What better combination than tens of thousands of people, fast cars, and Las Vegas! This page will tell you everything you need to know to get the most out of the NASCAR experience.
We are the first to admit that auto racing isn’t for everyone. Watching cars race around a track can be a bit boring, especially if you don’t know exactly what is going on. NASCAR, however, is incredibly popular across the U.S., and a lot of the reasoning behind that is the experience that the company puts on for its live events.
Las Vegas is lucky enough to be a city that gets to host a NASCAR race each year, and if you are curious about the sport or looking for something to do that isn’t playing slot machines, then we suggest you arrange y9uor travels to be in town for when the racing teams come to town! Let’s give you a little primer on the event and why you just might change your tune about the sport after you see it live.
About NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas
NASCAR has come calling to Las Vegas for years and is hosted at the Las Vegas International Motor Speedway. The Speedway can be found about 15 minutes north of the top end of the Strip, making it easily accessible by many forms of transportation.
The NASCAR weekend (name changes depending on sponsors) is typically earlier in the calendar year, between February and April. This is so the cars, drivers, and spectators are not subject to the brutal desert heat. The NASCAR race is one of the tops attended sporting events across the United States each year, with more than 80,000 people coming to watch the race. This is a show unlike any other in sports, combining strategy, speed, and skill all in an exhilarating spectacle unfolding on the track.
How to get the most out of NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas
Ok, so if you are curious about the event or have decided to take the plunge and attend the event, there are a few pointers that will be extremely helpful in navigating your way around the race. Our team of experts has put together a little cheat sheet for you, so you have the most entertaining time possible.
It’s not just the one race!
This is the first thing to remember here – the NASCAR race itself is only one of several races that will take place during the weekend. Moving all the equipment and people necessary to put on the race into a city is no small effort, so to be more cost-efficient, there are other, smaller circuit races held on the track as well. This means that if you want to check out some racing but don’t necessarily want to pay for the main race, you can get tickets to something else and still get a sense of what the track is like.
Get VIP passes to see the most interesting things
Like anything in Las Vegas, the more you play, the more you get! You will see on the race website that there are many different ticket packages, but since this is something you may only attend once, we suggest that you spend a little more money to get the most out of your time at the track. There are tickets that give you better viewing spots (closer to the pits and the Start/Finish line) as well as some that allow you into the Winner’s Lane. You can also get passes that include tours of the facility, which is definitely a sight to see all by itself!
Rent an RV and hit the Infield
If you want to take things to an even higher level, then you and some friends should rent an RV and make your way to the infield (the middle of the track) where you can set up shop for the weekend. This is one of the biggest parties you will ever attend, and you will still be able to get a great view of the race from the many viewing areas.
Look for other sanctioned events during the weekend
The races alone are not the only things happening during a NASCAR weekend in Las Vegas. With so many celebrities in town for the event, the resorts are full of different signing appearances, VIP parties, and other events that you can immerse yourself fully in everything NASCAR! MGM is the main casino sponsor of the event so you should try to stay at one of their properties to take full advantage of any available perks.
It is LOUD.
There is no way to prepare yourself for how loud a NASCAR race is when you are watching it live. There are forty cars racing around the track at up to 200 miles per hour, and all those engines make a huge noise. The sound can be incredible, but you should be prepared with earplugs, so you don’t get beaten down by the hours of white noise thrust at your eardrums.
Also, you should know that the race takes place in the evening (again, for heat purposes). So, if you are planning to go to the race, we suggest you take it easy during the day as you will be sitting in the stands for a long time.
No matter what your interest level is in NASCAR today, we promise you that if you attend the Las Vegas NASCAR event, you will come away with a much higher appreciation for what these drivers do on a weekly basis. Who knows, maybe the Las Vegas NASCAR weekend will be a recurring weekend on your travel calendar!