Anyone been to Daytona?

[camfollower]

Got a holiday planned in May to Florida, and fancy making the journey to Daytona Speedway.  I know there's no races that time of year, unfortunately, but there are tours and track experiences etc.

Just wondered if anyone had been, thoughts of the tours etc.  I'd be travelling from the Orlando area which is about 3hrs round trip, so want it to be decent enough to waste a day on.

http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/?homepage=true


We'll be making the trip in one of these, so it's any excuse to


Clicky

Any of your thoughts, experiences would be really welcome!

[markymark]

I have been but tbh I drove straight through to the beach. You can drive along the beach and at times it was just like a car show. Not long after we had been to the beach there was a shark attack in the ocean where I had been swimming!!

[camfollower]

I always go in the ocean too - bet that was
Shame you didn't go to the Raceway, if only to give me an idea, lol.

[markymark]

I did hang out of the window trying to get a peek at the track

[adminkatana]

Hey,

I went in 2011 to see the last Shuttle Launch, then drove down to Daytona. Met a crazy guy with a diner, who kindly gave us free pizza at 8am? Felt like wondering into someones kitchen really! The beach is great and the track is just enormous. It does feel a bit odd walking around the raceway when it is so quiet with no racing. I didn't go on the tour, so cant comment on that. But there is quite a bit to do in the surrounding area as well.

Be careful with the hire car, we booked a 'nice' one, but got given a 'equal' replacement. It was not equal. It was sh*t, it was certainly a shock to come home to the GTI after two weeks of a 10year old cr*ppy toyota.

One thing that I didn't plan to do, but couldn't resist after seeing a friend go up was a flight in a WWII T6 Texan fighter. The English called it the Harvard and was used as a trainer before people were let loose in a Spitfire. It was at Warbird Adventures at Kissimmee Airfield (about 45minutes from Orlando) It was incredible, I did a quick 30min flight with stunts which was about $250 i think? Its the part of the holiday that has really stuck with me and doing that kind of thing in the UK just seems so expensive and full of red tape. Great opportunity if its your kind of thing!

Hope you have a great holiday!

[camfollower]

Excellent mate   Love the idea of the plane, I'll look into that for sure; your pic is great!

Re: Speedway; be great to see it, wouldn't mind getting driven around at 150+, I think you can even drive it yourself; although quite expensive.

Re: Hire car... I know what you mean about the exchange thing, had that happen before, however on the new Hertz Adrenaline range, they guarantee the actual car down to the colour (or color)

[adminkatana]

Wow, driving around the speedway sounds great!

The plane is awesome, Coming back to the airfield the Pilot said to me (after 20mins of having a go flying) "Ok, if you could just bring her into land" 

Followed what he said and before you know it, you're down. You get to try flying the stunts too which was just incredible.

[camfollower]

Haha, that reminds of this:

[adminkatana]

 

[Powervalve Nige]

Spent the week down there during bike week in 2001, and got to see the US Version of British Superbikes.
Was a real festival type atmosphere especially in the 'In field' - a tunnel takes you under the track, you park your bike and find a spot.
What's really cool is you don't go out the way you came in...
they open a section of the track and you ride down the back straight - where 'Sheeny' came to grief, I was on an R1 - great memories.
Oh and if you decide to go walking along the beach watch out for the dive bombing pelicans 

Me in traffic on the R1... with my buddy Brett Sloan (who was sadly later killed on his bike  )



The weapons...



The beach house, heavy sigh....



the R1 complete with rubber skeleton hanging off the number plate which was 'riveted' onto the sub frame (subsequently got me a tug from Daytona's finest)

[camfollower]

Mate, some proper memories there, looked awesome!   Sorry to hear about your bud.

Think I'll definitely make the drive up there, just a shame there isn't anything going on in May to experience it properly.  Oh well, can't complain too much.

[Powervalve Nige]

Yeah do it bud...
the coast road out to the windmill is beautiful 
Cheers
Nige

[S2 Ant]

Yep, was at the Daytona 400 last year... I thought it was one of those things i had to do whilst over there... wasnt convinced Nascar was going to be that good, its just a big oval after all, but have to say, the atmosphere and the noise and how close you are to the action is superb! Not to mention the value for money, tickets are dirt cheap and its all so well organised!!

When you get to the circuit there are people selling parking on there driveways etc and the closer you are, the more you pay. Actual parking for the circuit is about 2-3 miles away and its free. They used buses to transport people from the parking to the circuit and was run with outstanding organisation! Considering the size of the venue and the amount of people... when we left at the end of the evening, the queue of buses waiting to transport people was bumper to bumper almost the whole way back to the car park, so do not pay to park close to the venue, its really not worth it!

Its not a bad drive up from Orlando either, we were staying a little further away in Davenport, obviously just stick to the limits as there were a lot of coppers around waiting to catch anyone and everyone for speeding or anything else!

Would highly recommend going along! I also had a lairy car whilst over there as well... Dodge Charger jobby from the Hertz Adrenaline range.

The racing was good, huge firework display, fly over from a B52 bomber, everyone is mega friendly and happy to talk about the racing etc

[PDT]

If you are driving from Orlando area take an hour or so to visit Blue Springs on the way there/back, amazing place and you will drive right past on the way.

[camfollower]

Yep, was at the Daytona 400 last year... I thought it was one of those things i had to do whilst over there... wasnt convinced Nascar was going to be that good, its just a big oval after all, but have to say, the atmosphere and the noise and how close you are to the action is superb! Not to mention the value for money, tickets are dirt cheap and its all so well organised!!

When you get to the circuit there are people selling parking on there driveways etc and the closer you are, the more you pay. Actual parking for the circuit is about 2-3 miles away and its free. They used buses to transport people from the parking to the circuit and was run with outstanding organisation! Considering the size of the venue and the amount of people... when we left at the end of the evening, the queue of buses waiting to transport people was bumper to bumper almost the whole way back to the car park, so do not pay to park close to the venue, its really not worth it!

Its not a bad drive up from Orlando either, we were staying a little further away in Davenport, obviously just stick to the limits as there were a lot of coppers around waiting to catch anyone and everyone for speeding or anything else!

Would highly recommend going along! I also had a lairy car whilst over there as well... Dodge Charger jobby from the Hertz Adrenaline range.

The racing was good, huge firework display, fly over from a B52 bomber, everyone is mega friendly and happy to talk about the racing etc

God damn it Ant, that sounds brilliant... except it all seems over by the middle of March until July... I'm going in May, Booo! Cheers for the info tho m8!

@PDT: Cheers man, I'll check it out.