Southeastern Road Trip

Hey everybody, my name is Austin, I am new to the forum here. First of all I can't believe I did not find this place sooner, it's great to have a forum with other road trip enthusiasts. I am a road trip rookie I guess you could say (even though I have made lots of trips to and from specific locations, sporting events. and nascar races) but I have never just done a flat out road trip. By comparison to most of you all, the road trip I am doing is fairly short and meager, but for me I am very excited about it.

Originally I was going to do a 2 week southern road trip, starting in Orlando (where I live) and then traveling up the coast to Southport, NC and then head up through the Shenandoah Valley and into West Virginia (where I grew up) and then finally over to Nashville and Memphis, down through Mississippi and New Orleans, and then back over through Mobile and the Florida panhandle. I did not have quite the time or money to make that happen so here is the road trip that I have come up with:

Southern Road Trip
Starting in Orlando and traveling up I-4 to Daytona Beach, meeting up with US - 1 and taking US - 1/A1A up through St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Fernandina Beach. At that point I am going to take a combination of I-95 and US 17 up through the Georgia coast and into Savannah. After visiting Savannah I planned on getting back on I-16, hit I-95 going into South Carolina, and then taking US 17 again going into Charleston. At that point I plan on taking US 17 up the South Carolina coast thourgh Myrtle Beach and into Southport and Wilmington, NC. In Wilmington I was going to take US 74 through the eastern piedmont and through Rockington heading towards Charlotte. After making a stop in Charlotte, Concord, and Mooresville (being the nascar fan that I am), get on I-85 and then hit US 74 until I-26 and then hit US 64 and take that through the Appalachians into Tennessee. I then plan on stopping in Madisonville to visit a friend and then take US 64 or US 27 into Chattanooga. In Chattanooga join up to US 27 and take US 27 down through Columbus and most of Georgia, hitting US 82 and then taking US 19 from Albany. Finally, I am going to take US 19 back into Florida through Marianna and Perry and then take State Road 50 back into Orlando to finish off the trip.

I am really looking forward to seeing the true south outside of the major cities and what you see off the interstates. I absolutely love old historic southern cities and I have always wanted to see Charleston and Savannah. Most of the time is just going to be spent traveling and just trying to take in the local sights and getting some good local food along the way. Here is kind of how I have planned the days:

Day 1 - Stop in St. Augustine or Ponte Vedra Beach
Day 2 - Stop in Savannah
Day 3 - Savannah
Day 4 - Stop in Charleston
Day 5 - Charleston
Day 6 - Stop in Wilmington(being from Florida Myrtle Beach doesn't entice me)
Day 7 - Stop somewhere in NC Piedmont
Day 8 - Stop in Charlotte
Day 9 - Stop in Madisonville
Day 10 - Stop somewhere in Georgia
Day 11 - Stop somewhere in south Georgia/north Florida
Day 12 - Arrive back in Florida

Obviously I have tried to leave some leeway in here, especially near the end of the trip (I could easily make it from Madisonville back to Orlando in 1 day but what's the fun in that). I am obviously going to stay with my friend in Madisonville and am looking at a combination of spending half the nights sleeping in my car and the other in low budget hotels (just so I can get a good shower). I am going to try to pack a cooler with most of my food but I also want a taste of some great southern food.

Here is what I have budgeted for this trip:
Gas: $250 (outside of cities I usually get about 35 miles/gallon)
Lodging: $300 (5 nights in hotels averaging $50 plus tax)
Food: $275 ($25 a day, not really intending on anything major last day)
Other/Souvenirs: $175
Total: $1000

I have a couple questions that hopefully some of you all can answer. First of all how does that budget and my schedule look? Am I kidding myself trying to cover that much ground (I don't intend on seeing absolutely everything) and do you think that money looks sufficient? I will have a credit and debit card so if I had to I do have emergency money, but the $1000 is what I am trying to budget.

