Planning to go to a NASCAR race soon or maybe even next year? Well, one essential thing every NASCAR fan who is planning to attend a race is to pack a cooler. NASCAR is one of the few sporting leagues left in the world that still allows outside food and/or drink to be brought into the racing facility in a cooler. But where do you need to start when deciding what all you need to include in your cooler when expecting to attend a NASCAR event? What are some of the restrictions tracks have in place for the safety of all fans? We here at the Daily Downforce thought it’d be a good idea to break it down for you. Here’s everything you need and what you should consider when packing a cooler for a NASCAR race! Check it out!
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For starters, let’s talk about what kind of cooler you want to pack and take to a NASCAR event. While the contents of the cooler will largely determine the weight of it, the material it’s made out of will also add to the overall pounds of the cooler. So, while you can take hard-cased coolers at some tracks (most have outlawed them, though), it’s better to err on the side of caution and comfort. For instance, my favorite cooler to take is a backpack cooler that can be thrown over the shoulders and carried with ease.
At many NASCAR tracks (including all SMI tracks) fans are limited to 2 bags per person (not counting bags received from merchandise haulers). In the case of Bristol Motor Speedway, coolers cannot exceed 14″x14″x14″. The coolers and bags you pack typically do not have to be transparent, but different tracks have different rules. So, keep that in mind while preparing your cooler for your next NASCAR event. It would be wise to research your specific track’s dos and don’ts when it comes to prohibited items.
What you need to put some serious thought into when it comes to packing a cooler for a NASCAR race is what you’re going to use to keep the contents cooled. Typically, I use various icepacks that you can easily reuse by just chucking them in the freezer when you’re done. Some fans use actual ice, and that’s fine. The problem with ice, though, is that it melts and can produce standing water at the bottom of your cooler. So, if you’re taking sandwich supplies, you might want to steer clear of bags of ice.
Speaking from experience, it can get mighty hot at NASCAR races, especially in the summer months. It’s imperative that you, as a fan, stay hydrated, and the best way to do that is by including drinks in your cooler. Obviously, that’s primarily what your cooler is for, isn’t it? When I attend a NASCAR race, I usually pack a lot of water and one or two bottles of Powerade. My dad, however, typically always packs a few 24-ounce bottles of Mountain Dew.
Another popular beverage for fans to pack is beer. I get it—prices at the concession stands are outrageous! One thing to keep in mind, though, is that glass bottles are explicitly prohibited inside NASCAR facilities. If you show up to check into a NASCAR racetrack with glass-bottled beer or even soda, you’ll be turned away. So, when needing your booze fix, spring for aluminum cans.
Insulated cups (like Stanley’s cups, for example) are allowed in the track. So, if you want to pack your cup full of ice and use the contents of the cooler to refill it throughout the day, go for it by all means!
Unlike a lot of other sporting leagues (and seemingly one of NASCAR’s biggest appeals), outside food and drink are allowed in your cooler as you enter the track. This can range from simple snacks such as crackers and peanuts to even sandwiches if you’re looking to get through the weekend as cheaply as possible. My go-to is to pack a few packs of Austin peanut butter sandwich crackers, and my dad usually takes a few chocolate chip cookies.
Last year, when I attended the spring Darlington race, my mom and I packed pre-made bologna and cheese sandwiches with packaged mustard and mayo. You can pack almost anything in the snacking area, from chips to cookies to sandwiches. Just make sure they’re packed away in a plastic baggie and not glass, and have a great time!
I’m including this in an article that is generally about cooler contents because I also pack my sunscreen in the side pocket of my cooler so that I always have it. Long days in the sun at the track (especially if said track has aluminum bleachers) can give way to a miserable week or two of sun poisoning. Trust me, I’ve been there! So please, do yourself a favor and pack sunscreen. Typically, all sunscreen forms are allowed inside a NASCAR facility, be it in lotion form or from an aerosol can. Note that sunscreen is the only item you can bring from an aerosol can. All others are prohibited.
When packing a cooler for a NASCAR race, keep in mind that simplicity is almost always the best option. If you cram it full of food you’re probably never going to eat, it just makes the cooler heavier to lug around. Focus primarily on drinks and add food items as needed.
Now that we’ve talked about what you should pack in the event that you’re packing a cooler for a NASCAR race, let’s talk about some items that are typically prohibited and could get you turned around at the gate.
Possessing any of these items listed above will get you turned away at the gate. Track officials will inspect your cooler to make sure it’s free of any potentially dangerous substances or items. Play it safe and adhere to the track’s rules regarding prohibited items so that you can have a fun and annoyance free race weekend.
That does it for us, NASCAR fans! What are some of your favorite items to pack in a cooler for a NASCAR race? Do you also agree that simple is usually the better and more lightweight route to take? What kind of drinks and snacks do you typically pack? What’s your favorite cooler brand to use? Let us know all of that and more by commenting on all of our social media platforms.
