s what I’m thinking about:
Radio scanner headphones—I’m obsessed with hearing the drivers and crews talk smack and strategize. Should I buy my own (any recs?) or just rent at the track? What’s the move for a first-timer?
Wife’s setup—She’s not gonna care about scanner chatter, so I’m thinking regular headphones or ear protection to keep her comfy with the noise. Any cheap, solid options you’d suggest?
How early should we get there to park?
Gates open at 9am?
Rent a scanner! You need to book it early at racingelectronics.com You can get a setup for 1 scanner, 2 headsets. But you're both going to hear the same feed. You can "lock-in" specific drivers or scan the entire field. Also, if you want radio commentary, you can get that too. Cost effective if you wanna spring for a purchase later.
Wife will NEED some sort of hearing protection. The cars are very, very loud.
Truck and Xfinity crowds are typically light in my experience. Cup crowds are big! If attending a Cup race, get there early and expect to stay late if you watch the whole race.
Most of all, enjoy the race. That feeling you get as the drivers come to the green flag is epic and unforgettable.
Get your wife the book: Girl's Guide To NASCAR. It provides history of the sport, info about the tracks (like where to shop) and food recipes. Written by Liz Allison who was married to the late, great Davey Allison.
Because he scored more overall regular season points, until the Playoffs start that is how the standings will be tallied regardless of how many wins or playoff points you earn.
Tent camping in Turn 1 for the Coke 600 weekend with some NASCAR first-timers. Will we be able to see the big Speedway TV on the backstretch from our campsite? Trying to decide if we need to purchase tickets or if we will be fine watching from our campsite.
Trying to tent camp at Miami with some friends, but we’re 17. Can we? Want to go for the weekend and tent camp with some buddies.
We’re just under 18 and I wasn’t sure if you have to check in to your spot and if our age would be an issue. Thank you
Has anybody here been to the Iowa speedway? I'm debating taking the kids to either Iowa or Chicago for a race, but I'm not sure which track has better kid-friendly fan activities. I've been to the Chicago race and know the kids area is pretty great (at least it was last year), but I haven't been to Iowa. Any experience or suggestions?
Canadian here, making the trip down to Vegas for the xfinity and cup races. Neon passes and bus to and from the track to my hotel. Any suggestions for a first timer?
Overall pretty good. Had few 51st state comments because I had a Canadian patch on my bag but other than that it was pretty good. Exchange sucks though and Vegas isn’t cheap either
Bought tix today for Sundays race, first time to LVMS and first race in about 15 years. First race for my wife too, we’re pumped. Any can’t miss recommendations?
Not especially, more depends on how many days you'll be going. If you're going for the truck race or Xfinity race that's a good time to hit up the merch haulers so you don't have to fight on Sunday. Did you get neon garage tickets? It's fun to check out at least once.
There is also going to be pro-level dirt racing Thursday and Saturday night at LVMS's dirt track if you're into that!
Got tickets to my first race! Coke Zero 400 in Daytona. I got sweet seats in section 346. We live in Orlando so I’m planning to drive down that day and then driving back after the race. Is that feasible?
Also, are there events and stuff you can attend at the race track the day of the race? Any tips are appreciated!
My girlfriend and I drove from a hotel in Orlando and made it to the track as the parking gates opened for the 2014 Daytona 500. The drive wasn't bad. We left the track early (following the 6 1/2 hour rain delay) and we had no problem. We did leave before the race finished and listened in the car.
Me and my dad want to go to the Roval this year. Neither of us have been to Charlotte in a decade or longer. We would like suggestions on where to sit where we will be able to see the majority of the track? Suggestions on rows that you thought were too low or too high would be great. Thanks!
For where to sit, try the Ford Tower (Upper Ford Terrace): This section is among the highest at the speedway, offering expansive views of both the oval and infield road course sections. Sitting here allows you to see the majority of the track, providing a comprehensive race experience.
To see the majority of the track, try the Higher Rows: Sitting higher up in the grandstands generally offers better views of the entire track, especially for road courses like the ROVAL™. Higher rows allow you to see over infield obstacles and capture more of the on-track action.
Which races are you attending? If Cup -- Spend the money to get neon garage passes if at all possible. If you cannot afford it, be sure to look in the merch section for the spinny wheel to try to win them. Also, if you have time stop in at the lvms track gift shop, it's got really cool stuff.
Edit to add: and if you aren't renting scanners, be sure to bring ear plugs or hearing protection of some type.
Last night, I was watching an old 80s race and there was a lot of discussion about tire stagger, the circumference of a tire. Pit reporters commonly talked about how teams would adjust the tire stagger and measure it with certain tools. This isn't a discussion we hear anymore, so I was curious about a couple of things:
How did teams adjust the tire stagger? What, exactly, did they need to do to get the tires staggered properly?
