A number of my friends ask me about my love of NASCAR and they have many questions. 1) Why do you go to so many races? 2) Why do you camp at NASCAR races? 3) Wouldn’t it be better staying in a hotel? and 4) Is camping cheaper?
Well to start off, I simply love the sport of NASCAR. The excitement, the fun, the camaraderie and most of all, my daughter loves NASCAR. It’s a huge opportunity for father-daughter bonding and/or a family vacation that is indeed priceless.
We started out booking hotel and race packages through tour companies. This was the best way to get started and we enjoyed a number of races together. Our first race was at Charlotte for the Coca Cola 600 and we had a great time. She was smiling the entire weekend. My daughter recently turned 18 and we still go to races. Now we camp and of course, Dad still pays for the vacation, and now pays for the boyfriend as well. Oh well.
I have only gone to one race without my daughter and that was under the lights at Bristol. This was also my first exposure to camping at a NASCAR race and camping in general. To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of camping.
I went with a group of guys and I couldn’t believe the difference. Camping turned what was going to race, into a week long, action-packed NASCAR race experience. We arrived Monday and the “race” wasn’t Saturday night. What was I going to do for an entire week? All the other races were more or less an extended weekend. To my surprise there was non-stop action from the day we arrived to the day we left. We couldn’t even fit in all the things we wanted to do. There were over 15 events at the track – practices, qualifying and we took in all three NASCAR races and we spent a lot time walking around the haulers.
If we weren’t at the track, we were playing redneck games (e.g., hillbilly golf, corn-hole [what Canadians called bean bag toss], touring the campground, going to tailgate parties and experiencing some of the best culture in the world; and that is the “redneck” culture.
I met some of the nicest people in the world at the campground. It included people from all walks of life, from your groups with a tent to people with million dollar motorhomes. And guess what, these people all had one thing in common – the love of NASCAR. This brought them together which created a very unique opportunity to learn about the NASCAR “camping” and “redneck” culture. As a Canadian, I was so surprised at what this culture had to offer; from “redneck” foods such as deep-fried turkey to an alcoholic drink called “apple pie” and all the fun and games.
There is an intangible created when you camp at or across the road from the race track. It creates an atmosphere that it simply fun, fun fun! You can hear the cars start-up for the morning practice session, and then see the flood of race fans heading towards the track. Its exciting!
I had one of the best times of my life camping at Bristol. I would never stay in a hotel again. Staying in a hotel an hour or more from the track is not the same. You cannot create the same atmosphere staying in a hotel room. You do the same things you do in every other vacation: complain about the pool being too cold; go out for dinner and drinks and sit in your hotel room watching TV. Add in a race or two, and that is your NASCAR vacation staying in a hotel room.
My friends don’t really get this, but I think if you have gone to race you know the hotel package isn’t a NASCAR race experience. It’s a race and don’t get me wrong its still exciting and fun to see a race under any situation.
Now let’s talk about the cost. Believe it or not camping can be more expensive unless you own at trailer or motorhome. RV dealers charge a premium for NASCAR races and require a minimum rental period of 4 nights to an entire week. Some places charge upwards of $700 per night for a luxury motorhome. Then there is the cost of diesel fuel, mileage, propane usage, generator usage, pump outs, campsite and many other hidden expenses including charges for cleaning, bedding, kitchen sets and personal care packages. Renting an RV is away more than a hotel room per night, but when you factor in meals its about the same price and camping is away more fun.
There is a huge downside to camping if you are a novice. You need training on how the operate the RV including the generator, hot water tank, the toilet and holding tank and so much more. Then there is parking the RV at the campsite and making sure the RV is level. If you’re novice, you need to be at the campground early because parking an RV can be extremely challenging.
As a novice I found an easier way to camp. Pay a little extra and book through a tour company offering a camping package. They provide you with a worry-free and no hassle approach to experience all that NASCAR has to offer. You can also get “all inclusive” packages where meals are prepared for you. They have on-site staff to ensure your camping experience is pleasurable and importantly maintain the RV for you.
If you are thinking about a NASCAR vacation, explore all your options. Trust me, camping is the better way to go. It’s the ultimate NASCAR experience and with NASCAR tour company offering a camping package, it’s the only way to go. You may think it may cost a little more, but when you factor in the cost eating out for 3 to 5 days, camping ends up being cheaper and it so much better. You can also go an less expensive route by camping in a trailer or Class C motorhome, but the Class A motorhomes are beautiful.
Enter NASCAR vacation in Google and you will find travel agents or tour companies that offer camping vacation packages or go to http://www.garnertravel.ca/nascar.shtml
NASCAR fan with an interest in promoting NASCAR RV camping in Canada. I have been to many tracks and love camping at “redneck” tracks including Bristol, Talladega and Richmond.