The other questions I have are more about the trip itself. Are there any close by areas that I am missing that I must see? For the cities I am visiting what are some of the must see areas? I have never been to Savannah or Charleston so I really have no clue what to see. Obviously I do not have much money to visit so I am favoring the free or cheap sites and I won't be eating at any of the really famous restaurants, but I want to get a flavor and truly experience the cities, even if it just sitting at a park in some historic area. I am going in January because with it should be the off-season and hotels/attractions should have some discounts. So really any advice or must-see sites on my road trip in general would be a great help! I absolutely can not wait for it!

Austin

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You seem to have done quite a bit of planning already and clearly have a custom-tailored RoadTrip ahead of you, so I'll just offer a few comments and suggestions. Your budget appears adequate but not overly so. You will have to watch what you're spending, particularly on meals, but here are some tips on not only eating cheaply, but well. As far as some specific places that I've either enjoyed in the past or intend to get to the next time I'm in that area. In Charleston, stop by the visitor's center and get a map of a walking tour of downtown and the harbor front. It's free and gives you a good feel for the city. Also be sure to take the ferry ride from Patriot's Point to Fort Sumter. That's not free, but it does give you a great tour of the harbor on the way out to the island and Patriot's point is home to an aircraft carrier and a WWII submarine. I suspect that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is already on your itinerary, but also look in to the Civil War battlefield parks around Chattanooga, and, of course, the prison/memorial in Andersonville, GA. One of my favorite venues in southwest Georgia was FDR's Little White House in Warm Springs. Be sure to 'inquire locally' for the best local cuisine. In this part of the South, some of the best food is in out-of-the-way and little known restaurants that may only be open a couple of days a week. Ask where the best pulled pork barbecue is - and I hope you like sweet tea.

AZBuck

I know Charlotte well, so I thought I'd offer a few local suggestions. A great southern breakfast place that is cheap is the Original House of Pancakes (used to be on South Blvd. but is now on Charlottetown). A great southern bbq place is the Penguin on Central Ave. Charlotteans are very proud of both and they're both inexpensive. I know you want to go to up to Mooresville, but another cool place near Charlotte is the US National Whitewater Center if you like to climb, kayak, mountain bike or do an easy hike. www.uswc.org for details.

it looks like you're going through asheville- an AWESOME little artsy, hippy-ish town. my favorite coffee shop there is the Dripalator. Has a lot of local art and vegan desserts. but you can just walk around downtown and see a lot of cool little artsy shops. It doesn't look like your route is allowing for you to go to Boone, NC but let me tell you it is awesome and beautiful if you can fit it in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by denisha3000

I know Charlotte well, so I thought I'd offer a few local suggestions.

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Thanks for these ideas and welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!

Mark

Hello Austin,

I realize and agree that driving up US 17 from Charleston is the most direct way to Southport and Wilmington, NC, but you also say you've no great love for Myrtle Beach (nor do I). Alas, US 17--even the bypass--runs right "up the gut" of the Grand Strand. Unless you can drive with your eyes shut, there's no way to miss it. Perhaps if you just close your eyes as you pass every "Wings" bric-a-brac store. On second thought, that won't work, as there's one every block.

I suppose you meant Rockingham, NC along US 74 enroute from Wilmington to the Mooresville area where so many of the NASCAR shops are. You are probably aware of the fact that the North Carolina Motor Speedway, "The Rock", is right outside of Rockingham. The oval track and the dragstrip next door are dead on the highway about 8 miles north of Hamlet and Rockingham, so are perhaps worth a look-see, if for nothing more than a glimpse of where NASCAR came from. Ditto a drive-by to Darlington, SC. It's near Dillon, SC and not too far out of your way out of Wilmington headed up towards Rockingham and Charlotte.

North of the cluster of NASCAR shops around Mooresville is Welcome, NC, home of Richard Childress Racing. The shops there are like most others, but at RCR you get the chance to walk through his museum which houses much Dale Earnhardt memorabilia. I went by there in the summer of 2004 and ran in to Danny "Chocolate" Myers, famed gas man for Earnhardt. He's left the pit crew and works there at the museum now. The museum is a must for any Earnhardt fan.