Back then teams would mess with the stagger to maybe help their tire wear or maybe to counter something else going on in the setup geometry. Ever since the 90s (I think) NASCAR doesn't allow teams to mess with the tires at all, from the time they are mounted till it goes on the car they can't change the tread of the slick like they used to, only change air pressures.
Hey everyone! I am taking my dad to our first race in October. I already have our tickets but I had a few questions. Should I add on neon garage and what all does it involve? I seen on a different post someone said something about scanners, do those have to be rented in advance? Can I do that online? My dad lives like an hour and a half away so we are driving there the day of, where should we park/what should we expect parking wise. Also just any tips and tricks yall have! My dad is honestly such an amazing person and he really deserves to have the best time so I want to try to make this as memorable of an experience as possible. Thank you all so much!
Yes, scanner rentals have to be reserved in advance before the race weekend (they usually cut it off on the Thursday/Friday of the race weekend). You can rent directly through Racing Electronics or through LVMS (at a later date).
They also raise the rental prices roughly 2 weeks before the race, so make sure you reserve one before that point.
Heading to Phoenix this Sunday. Any recommendations for seating?
I haven’t been there for a race since before the big renovations. For anybody who has been there recently, what sections/rows would you recommend? I am open to sitting anywhere from the first to the last row!
I'd suggest from the start/finish towards turn 3 is your best area. Will be shaded for most if not all the race, I personally would suggest higher up as it allows you to see the whole track. I use this website to get a idea of how high or what section might be best. https://aviewfrommyseat.com/venue/Phoenix+Raceway/sections/
I work in the screen printing business, we havent seen any major issues yet but we are prepared for it. I would assume you could see a jump of about $5 per shirt possibly.
My family is planning to go to Daytona 2026 and we are on the lookout for tickets. I have a few questions as it relates to the event given our first time for all of us:
A) There is a total of 8 adults, (1) 3 year old and (1) 1 year old for a total of 10 humans. My understanding is I should buy a seat for my 3 year old and that I will hold my less than 1 year old on our laps? Is this correct? So I would be purchasing 9 tickets. From what I understand, tickets won’t be on sale until June-ish? I am signed up for notifications on Daytona website.
B) This is a bucket list event for us so we want to get the best seats we can, I have read that Pit-out on the 300 level is the way to go. Is this correct?
C) We can bring in soft coolers with our own food/snacks, is that correct?
D) We are not big nascar people, so we planned to spend all day Sunday at the track and go inside the track in the morning to check out the festivities.
E) We are looking at staying in Orlando and transporting up/back Sunday. Any recommendations?
Appreciate any additional advice before we pull the trigger on tickets!!
So your request is that NASCAR review what the prayer-giver says ahead of time? Sounds like it is coming out of Stalin's mouth, she can say whatever she wants and you have the right to disagree with it.
The NASCAR app has the scanner audio for every car, MRN, and the officials. I believe it’s free if you join the Fan Reward program but you can also pay a monthly/yearly subscription.
It has worked for me so far this season, there’s still a couple of features locked behind the subscription (average running position/etc) but the scanners are perfect.
Can someone explain how qualifying works? Are there different groups? Is it possible to not qualify? Has a top driver ever not qualified for a big race?
-It depends, for road courses like this weekend they have "open qualifying" where all cars can go out and run as many laps as they want within a certain amount of time. But on most ovals they have single-car qualifying with 2 rounds, and the fastest 5 times in each qualifying group making the final round. Then the fastest lap in the 2nd round is for the pole.
-Yes if for whatever reason you do not want to put in a qualifying lap you can, if you are locked into the race. This can happen if for example a driver wrecks his car in practice and they are working on it and cannot qualify. Teams with a charter are locked into each race, all non-charter teams must race their way in on speed.
-And yes it has happened quite a few times but not recently since the charter system came about. One example is in 2014 Ricky Stenhouse failed to qualify at Talladega on speed and was outside the top-30 in points so couldn't get a provisional starting spot.
I'm planning a trip to see the Texas race weekend in May, and I wanted to know if there is any transportation around the city to get to the track. From what I understand, the best options are either to rent a car or Uber there. Any tips?
Ah no worries. So Texas is all by itself north of Fort Worth so the only ways to and from the track is driving or using a Uber. They do not have any public transportation options.
It’s part of the wet weather package. All of the road courses and select short tracks have mud flaps/wiper/defogger/rain light (and wet weather tires) if the track is declared wet.
New fan here with questions about die-cast cars: do they wind up making die-casts of every version of a car that a driver uses? Is that something that's controlled by NASCAR itself or do the team owners control that? Is there one centralized shop that controls them or do you have to shop around?
I know that's a lot and I apologize upfront. Some of the cars just look super cool and would make a fun trinket.
