Monday, February 15, 2010

Daytona 500, Daytona Beach

I went the Granddaddy yesterday for the first time. Tickets came with free parking so the extra $17 over the listed ticket price they tacked on wasn't so infuriating. I left at 11:30 and made it to 44 before the traffic started. Smartly, I choose to take that road to 95 and had no traffic until I hit 400 (which was only about a mile from the lot). Why the light to turn left onto the road that the lot is on is not closed down is a mystery. I would have made the start had not some retarded cop opened up the handicapped lane to the first entrance 1 second after I passed him and the retarded red neck traffic volunteer at the entrance forced me to go down one more street onto another entryway. I lost about 45 minutes going that extra 400 yards.

The lot was a swamp. The buses took no time loading or getting us to the track. I was good for about 80 laps and then some hill billy family finally showed up in the seats next to me and their adult daughter stood up every lap to take a photo. Coincidentally, I got fed up and left just as the pot hole was discovered. I walked around the back. There was a great vantage spot at the Budweiser Patio. It took a little longer to get back to the lot. They forced you to take the long way back to I4 (of course). But, there was no traffic. I watched the end on TV.

Big (potential tip): I think they stop taking tickets after lap 100. I think you can walk in and watch from the fence or up at the Budweiser area. Don't quote me on this though.

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