As long as you're north of your intended path, you might as well jump in I-77 and go north to US 421. A short drive west (oddly enough designated US 421 North) lies Ingle Hollow, birthplace of Junior Johnson's racing empire. The cluster of shop buildings is still there, as is the residence still occupied by his former spouse Flossie Johnson. About 10 miles further west, right on US 421, is North Wilkesboro Speedway, the real heart of NASCAR, in my opinion. It's a real throwback to, say, the late 1960s or so.

Well, durn it, now we're way out of our intended path, so might as well go on by Bristol Motor Speedway on the way to I-81 in Tennessee. Resist all urges, thoughts, contemplations, musings, and absurd Mapquest or other software-driven suggestions to take US 421 or US 321 from Boone, NC through the mountains to the Bristol area. Trust me on this one. You should take NC 105 down to Linville, thence on to Newland and Elk Park. From there, US 19E will take you to US 11--The Volunteer Parkway, and the track and dragstrip are right on that highway. There you'll see what NASCAR has become today. Lotta glitz and lotta bling bling--not that there's anything wrong with that.

Leaving Bristol, you're only about 15 minutes to I-81 and about 75 minutes from Knoxville.

Finally, if you can stomach a near miss to Atlanta, the Dixie Speedway is at Woodstock, GA, about 25 miles NW of downtown Atlanta. It's about the coolest dirt track I've ever seen. A gigantic deep red clay mixing bowl. Now THAT's some real roots-of-racing stuff, right there.

Have a fun trip.

Foy

AZBuck, Denisha3000, and Foy, thank you for all the suggestions, they have really helped. I know I will have to head straight through Myrtle Beach on US 17 to get to North Carolina. I really do not mind heading through Myrtle Beach, I just don't plan on stopping there at all. The nice thing about this trip is that I have visited many areas of the south, so I don't have to worry about seeing everything and just focusing on really what I want to see (which is the scenic aspect off the interstates and some of the older historic southern towns).

Foy I actually have been lucky enough to attend races at Rockingham and Darlington. I attended a Cup race at Rockingham in Nov. 2002, one of the last races at the track. I attended the last Southern 500 at Darlington in 2003 which was an incredible experience. I do plan on visiting Rockingham while I am traveling through and then visiting the shops in Mooresville and Concord. Last time we were in the area was 2004 for the fall Charlotte race and we went to RCR in Welcome, DEI in Mooresville, and then many of the other shops (I am a Stewart fan so of course JGR). I also had to chance to stop by North Wilkesboro to see what is left of the old track.

I will probably end up going by LMS and then the shops in Concord, Mooresville, and Huntersville. I would love to make it up by Hickory and Welcome but there might not really be the time. I do say I might have to check out the Dixie Speedway since it's not too far out of the way, I had forgotten about the track.

Denisha I was not originally going to go through Asheville but now that you have me thinking about it I think I am going to go there as well since it is not far out of the way. I might even try to go see the Biltmore Estate, something I have always wanted to do. Boone is a little too far out of my way but I can only imagine how beautiful of an area that it is.

AZBuck thank you for the link you provided and your suggestions for Charleston and Georgia. You said my budget is adequate but not by much, I am going to try to keep it at $1000 but how much should I maybe expect to have in reserve?

Thank you again for all the suggestions and definately feel free to keep them coming!

There are no hard and fast rules for budgeting for a RoadTrip. Most of the choices about the length, duration, and style rest with you. But when I see people planning a minimalist kind of trip on a shoestring budget, I get a little apprehensive. I used to do those kinds of trips when I was much younger, and while I always managed to enjoy them, I look back now and realize how close to the edge I was on some of those trips, relying way too much on my wits and the kindness of strangers. Shoestring budgets are fine right up to the point where they're not, but then what so you do?

Similarly, there is no hard and fast rule as to what constitutes an adequate safety margin. You may need an extra $50 for that last tank of gas to get home or you may need a few hundred to pay speeding fines and/or a few hundred more for a new set of tires (plus the towing charge). You want to budget enough that you're not constantly worrying about scrimping on everything you do, and ultimately you want to be prepared to handle the same kinds of emergencies that could happen to you anywhere, anytime. If you set yourself a reasonable budget and gauge how you're doing every few days, you should be fine. Likewise, if you have a credit card with a reasonable limit, just hold it for any unexpected emergencies. The idea is to eliminate worries, not add to them.