New fan here with questions about die-cast cars: do they wind up making die-casts of every version of a car that a driver uses? No, they are some limiting factors - #1 being MOQ (minimum order quantity). That's the amount of pre-sales that need to happen to produce the car. I don't think this # is provided, but I've heard it's around 700. Of course your Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott cars are going to meet that everytime, but smaller teams/less notable drivers get cars that don't meet MOQ all the time - sometimes even race wins. #2 limiting factor is the sponsor - several brands are pretty tight on where they want their logos, and the reasons are wildly varying - Monster, Jordan, Red Bull are probably the biggest brands out there like this, but there are others.
Is that something that's controlled by NASCAR itself or do the team owners control that? Kinda answered above, but neither of them really control this - all comes down to how many they can sell vs. what they produce.
Is there one centralized shop that controls them or do you have to shop around? I'd shop around, but the NASCAR diecast industry isn't currently what it once was. Lionel is pretty much the big dog in the sport, and there's several different retailers that will sell their cars. And within Lionel, there's several different model build quality options - the more you spend, the more detail the car will have.
It’s mainly on a driver by driver basis. Some drivers (Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson) will have most, if not all, of their paint schemes produced for any given year while some of the smaller/less popular drivers won’t have any official releases.
This is partially due to the fact that every car has to have a minimum amount of preorders to be produced by the manufacturer. Not every scheme is offered but Lionel Racing (the exclusive diecast manufacturer) usually obtains licenses from the teams/sponsors and offers every car they can obtain the license to.
Additionally some sponsors (like Coca Cola & Monster Energy) don’t license their logos or have exclusive contracts with other diecast companies.
Lionel Racing has a website where you can preorder virtually every diecast they offer but you can usually shop around to other retailers to find better deals or better shipping rates.
Question on track attendance: While at the track if there is practice/qualifying earlier in the day but the race isn't until later that day and after watching qualifying.... Would it effect you getting back in to watch the race if you left to like go back to the fan zone or ur camp site to kill time till the race? Or do you have to stay inside the gates until race time?
Every track I've ever been to has an open re-admittance policy. Your ticket is good for the full day, and they'll either scan your ticket or stamp your hand while heading out.
Most tracks let you scan your tickets out. This way you can leave and go back in. There should be people around the entrances that will scan your ticket so you can leave.
Can someone explain why the 4 and 45 didn’t make the xfinity race? I saw Retzlaff was doing decent times but couldn’t see the end cause they switched to the cw app. Didn’t have the ending on my recording and it’s not posted on cw app yet. Were they having to qualify their way into the race on times?
Yeah, so TL:DR, they weren't fast enough to make it on speed and their cars weren't high enough in the 2024 owner's points standings to get a provisional.
Long explanation is:
The Xfinity and Truck Series don't offer guarantee spots in the field like the Cup Series does, so everyone is on equal ground when it comes to having to qualify in.
The Xfinity field is set by taking the Top 32 fastest cars on speed and then 6 provisionals, 5 of which are based on owner's points and one of which is awarded to either a prior series champion not already locked on speed or a driver who won during the prior or current season who is not already locked in. If no past champions or recent winners are outside the Top 32 on speed, then that 6th provisional then goes back to owner's points.
One more wrinkle is that, due to the volatility that can happen in a short sample size of races, NASCAR will use the past season's owner's points to award provisionals for the first 3 races of the new season. That creates a market where some teams who know they might struggle with speed in qualifying will buy owner's points from teams higher in the previous year's standings to give them a higher spot in the pecking order if they are slow enough that they need to fall back on the provisional. So for example, Joey Gase Motorsports, bought a set of 2024 owner's points from Jr. Motorsports for their 35 car to fall back on in the first 3 races this season.
Nobody who was a prior series champion or recent winner needed the provisional yesterday, so the field was set based on Top 32 speeds and 6 highest in 2024 owner's points. Brennan Poole qualified 32nd with a time of 1:40:431. The 9 cars who were outside the Top 32 on speed were:
Kris Wright (1:40.527, 17th in OP)
Ryan Ellis (1:40.563, 24th in OP, Was the 91 car in 2024)
Brad Perez (1:40.599, 36th in OP)
Jeremy Clements (1:40.677, 25th in OP)
Parker Retzlaff (1:41.057, 28th in OP, Was the 43 car in 2024)
Kyle Sieg (1:41.269, 23rd in OP)
Baltazar Leguizamon (1:42.090, 16th in OP, JGM bought the 9 car's 2024 points)
Ryan Sieg (No Time Set, 14th in OP)
Thomas Annunziata (No Time Set, 33rd in OP, CFR bought the 29 car's 2024 points)
So based on that, the cutoff for the provisional was 25th in 2024 Owner's Points, which meant the 3 drivers below that line (the 4, 45, and 70) went home.
But provisionals are definitely interesting. It's incredibly unlikely to ever happen, but you can theoretically miss a race from as high as 6th in owner's points.
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u/rabidcobalt 7d ago
Where is the party deck at Bristol? I can’t find it on the seat map.