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Post by mzza111 on Aug 19, 2015 21:12:24 GMT
I'm checking off a bucket list item this weekend and going to the NASCAR race on Saturday night at Bristol! If you've been to the track, do you have any insider info or tips?
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Post by lancermom on Aug 19, 2015 22:09:26 GMT
We used to have season tickets to Michigan. We noticed that they took all those bleachers down. We are hoping in four years when oldest graduates we can go to more again. If it's your first race do not wear white! It will be black when you leave. I miss going to races, colors are so different, the sounds and people are fascinating!
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Post by ~Sherri~ on Aug 19, 2015 22:20:51 GMT
We live about 20 minutes from Bristol and have never gone to the races in the 30+ years we gave lived here. I do know that traffic can be a pain in the neck since Bristol is not a huge city. I hope you have a wonderful time and beautiful weather for the races!!
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,467 
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Post by edie3 on Aug 19, 2015 22:33:27 GMT
We are driving up Saturday. Make sure you rent headphones, if you do not have any. Only way to keep up with the action on the track. Where are you coming from?
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Post by gmcwife1 on Aug 19, 2015 22:46:08 GMT
Oh have fun!!! Bristol is one of the more interesting races to watch!! I'm on the west coast so I've never been  |
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Post by Kelpea on Aug 19, 2015 22:56:00 GMT
Have a great time! It's a great race. If you have time, please visit some of the interesting musical locales, as Bristol is (arguably) the beginning of country music in the US.http://www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/
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Post by mzza111 on Aug 19, 2015 23:04:17 GMT
We are driving up Saturday. Make sure you rent headphones, if you do not have any. Only way to keep up with the action on the track. Where are you coming from? We are flying from LAX to CLT and staying near Boone, NC on Friday & Saturday. We are bringing our scanners & headsets. My biggest concern is parking. From what I've read it sounds like there is limited space. |
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,467
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Post by edie3 on Aug 19, 2015 23:09:10 GMT
I would plan on arriving early to get good parking. Try to park so you can turn the right way to leave. Does that make sense? You can kinda scope things out on Friday if you are going to the Friday race. Boone is gorgeous! There are lots of hills at Bristol, you really cant get to the track without walking up hill alot. Are you taking 421 to the track? DH says there is less traffic that way.
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julieb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,845
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Post by julieb on Aug 20, 2015 0:15:35 GMT
I thought your post would be that Bristol Palin's unborn baby was fathered by a Nascar driver.  |
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Post by volunteergirl on Aug 20, 2015 0:57:09 GMT
If you tell me which road you are coming in on and where you are sitting, I can tell you where to park. There is plenty of parking everywhere; it's just knowing where to park that makes it so much easier to get out.
Souvenir trailers are in the front of the track. If you want, there are shuttles that you can take to the top of the hills, if that is where your entry gate is.
This is the loudest place I have ever been. You may want ear plugs even with your scanner.
Each level has plenty of bathrooms and food vendors. They are under the track seats, so it is cooler and a little quieter if you need a break.
Police hold race traffic from driving on the road in front of the track for 45 minutes after race end.
Ask if if you have any more questions. We love race fans!
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Post by mzza111 on Aug 20, 2015 4:19:19 GMT
volunteergirl. We are sitting in the Kulwicki Terrace. Mapquest said to take the 321 but I was going to ask at the hotel if that was the best route. We are planning to get there really early so we can walk around the fan zone and souvenir haulers.
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Post by femalebusiness on Aug 20, 2015 4:47:04 GMT
I thought your post would be that Bristol Palin's unborn baby was fathered by a Nascar driver. Now that's funny right there! |
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Post by cindyupnorth on Aug 20, 2015 17:33:09 GMT
I thought they weren't having the old time souvenir haulers anymore? just some fan zone thing?
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Post by volunteergirl on Aug 20, 2015 17:46:36 GMT
Mzza111, taking 321 will bring you right in front of the track. You have several good parking options before you even get to the track. Lots of people rent their yards and watch your car for you.
My personal choice would be to drive past the track and take a left onto Exide Dr. Lots of parking along this road, and you can take a right onto Bethel Dr. and find lots more. On Bethel, we have personally used the apartments on the left and Anthony's fields on the right. It's an easy walk right across to the track and gets you near the trailers and fan zone. It is also just up the hill to your seats.
If you go this way, I can tell you the back way out.
Another choice is to take 394 before you get to the track. There are lots of campgrounds on this road that also have parking. A shuttle runs from the crest of the hill down into the track. It's not too close to the vendors and fan zone, but it is close to your seats and has an easy back way back into Johnson City once the race is over. There aren't any shuttles back to your car after the race though.
Have a great time and stay hydrated! It has been really humid here this week. |
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,467
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Post by edie3 on Aug 20, 2015 20:54:02 GMT
And go JUNIOR!
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 21, 2015 0:18:09 GMT
Last year ( or the one before that) I though people were talking about Palin and I couldn't figure the thread out. Now, thanks to peaa, at least I know it is a race
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Aug 21, 2015 0:50:04 GMT
Get ear plugs!!!! You WILL need them! If it's sunny, sunscreen and reapply!
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Post by mzza111 on Aug 27, 2015 19:58:43 GMT
I'm back from Bristol, OMG it was AWESOME! The loudness is indescribable. The fan friendliness of the track was unbelievable. My dad and I had so much fun, words just can't explain how great our trip was. We ended up parking on someone's lawn for $20 which was well worth it. They even gave us a welcome goodie bag, had a port-o-potty and gave free bottled water. It made leaving super easy. The drive up on 321 was great. The bummer driving back was that we couldn't find the same route back and some of the roads were not on the big paper state map we had. We ended up taking the 421 back!!!  It was as bad as I had heard but I did it! We had a car in front of us & a car behind us so we all went slow and it turned out fine. I was gripping the steering wheel so hard that I have calluses on my palms. My dad joked that we need to make tshirts that say "we survived 421"! The best part was the next day when we looked thru all our packages and found a small map in our parking goodie bag that would have gotten us back on the 321!  Not sure I like the new merchandise tent that replaced the haulers. It didn't seem like the had they same smaller items. There were only two small bummers, Jr Motorsports stopped making the Dale Yeah shirts and Hendrick Motorsports got rid of their smashed penny machine. volunteergirl Thanks for all the tips they were a big help. |
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,467
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Post by edie3 on Aug 27, 2015 22:34:16 GMT
mzza111 I was wondering what you thought of it all. We went up 421, but asked DH if we could come home another way. Beautiful scenery, though, right? Glad it was everything you hoped it would be.
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It was as bad as I had heard but I did it! We had a car in front of us & a car behind us so we all went slow and it turned out fine. I was gripping the steering wheel so hard that I have calluses on my palms. My dad joked that we need to make tshirts that say "we survived 421"!