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After the season-opening race at Daytona, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to yet another drafting-style track–the EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway). This race part of a thrilling NASCAR double-header with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series slated to follow. Here’s what you need to keep an eye on in today’s Fr8 Racing 208 at EchoPark Speedway.
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Brad Keselowski showed he can still wheel it at Daytona, establishing that even a broken femur, one of the worst hits an athlete can take, could not keep him on the sidelines. In fact, on the final lap, he was still in the hunt, attempting to go three-wide with Elliott before Riley Herbst’s move up the track wrecked both his plans and his car, leaving him with a P5 finish. Now, while he is ready for the Atlanta race on Sunday, his planned COTA run on March 1, 2026, hangs in the air, as he is still recovering from his injury, and a road course race requires more strength and leg work than oval races. Hence, Joey Hand is lined up as the relief driver for the No. 6 Ford.
Speaking in the Atlanta media scrum, Keselowski said he is glad to have Hand in the wings, noting he serves as Ford’s reserve for road courses. Hand has raced and won across the globe, even finishing P4 in the Chicago Street race back in 2024 for RFK Racing. That’s why Keselowski called him “a great guy,” adding that “he’s been very helpful.”
Still, with Hand being smaller in build, fitting him into the RFK Racing co-owner’s seat could pose a risk. When Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass floated the idea of Keselowski starting the race and then handing over mid-way, the 2012 Cup champ left the door open. “No, it is possible. So we kind of run through all that. and we’ve got a lot of good options with it,” he said, keeping all cards on the table.
The team has already been laying the groundwork, and Keselowski sounds like someone bracing for a game-time call on whether he can go the distance. He admitted, “I’m going to just see how I feel. I’ve got some more stuff, tests next week to get through with medical tests and physical tests, and I’ll probably just see how those go and make a decision on what’s best for the team,” after navigating the G-forces at Atlanta and eyeing more medical checkups.
That leaves the door ajar for a split-duty play, where Keselowski could start the race to bank points and then hand over the wheel to a stand-in, most likely Hand, if Keselowski’s leg refuses to cooperate.
During the off-season, Keselowski broke his right femur in an accident while he was on a trip with his family, out skiing, in December 2025. He was cleared for the Daytona 500, but road courses like COTA demand more from the body. Even during Daytona Speedweeks, he hinted that while he could handle straight-line racing, a full road-course grind might be a different beast. Ahead of the season opener, the RFK Racing owner was seen moving through the garage with a cane, indicating that the road back still has miles left.
After Daytona’s chaotic run at the superspeedway, packed with fuel-saving, pileups, and a last-lap crash before Tyler Reddick drove it home to hand 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin, and Michael Jordan their first Daytona 500 win, the 38-driver pack is now ready to go to the next mini superspeedway stop, EchoPark Speedway. But rain and lightning have already pulled the plug on Cup Series qualifying on Saturday morning, so the metric will set the grid. Here’s where the field will roll off for the Autotrader 400.
The formula previously relied on four criteria: the car’s rank in owner standings (35%), the driver’s finish in the last race (25%), the car’s finish in the last race (25%), and the driver’s fastest-lap rank (15%). For full-time pairings, the two 25% chunks often merged into one 50% slice. But for 2026, NASCAR trimmed the math. Now it will all come down to the car’s place in owner standings (30%) and the entry’s finish in the last race (70%).
By that yardstick, Reddick seizes pole for Sunday and the first pit box of the season’s second round. If 23XI keeps him in the hunt through the draft at Atlanta, he could go back-to-back and start the year two for two.
Team Penske will get another chance at a superspeedway-style track. Joey Logano, who finished the Daytona race last weekend in P3 and won his Duel, will line up alongside Reddick on the front row. The former Atlanta resident will return to the ground he knows well, and if the calendar keeps its rhythm, his even-year run could start early.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., runner-up in the 500, will start from the third.
On his outside will sit hometown hope Chase Elliott, who came within a turn of stealing Daytona before Herbst tagged the rear of the No. 9 and sent it into the wall, leaving him fourth. But given that he still showed he can slice through traffic on a drafting track and be there when it counts, it might pay off very well at Atlanta. He left Florida without the trophy but with points in hand, two wins on the track, and an average finish of 11.4. He might just be the fan-favorite in Atlanta.
Rounding out the top five is Brad Keselowski, who opened the points season in P5. It is not a bad way to kick off the year, and the former EchoPark winner and last summer’s runner-up understands how to stay in the fight here.
Zane Smith, Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst, Bubba Wallace, and Josh Berry fill out the top ten on the grid.
Casey Mears in the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford will sit this one out after the team pulled the entry due to damage from Daytona Speedweeks.
Meanwhile, open teams JJ Yeley in the No. 44 for NY Racing and BJ McLeod in the No. 78 for Live Fast Motorsports raced their way in. However, the Austin Dillon and BJ McLeod entries failed inspection twice, leading to the ejection of their car chiefs and the loss of pit stall selection.
