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So, you want to attend a NASCAR race. The most important step to that is buying tickets, and we have some interesting tips and tricks for you to buy tickets to a NASCAR race. From how to buy, to what to look for, to where to sit, we have a definitive guide for you on how to get the best value for your NASCAR ticket.
Our very own Cody Williams already took fans through how to buy NASCAR tickets, so refer to the article above for specifics. The best place to buy NASCAR tickets is directly from the tracks themselves. Every ticket bought from these tracks is 100% verified and authentic, and they are sold at face value.
Yes, fans can go to the secondary market to buy tickets. However, not every track is partnered with a secondary market ticket partner. Only NASCAR-owned tracks are partnered with SeatGeek, and World Wide Technology Raceway is partnered with TicketSmarter. This means that tickets bought for other races may be inauthentic, and those that are authentic are often sold at a big mark-up.
Because of this, it is often safest to buy tickets directly from the tracks unless a race is sold out. As long as tickets remain, it is safest to buy directly from the source.
Again, the above article will give a comprehensive list of all of the discounts NASCAR fans can find at different race tracks. Many tracks offer discounts for kids, veterans, first responders, teachers, and even family packs.
Other times, sponsors will offer special tickets deals, and contests for free tickets. If you happen to work with or be a part of a company that sponsors a race car, they may have a special deal you can take advantage of. Still, once again, the tracks offer the most consistent discounts.
Now that you know where to buy tickets and how to search for discounts, where should you sit at a NASCAR race? Well, this will greatly depend on the type of track you go to, but, here are some general tips.
Higher Up is Usually Better
Unlike most sports where being up close to the action is preferred over sitting up high in the “Cheap Seats”, the seats high up in the grandstands are often priced at a premium for NASCAR races. NASCAR race tracks are far larger than a typical stadium, so fans sitting higher up have a better chance at seeing all or most of the track.
Some fans may prefer to sit lower and closer to the track to feel the raw speed and power of the cars better, so sitting higher up may not be preferred by every fan. However, if fans want to see as much of the track as they can, sitting higher up is generally the better option.
Now, fans do not have to sit up on the top row of every race track to get a full view. Some tracks you can see all the way around from around row 10 or 15. For a safe bet, anything above row 20 should give you a view of the full track at most venues.
Where To Sit At Ovals
The best option for many NASCAR tracks is to sit right at the start-finish line or toward the middle of the front stretch. This allows fans to see who crosses the line first easily, and it provides the best view of the entire track. It’s similar to sitting on the 50-yard line at a football field, where the entire track is viewable from a reasonable distance away. On top of that, press boxes often sit above the start-finish line, which can provide some nice shade on hot days as the sun sets.
However, these tickets are often the most expensive at the venue. If you want to save some money, there are a few other places to search for good seats.
One such place is sitting directly across from pit exit, which is where I personally prefer to sit at races. Many races are won and lost in the pits, and sitting near pit exit gives fans a great view of the race off pit road. If you sit high enough, you can still see the entire track as well at most ovals.
Another option is the restart zone towards turn four. Many races are won and lost on restarts as well, and this gives fans the ability to see what types of jumps drivers get on restarts. Again, it is usually cheaper than sitting near the start-finish line.
Where to Sit at Road Courses
Road Courses are a much different breed in terms of where to sit at races. Fans will never get to see the entire track at most road courses. It’s not about how much of the track you see as much as it is about how much action there is where you sit.
Most road courses have stands near hard braking zones where there is often passing. If you want to see action, then those are usually the best places to go. Turn 7 at Sonoma is one example of this.
Turn one is usually a safe bet at most road courses. There is often plenty of action on restarts, and fans can still see pit exit at some road courses while sitting there. Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, and COTA all have grandstands in turn one.
Oftentimes the last corner is a good place to go. Fans can watch battles for the win go all the way down to the last corner of the last lap. Tracks like Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval offer great views of the final few turns of their road course.
At road courses, sitting at the start-finish line may have some drawbacks. Fans can see pit road and the start-finish line itself, which cannot be seen at many sections around a road course. However, there is usually not much racing action on the straightaway at a road course, where the line is. Usually, the action is in the turns.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis is getting its own section because it is an entirely different beast than any race track NASCAR foes at. It is a race track that fans should treat like a road course when buying tickets to it. Even though it is an oval, no seat allows fans to see the entire track. Therefore, fans must prioritize.
Turn one is always a hot ticket at Indianapolis. The upper deck in turn one offers views of around half of the race track, and fans will not be looking through fencing to see down a long front stretch.
It’s a similar story in all other turns at Indianapolis. Similar to COTA, if fans sit on the front stretch, they may see pit road and the finish well, but the actual racing does not happen as much on the straightaway as it does in the corners. On top of that, it does not offer a view of most of the track.
These are just some tips and tricks for where to sit when buying tickets to a NASCAR race. Where do you want to sit when you head to your first NASCAR race?