AZBuck

Austin,

Yeah, you're a fan, alright.

In recent years, with NC tracks losing dates to California, Chicago, and (ahem) Las Vegas, I've become sort of a "specialist" in seeing final races at certain venues. I went to the last North Wilkesboro race in October 1996. I went to the last Rockingham race in February 2004. It wasn't billed as the last Rockingham, but the handwriting was on the wall in 3' high letters, so off we went to yet another 40 degree blustery February day for the Rockingham "Spring Race". I didn't see the final Southern 500 at Labor Day, but I saw the final Southern 500 at Darlington in November 2004. But, save your Dixie Cups, as the South may rise again. With all the renovations/upgrades to Darlington, there are rumors about bringing the Southern 500 back to Darlington at Labor Day in the future. Sorry about that, California.

Yessir, have yourself a look at the Dixie Speedway if you can spare the time. Great venue. I was within 5 miles of the place about 3 years ago, bound for a "Vintage Car" race featuring the 1940s style cars, and also featuring one driven by David Pearson, when the skies opened up a torrent and it was rained out. The year before, again on the Talladega weekend, we'd gone to a Saturday night race there and it was more fun than Talladega the next day. We paid extra for a spot along the fence, pulled the 3rd seat out of the rental minivan, and had a large time. I don't think that minivan will ever be the same, however.

Have a great trip,

Foy

Interesting topic. Despite being 4,000 miles away it is a subject that is close to my own heart. In recent years I've done more Nascar races than I have European races and I'm doing Daytona again next year and, for something a little different, Infineon too.

I am really tempted to do something a little later in the year as well as a friend of mine in Sarasota is expecting a little person in July and thought it might be fun to pop over and see how they're getting on. Maybe fly into Orlando and do a loop to include Mooresville (our last attempt to visit there was a washout!), check out some of the old historic venues mentioned already, then head back down to Sarasota for a few days before flying back out of Orlando.

Any suggestions on a good track to catch a race ar on that route? Have done Daytona (x2), Talladega (x2), Bristol and Homestead in that area so it'd be fun to see something elsewhere. Lowes??? Martinsville???

Hello Craig-
As you're aware, what's available to see depends purely upon the NASCAR schedule and exactly when you'd appear. Then, it depends upon your particular preference as to style of racing.

For me, it's short track racing, followed by 1 mile (or so) tracks like Phoenix, then to larger tracks (although the cookie-cutter 1.5 mile tracks like Texas, Chicago, and Kansas don't do ANYTHING for me). My least favorite is the restrictor plate tracks. YAWN! Sure, Talladega and Daytona are must-sees for a diehard fan, but after a time or two, it's BTDT for me.

Bristol must really be seen to be believed. With your friend's spawn arriving in July, the late August Bristol date (always the Saturday night preceding Labor Day) is perfect. It's within a half-to two thirds of a day's drive from Mooresville. The track is like a football stadium on steroids (whether your brand of football or ours). The August Saturday night is pure electricity--hot, sweaty, exhaust fumes and tire smoke filling the air, and loud beyond description. I've had Bristol tickets for 10 years now and it's about the only race I care to go to anymore.

After Bristol, Richmond's Saturday night September race is my second favorite. It's much like Bristol, and for the first two years of the "Chase" playoff system, Richmond has been the final "regular season" run, so that can add to the adrenaline factor. I like the tradition and shortness/flatness of Martinsville but have yet to go there. The Martinsville race within the "Chase" should be in October, and the "Chase" race at Lowes Charlotte track is in October, as well, plus that's a Saturday night race at the one 1.5 mile track I like--Charlotte Motor Speedway (oh, excuse me, Lowes).

