Daytona or the Chili Bowl

[minabruuke]

I'm in need of a little help. As I have previously posted I am going incredibly insane without Nascar. I am trying desperately to figure out a way to go to the Chili Bowl or the Daytona 500. I'm a college student so my funds are beyond tight. On top of it, it has taken my friends almost a year to finally except that I am permanently obsessed with Nascar and that there is nothing they can do about it. They are all those high school prom queen type girls that are far to concerned with how they look then anything else, I love them to death but we are quite different. They havee to except I will always be a fan of racing and I must except that I am never going to convince them to go to a race(especially if that includes camping). So I have to do my race travelling alone. I've decided I can't wait any longer then Daytona in Feb. to go to a race. So that leaves me with the option of the Chili Bowl or the Daytona 500...that is if I can find a cheap enough way to go.
So my question for all of yous is which event would you most recommend for what it is going to end up costing? Also, I could use as many suggestions as possible on how to make the trip as cheap as possible. I have no problem camping in a tent but I can't even find an afordable place to do that in Daytona. Everything wouldn't seem so expensive if I had people to split the cost with but adding the ticket, travel, and lodging cost really adds up when your on your own. Any ideas to cut the costs would be greatly appreciated. Or if you know anyone else in the same situation taht may want to share a camping spot or something like that it would be awesome.
Thanks!

[bigolepig]

Wowie...THAT is a tough question. Both would be incredible to attend. Personally I would like to do the Chili Bowl...but the 500 is on my short list of things to do in life too...:p

[knute2]

Hey man, both races would be cool, but if I had to choose one it would be Daytona. I have no idea for the cost and stuff. You got to do alot of reasearch for that see whats out there. Its alot easier if you have someone, at least 1 person who wants to go. Try to sell it to them as an experience rather than just a race. Like the drive down, camping, the people, food...BEER!!! ect ect. For years I have tried to get my best friends who "enjoy" a race now and then on TV and usually are at the Loudon, NH races every summer to pack up my camper, and head to Bristol Tennessee for the night race. I tried for 4 years and always priced it out where it wasnt even that bad of a cost for the whole week. Well this year I found 3 totally different friends from school who I really only knew from classes and the bar that I worked at. Turns out they all Love Nascar, we all had diffenent favorites but we all wanted to go to Bristol, and it didnt take long for me to convince them to say yes. We all packed up my old pop up camper and took off one night to make it there just in time for the truck race, also saw the nationwide and cup of course. It was an amaizing trip and did it with 3 awesome guys.

You just got to find the same type people I did, it took me 4 years, but it happened and I will never forget it. As for girls, I dont think you will have much luck convince abunch of them to just go with you...tho how awesome would that be haha. But girlfriends are easy to convince, espically if you have a friend or two into racing and they both have girl firends. In that case you can either ditch the girls, or take them along and they usually have a blast too once the experience a nascar race.

If you dont find a crew for Daytona by feburary let me know, maybe I will have you pick me up in NC, im here now in the heart of nascar country training to soon be on a over the wall pit crew.(tire carrier). No way I will be in the 500, possibily the ARCA race the week before, slight change of the truck race but if Im on a cup team at all next season it will just be support crew. Good luck, and after Daytona you must check out the Bristol night race...unreal there

[knute2]

LOL, after I just wrote that I looked at your profile and realized you are a girl, now the girl comment you wrote makes alot more sence haha. But I do have a solution, find a boyfriend who loves nascar.

your from madison, do you go to the University of Wisconsion there?

[minabruuke]

I'm from Madison,WI but living in West Lafayette, IN going to Purdue. My "boyfriend" or whatever he was from this past summer was on a cup crew so I was a bit spoiled but we haven't talked in awhile...long story...! Not so sure any of the other guys I met on crews last year even have a definite job this coming season...

Yeah my female friends won't go...it means camping which means no hair drier, curling iron, flat iron, stiletto's or whatever else they find a necessity. My guy friends would love to go but their schedules aren't quite as flexible as mine so they couldn't go to either event. I went to Michigan alone last June and had a blast but that wasn't quite as far or costly!! The Spring Bristol race is over our spring break so a couple of them are going to that with me..I'm extremely excited for that.

I'm leaning towards Daytona..as Florida seems a far better vacation...Oklahoma is a state I once swore I'd never step foot in but I might have to make an exception.

I'm totally jealous your in the Charlotte area. I fell in love with it there over the summer. I'd move to Mooresville in a heartbeat if there was somewhere I could finish my degree within a sensible distance. I'm to the point I'd rather just get a job as a pr rep and be done with school for awhile but I don't think there is any chance of that and my friends would probably strangle me for not finishing this portion of my education first!!

By the way I enjoy reading about your pit crew school every week..thanks for keeping us all informed and entertained.

[redfrog]

Wish I could help you, but I live only 3 hrs away from Daytona, so the race has always been a day trip for me. But if anything changes, I'll let you know.

[rcushenberry1]

Just noticed your post. No question, the Chili Bowl will be your least expensive trip. No camping, but hotels are $69-89 a night. If my photos are still posted somewhere here, take a look. Where can you have access to the pits and drivers for almost nothing. Tony S, Kasey Kane, JJ Yeley and the other 270 drivers are just a foot away( full access). Go to Chilibowl.com and take a look. Let me know if you have any other questions. I have been to this race for the last 6 years and I am hooked. We stay in campground on the propety for $30 a day full hook ups about 200 yards to the building (Expo Center) where the races are held. Everything is inside so the weather is not a problem.
Rick
On the opening page of Nascar caming.com scroll down all the way to the bottom of the page. In the middle of the page click on Chili Bowl and you can see a sample of the photos I took. I had no special pit passes or garage pass but just a ticket to the races. We spent hours in the "pit area" just walking around taking all the photos you wanted.
Rick

[minabruuke]

Thanks for the info! It looks like a blast. Not sure I should be allowed that close to Kasey Kahne though;) So if I do chose to do that I really don't need to purchase the pit pass they have listed on the chili bowl web page, I can get down there even without it?

[Nascarcamping]

Rick, I was hoping you where going to pipe in on the Chili Bowl, I still remember that ice picture!!!

Daytona is more than a race as mentioned above ( who said that) it is an experience.

Solution?

Do both.

I got a few ideas for you, and will pm them to you:)

[rcushenberry1]

Pit passes are not needed until 4pm when hot laps start, pits open to any ticket holder from 8am -4pm and after the races/ about 10pm till ? . most everyone just hangs out in the pits and workc on there cars and drinks.:mrgreen:

[Buddlite]

Granted given your current circumstanses Chilli Bowl might be the ticket. But you need to do Daytona at one point, as mr C says it is an experience that everyone should do at least once.

[rcushenberry1]

Here is Kasey after a race on the floor of the arena.