Daytona USA Nascar tour?

[cam&chris]

My 8 yr old son is a NASCAR fan and we are thinking about a day trip to Daytona to take the tour of the track. Anyone done this? Also how much time at the track to see most things? Would it be a few hours or more?

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Make sure you take him to Race Rock resturant and the Nascar Cafe at City Walk. Its quite interesting! He can stand next to the card for photos, we have been to both! Who is his favorite driver? (Mine is Earnhart Jr.)

 

[NHLFAN]

Our first trip to Daytona Raceway we took the track tour. The tour tram heads through the turn 4 tunnel and the infield area (including the new fan zone/garages). It's a slow pace and but only last 20-30 minutes.

After/before the tram tour, you can walk up to the grandstands and lookout at the track, there's also a "closeout" gift shop there where you might find some great deals compared to the main gift shop.

If you want to spend more time and $$$, the Daytona USA interactive area , including this years Daytona 500 winning car, would take another hour or more.

We always go to Daytona when in the Orlando area.

Have fun.

 

[NHLFAN]

Make sure you take him to Race Rock resturant and the Nascar Cafe at City Walk. Its quite interesting! He can stand next to the card for photos, we have been to both! Who is his favorite driver? (Mine is Earnhart Jr.)

Nascar Cafe at City Walk is now closed....

 

[FLParadisevilla]

Really, when did that close? We were there in December and went there to eat?

 

[cam&chris]

My son's favourite driver is Jeff Gordon followed by Earnhardt Jr.

When did Nascar Cafe close? According to the Universal web site it is open.

 

[Jason71]

NASCAR Cafe was closed, but it reopened in time for the 500 a week or two ago. Completely remodeled, I believe a new menu as well, tho I have yet to stop by.

As NHLfan mentioned, the Speedway has a neat little museum attached, with the winning car and various exhibits. I'm not a huge NASCAR fan at all, but even I found it interesting. It also has a couple simulator rides, for an extra charge. Sorry, don't remember prices.

 

[kilee]

Ahh, we did this. DH and DS are both NASCAR fans. I am not. However, I found this tour to be really interesting. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I learned a lot of neat facts and our tour guide was funny. If you have time in your trip and anyone who likes NASCAR I'd do it.

We spent about 3 hrs there. That included the tour and doing the various things inside DaytonaUSA- which is a lot like Disney Quest but for Nascar if you ask me.

 

[FLParadisevilla]

I will have to tell my DH he will love to know all of this! He wants to try to get tickets to the Daytona 500 sometime and try to go! I have been to Richmond and Dover its a long long day at the races, but its definately a lot of fun!
I was lucky enough once to get pit passes for the weekend in Dover and got to walk around and meet all the Drivers etc.... that was very cool! The drivers were so nice!

 

[NHLFAN]

Really, when did that close? We were there in December and went there to eat?

We were there in early Dec and the whole front was demolished with barriers around it.
Glad to hear they reopened

 

[tbrenk]

Our first trip to Daytona Raceway we took the track tour. The tour tram heads through the turn 4 tunnel and the infield area (including the new fan zone/garages). It's a slow pace and but only last 20-30 minutes.

After/before the tram tour, you can walk up to the grandstands and lookout at the track, there's also a "closeout" gift shop there where you might find some great deals compared to the main gift shop.

If you want to spend more time and $$$, the Daytona USA interactive area , including this years Daytona 500 winning car, would take another hour or more.

We always go to Daytona when in the Orlando area.

Have fun.

My husband is a huge NASCAR fan and would love the tour. Do you know where I can find info on it?

 

[cam&chris]

www.daytonausa.com

 

[mcdebbie]

The tram ride was quite interesting, they stopped at where the winners get their trophies and I took DH's picture up there. He and a friend drove the simulator race cars and he seems to recall it was an extra $20 per person. They also have a couple movie things, short. Look us less than an hour to go through the museum part but it was very uncrowded. (Nov 2005)

 

[HelenePA]

how far away from disney is it? I'm a die hard Earnhardt (3#) fan. I would love to go see the track and pay tribute to where he lost his life.