I'd say you owe it to yourself to include some local track Friday or Saturday night racing within one planned trip or another. The local tracks are the spawning grounds for future drivers (albeit to a lesser degree than in the past) and they're definitely more akin to what I regard as NASCAR's glory days in the 1960s and 1970s. The website www.chasinracin.com offers a state-by-state summary of tracks. Links to the specific track websites are included as are descriptions of the track length, surface (paved vs. clay), the racing divisions which run there, alcohol policies, and the like. That website is how I "found" Dixie Speedway, where I saw a memorable Saturday night race before a Springtime Sunday over at Talladega. For that matter, Talladega is home to the Talladega Short Track, a maroon red clay short track that's been the venue for several memorable races including present and past NASCAR stars on the Friday night before the Sunday races. One can essentially contemplate the big race one wants to see, then shop around for some short-track action close by for the nights or days before the big race.

As it now stands, the wife and I are going to Daytona in February. I know I said it's a BTDT thing, but it's also the 50th running of the 500 and there's a totally kitschy beachfront motel (The Coral Sands) with little 1950s-style cottages right on the beach at Ormond Beach that we've got reservations for, so off we'll go! If you think about it, get some reservations for dinner at Billy's in Ormond Beach. It's right by where Ormond and Daytona come together, and lots of drivers' families, crew guys, and sponsors/vendors hang out. We shared a table with the North American rep for Robert Bosch Corp the last time we were there, and he pointed out lots of folks we had no idea were connected with the sport. Pretty cool! Great eats, too, of course.

Foy

First of all, sorry to crash in on someone else's thread! Second of all, thanks for the suggestions.

I did the Bristol night race this last August and was totally blown away by it. Absolutely fantastic. I'd love to go back again but wasn't considering it this year due to the cost of getting a ticket. But... it's kinda tempting, I gotta say! I adored the atmosphere and the 1/2 mile configuration blew away the other venues I'd visited. Richmond sounds intruiging... not done a 3/4 mile oval yet...

Excellent work with the link to the short track website. I've only ever been to Volusia Speedway so I'm not at all versed in that sort of racing but I'm up for finding out. I really fancied popping over to Eldora last year but it was just gonna be too expensive.

I think perhaps I should never have opened this thread -- it could prove expensive! I wonder how much a flight into Washington and out of Tampa would set me back :s I can see a nice route Washington - Shenandoah NP - Richmond - Mooresville - Sarasota - Tampa

Yes, Craig, I suppose we could be cited for a hijack, but all of this is fodder for the original poster, as well. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I am also intrigued by Eldora, but with so many venues so close to my Raleigh, NC home, I don't know if or when that might happen.

One of my first racing experiences was a sprint car race at the NC State Fairgrounds here in Raleigh, NC. It was a 1 mile oval clay track, fairly narrow, and the sprinters really put on a show. At age 52 presently, and having grown up right here, I had a chance to see the predecessor to Nextel Cup, called Grand National, run at the NC State Fairgrounds. From about age 12 to 16, I was employed by a concession company, selling soft drinks and such at stadiums, arenas, and such. The Fairgrounds was one of their venues. That work earned me a chance to see the last NASCAR top-level race run on a dirt track. Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, and company powersliding huge 1960s American sedans around a dirt track, 427 cubic inches of V-8 power roaring--what a rush.

And back to the intent of the original post, that's the kind of thing one can readily see every Friday and Saturday night at any one of hundreds of tracks across the US.

And don't even get me started on drag racing..................

Foy

Foy I am definately enjoying this insight that you have been posting on this thread. I myself have been to Bristol several times but always the day race, in fact I'll probably be going to Bristol again in March (even though the date is too early and it'll be cold!). I would love to go to the August race but I get March tickets for free and August tickets are just too expensive. The only thing I'm mad about is that I planned on going to the Gatornationals in Gainesville this year and it's the very same weekend! I haven't been to an NHRA event since the 06 US Nationals in Indianapolis (when I lived in Kentucky I went to that event every year). I have decided that I am going to be heading over to Daytona for a day in early January for Daytona 500 testing, and I am going to start my road trip the next day! I'll probably miss the Rolex 24 but I will be back to attend the 500 as well as some of the events at Volusia Speedway and some preliminary events. Simply put, it's going to be a busy but fun couple of weeks!

