Date: October 24, 1999
Race: PopSecret 400
Pictures: Views from Frontstretch, Views from Backstretch
Both side-by-side racing all
the way around the track and three-wide passing through the turns are common at the North
Carolina Motor Speedway near Rockingham, North Carolina. With a tire-eating surface and
high banking, this 1.017 mile track provides great racing action.
I sat on the backstretch in section 135, row 36.
The view from these seats is as good as I've enjoyed from any of the seats I've had at any
of the tracks I've visited. The only place on the track partially hidden from the view
from these seats is a small part of the backstretch when the cars are running near the
wall. Otherwise, you can follow your favorite driver all the way around the track.
The seats themselves were very comfortable, with
plenty of leg room and high backs. The bleacher seating was a little tight for larger
people, but not unreasonable.
We arrived at the track nearly four hours before
the race and had no trouble parking fairly close to our seats. In fact, even an hour
before the race, it looks like there was plenty of parking. I'm not sure what the traffic
would be like at that time, but I think that you could probably get away with coming to
the track just two hours before the race, especially if your seats are in turn two or the
backstretch. The large parking area behind the backstretch seems to have ample room.
The track sends out a helpful booklet with your
tickets, and in this booklet, you'll find traffic flow information, which shows how well
organized the traffic and parking is at "the Rock." Considering the remote
location of the track and the limits of a smaller road system, I was pleasantly surprised
by how easy it was to get in and out of the track.
If you want to go a particular direction on a
specific road after the race, you'd do yourself a favor by consulting the track's booklet.
This way, you can choose a parking lot which exits in the direction you want.
Beer and plenty of good food is available at the
track and coolers are allowed.
ANOTHER ROCKINGHAM REVIEW
Other links:
NASCAR Primer - a
four-part series designed to introduce NASCAR to its newest fans
Track Reviews - get the
low-down on what you need to know about attending a race at these tracks
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