 

[Disneyof3]

Last year when we went to Florida we stayed in North Carolina for the day on the way down and visited all the nascar shops and it was so great. we went to Lowe's Motor Speedway and saw Earnhardt incorporated. They have a great tribute there for Dale Earnhardt Sr. We saw all the nascar cars and the kids had a ball. We bought tons of souvenirs and clothes. It was well worth the day there in Charlotte. My husband was thinking in December when we head to Florida again but US and x-mas to drive to Daytona and see the track and the museum and of course Harvick's winning car. Was wondering too how far from Disney to Daytona and the race track is it.???

 

[iluveeyore]

We just got back Friday from our Disney/Daytona 500 trip - we stayed at WDW and rented a car to drive to the track on race day - about a 45 min. trip, very easy to get to and we had a great time. Lots to see there even when it's not race weekend - got to step in Jeff Gordon's footprint on the Walk of Fame out front of Daytona USA and DH got to step in Dale Jr's footprint (got pictures), saw Earnhardt statue, shopped inside Daytona USA and, of course, got to witness an awesome race.
You might want to check and see if Richard Petty Experience is there whenever you go, can do a ride-along on the track. We did this at the WDW Speedway, but would much rather have tried it at Daytona.
We've also toured the garages in Charlotte and did the track tour there as well - awesome!

 

[bdtracey]

I'm a little confused! So there is Daytona USA and Daytona International Speedway...right? As someone said earlier, Daytona USA is similar to Disney Quest...right? Basically there is more to Daytona USA than there is at the track itself...right?

Is it possible to check both of them out? I'm assuming that if you get the track tour at Daytona USA you'll get to go around the 2.5 mile oval but is there other stuff to check out at the track itself other than the 2.5 miles of banked pavement? Sorry...that sounded kinda harsh! Daytona looks wicked cool and I just don't want to overlook anything while we're there ya know? I don't want to show up at Daytona USA and think that's it and then miss a whole bunch of stuff that is over at the speedway itself.

Did that make any sense???

 

[olbear]

Hi there NASCAR fans,
I live in Daytona, and I'm about 10 minutes from the speedway. Daytona USA is right there at the track. So you can take the tour and have fun at Daytona USA all in one day. And if you have time, you can drive down to the beach and drive "on" the "World's most famous beach", which is where the races started.

If you are coming from WDW in Orlando, it is about an hour to an hour and a half drive. Depends on traffic. I have no idea how someone made it in 45 minutes, unless they were trying to "make the pole"...LOL!!

Come see us, and have a great time!
Blessings,
Winnie

 

[Seahunt]

Make sure you take him to Race Rock resturant and the Nascar Cafe at City Walk. Its quite interesting! He can stand next to the card for photos, we have been to both! Who is his favorite driver? (Mine is Earnhart Jr.)

I think everyone is confusing the restaurant that closed - it is the Race Rock on I Drive that is gone now. I saw an ad for an auction there in today's paper, but only for the restaurant equipment - none of the memorabilia, etc. Here's part of what local news says:

Tavistock Group plans to open an upscale restaurant on International Drive later this year, replacing Race Rock, a midmarket eatery with an automotive theme.

Race Rock ended an 11-year ride on I-Drive last week when its owners sold their building and three-acre property to Tavistock, an Orlando private equity firm. Race Rock was probably best known to commuters for its eye-catching, giant-wheeled monster truck, Big Foot, parked behind the restaurant close to Interstate 4.
*****
I would have thought that the tourist crowd would have liked the Race Rock better than another upscale restaurant, but guess not!

 

[Aimerskoeh]

I am so hoping to make it there as well in June when I am in the orlando area. My only problem is finding transporation there under $200 to be in my budget, when no one in my party is even 21 to rent a car I really wanted to go and check it out, and hit the beach. But its looking pretty grim right now for making that trip.