Funny to think that, despite our different ages and backgrounds, we'll all be that little race come Feb 17 :)

It is something that I've said before, and I'll say it again here, how great would it be to see a little more diversity in what we now know as 'Cup'. There's already great diversity but how about adding a couple of races on the dirt, another road course, an airfield race like we used to see in CART, maybe even a street race. Okay, that may be going a bit far but I'd dearly love to see them race on the dirt. And, let's face it, it's not like we'd be breaking with tradition, is it?

Austin-
Since 1997 I've been badly sunburned in shorts, rained on, hailed on, and snowed on at the Bristol "Spring" race. This year's Spring race was very fair and comfortable, weather-wise. The 06' race was the "Snow Bowl" with overcast skies and temps which never got out of the 30s. The Busch race the day before was red-flagged for a spell due to heavy snowfall. And now they've pushed it back to mid-March. Shades of the "Spring" races at Rockingham, held 1 week after Daytona. The normally brightly-dressed race fans had more the look of a duck hunting convention with all of the camo foul weather apparel.

I've never been to an NHRA dragrace but was able to get down to the Rockingham dragstrip for some IRHA events. The FunnyCars and Top Fuelers were simply unreal. It's not my favorite form of racing, but once every year or two, it's an awesome spectacle to witness.

Craig-
I also lament the lack of variation in Cup venues. More road courses, more short tracks, and a touch of dirt would be my preference. Clearly within the tradition, but you've got to look at the relative lack of respect "tradition" gets from the France family these days. When I'm King.....

I think many of the drivers would like some variation, too. I distinctly recall Rusty Wallace saying he'd like to run more road courses, since "it's like your father gives you the coolest hot rod in the county, tells you the Sheriff has closed all the roads, and you and your buddies get to go out and raise hell all afternoon". Pretty good summary of what running a road race in a 800 hp race car is like, I'd guess. Old Jimmy Spencer was one who hated road courses, lamenting that he'd raced at Sears Point for 5 years before learning the track was paved.

Both of you: While we're on the subject, consider one of the driving schools in your road trip time and expense budget. I received a 8 lap Richard Petty Driving School session at Charlotte for my 40th birthday in 1995, and let me tell you, there is nothing like running a real race car down the backstretch at 150 mph. Or, you can do a 3 lap "ride along" with a professional driver and get up to 170 mph. Those banked turns look like solid walls as you approach them at those speeds. I can barely imagine green flag racing at Charlotte when they brake for Turn 1 at 197-200 mph. Nerves of steel!

Foy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foy

Clearly within the tradition, but you've got to look at the relative lack of respect "tradition" gets from the France family these days.

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These days? If you ask me it goes all the way back to that day when the Big Bossman France 'invented' Stock Car Racing and 'created' Nascar. All on his own, like. As all the best history books tell us... :s

Fantastic story from Rusty there. I am afraid I'm a latecomer to Nascar and missed out on most of these old characters sadly. My first love in American racing was most definately nineties CART. But, when that started it's slow painful death, I looked elsewhere. Finally saw my first Nascar race in 2002 and didn't really get hooked until three or so years ago when I stopped working in the sport in Europe.

I love the idea of the track ride. The closest I've been is two laps in a mini van around Atlanta Motor Speedway!!! But, looking back to the various passenger rides around circuits in the UK (including one terrifying occasion when we lapped Snetterton in a crazy V6 Clio with me sat on a tool box!) I feel it is something I have to do at some point. Normally though the circuits are closed whilst I'm in town as I'm there for the race. But it's on the 'to do' list for sure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foy

Austin-
Since 1997 I've been badly sunburned in shorts, rained on, hailed on, and snowed on at the Bristol "Spring" race. This year's Spring race was very fair and comfortable, weather-wise. The 06' race was the "Snow Bowl" with overcast skies and temps which never got out of the 30s. The Busch race the day before was red-flagged for a spell due to heavy snowfall. And now they've pushed it back to mid-March. Shades of the "Spring" races at Rockingham, held 1 week after Daytona. The normally brightly-dressed race fans had more the look of a duck hunting convention with all of the camo foul weather apparel.

I've never been to an NHRA dragrace but was able to get down to the Rockingham dragstrip for some IRHA events. The FunnyCars and Top Fuelers were simply unreal. It's not my favorite form of racing, but once every year or two, it's an awesome spectacle to witness.

Craig-
I also lament the lack of variation in Cup venues. More road courses, more short tracks, and a touch of dirt would be my preference. Clearly within the tradition, but you've got to look at the relative lack of respect "tradition" gets from the France family these days. When I'm King.....

I think many of the drivers would like some variation, too. I distinctly recall Rusty Wallace saying he'd like to run more road courses, since "it's like your father gives you the coolest hot rod in the county, tells you the Sheriff has closed all the roads, and you and your buddies get to go out and raise hell all afternoon". Pretty good summary of what running a road race in a 800 hp race car is like, I'd guess. Old Jimmy Spencer was one who hated road courses, lamenting that he'd raced at Sears Point for 5 years before learning the track was paved.

Both of you: While we're on the subject, consider one of the driving schools in your road trip time and expense budget. I received a 8 lap Richard Petty Driving School session at Charlotte for my 40th birthday in 1995, and let me tell you, there is nothing like running a real race car down the backstretch at 150 mph. Or, you can do a 3 lap "ride along" with a professional driver and get up to 170 mph. Those banked turns look like solid walls as you approach them at those speeds. I can barely imagine green flag racing at Charlotte when they brake for Turn 1 at 197-200 mph. Nerves of steel!

Foy

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Foy I have had many different experiences myself with the Bristol spring race. First time I went was in 1998 when it was about 85 degrees outside, I put on no sunscreen and ended up with 2nd degree burns that (when looking back at it) should've required a trip to at least my local doctor. The next time was in 2001 when it was barely 40 degrees and the wind was pretty wicked. I went in 2003 and it was decently cold that time as well and 2004 was pretty nice weather. My last Bristol race was the 2006 "Snow Bowl". I was at the Busch race that got delayed by snow, it was the most surreal thing I have ever seen at a race in terms of weather. I remember it even snowed a little on the day of the Cup race but nothing like the day before, and I remember how brutally cold it was. With the race being on March 16th this year (those races took place from March 30th - April 4th) I am honestly expecting anything.

As for NHRA, you really need to attend one sometime, it is just incredible. I have been to an IHRA event and it is definately good racing, but the NHRA is just another level. The top fuel machines, as much as they are awesome in IHRA, are even better at NHRA, it's just incredible.

I also agree with the variety, I would love to see them bring back old short tracks like North Wilkesboro and Rockingham. I would also love to see some road courses like Road America or Road Atlanta added. I am not a big street course fan, because most of those circuits are very tight and passing is pretty much nonexistant on those types of races. I would definately be up for seeing a dirt race on the schedule. I love the fact that ARCA races on 2 dirt courses each year, really does test the overall skill of the driver.

I remember that quote by Rusty as well, he was my favorite driver and I really do miss seeing him in the Blue Deuce. It just hasn't been quite the same since, but I still enjoy it.

Normally though the circuits are closed whilst I'm in town as I'm there for the race. But it's on the 'to do' list for sure.[/QUOTE]

Craig-

Have a look at www.jayski.com and his link to driving schools. You'll see there are quite a number of locations and quite likely one that is open reasonably nearby to where you're attending a Cup race. For example, Rockingham has hosted driving schools and is likely to do more now that Andy Hillenberg has bought it. It's an hour and a half from Charlotte, so if you were headed to the October Saturday night race, you could possibly drive at Rockingham on Thursday or Friday beforehand. I'm sure other examples exist.

That is one seriously cool website - thanks for the link!

Craig-
So, you like Jayski, eh?

If you want the France family's version of reality, read NASCAR.com.

If you want the Real Truth, read Jayski.

Enjoy!

Foy

hehe, whilst I do read the official site I tend to get my info from unofficial forums such as 10 Tenths and motorsportforums. I'd heard mention of Jayski, of course, but had never taken the time to Google the name and find the website.

Go on a ghost tour in savannah, its cheap and fun! If you make it to memphis EAT SOME BBQ!