Yahoo Movies The Cost To Get Into the Top NASCAR Races
The date NASCAR fans have had circle on the calendar -- Feb. 19 -- is fast approaching. That's the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series, which has opened the season each year since 1982, when Bobby Allison won the event.
NASCAR's season is long, culminating in early November with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. And fans who want to hear the roar of the engines and the screech of the tires live probably should start buying tickets soon. At tracks and speedways across the country, they're typically a hot commodity.
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The following is a roundup of ticket prices for some of the biggest races in the NASCAR Cup Series. The quoted prices are for race day only and don't include any purchasing fees, unless otherwise noted. If a ticket to your nearest track is out of your budget, keep in mind that most races have activities throughout the weekend. It's always much cheaper -- and sometimes even free -- to attend events surrounding the big race, so consider those options.
Here's a look at what you'll pay to catch the action live for the biggest races in the sport.
Daytona 500
The 65th running of The Great American Race, as the Daytona 500 is known, is sold out for the eighth straight year, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. But anyone who wants to watch Austin Cindric attempt to defend his title as champion of the 200-lap, 500-mile race still can find a ticket on the third-party market.
Seat Geek is the official ticket marketplace of NASCAR, and as of five days before the race, it had about 450 listings on its website for Daytona tickets. The lowest ticket price was $212, including fees, in general admission seating. The asking price on the highest-priced ticket was $1,800 and had a decent view of the finish line.
If you're interested in attending the 2024 race at Daytona International Speedway, you can add your name to the mailing list on the race's website. Prices aren't know yet, but when they were unveiled for the 2023 race, the price points were:
$140
$155
$185
$200
Geico 500
Ross Chastain won the Geico 500 last year at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, a 2.66-mile oval that holds the distinction of being the largest track in NASCAR. It's also known for its dramatic banking, which forces teams to work together in the draft.
The race is scheduled for April 23, and ticket prices start at $65 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and younger. In all, there are 14 price points ranging up to $145, including:
$75
$95
$110
$130
$140
The $10 child rate is good only with the $65 adult tickets -- and $40 military tickets also are available in that seating category. At other ticket prices that offer corresponding child rates, kids' tickets are $50 less than adult prices.
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Coca-Cola 600
NASCAR's toughest test, the Coca-Cola 600 will be run May 28 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina -- all 400 laps and 600 miles of it. Single-day tickets start at $49 and go all the way up to $400, with the highest prices in club suite seating. Clubhouse seating costs $200.
At the lower price points -- $49, $79, $129 and $150, for example -- fans can bring kids 12 and under for just $10. In the higher-end seats, tickets cost full price.
Ally 400
On June 25, the Nashville Superspeedway becomes the center of the auto racing universe as NASCAR descends on Central Tennessee for the Ally 400. The 300-lap, 399-mile race debuted in 2021 as the first Cup event in Nashville in nearly 40 years. Needless to say, the race sold out. Chase Elliott won the 2022 event in front of a crowd of 32,000.
Being held at night in the Music City, the Ally 400 offers a NASCAR experience at a variety of prices:
$65
$100
$144
$175
Kids 12 and under get in for $10 when an accompanying adult buys a ticket in the $65 section.
Cook Out Southern 500
On Labor Day Weekend, the auto racing world is centered on Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, where the NASCAR playoffs will begin with the Cook Out Southern 500 at the famed Lady in Black. On Sept. 3, the drivers will travel 501.3 miles over 367 laps.
Tickets for the race range from $50 to-$109, with several options in between:
$79
$80
$85
$95
If you want to introduce your kids to racing, you can buy companion tickets for ages 12 and under for just $10 at the four lowest price points. They're $50 and $40 if you buy tickets that cost $109 and $95, respectively.
AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 is the first race in the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12 -- the pack will eventually be winnowed down to four drivers who race for the Championship later in the year. This year's edition will be held Sept. 24 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race covers 400 miles in 267 laps.
For kids 12 and under, tickets are $10 with a ticketed adult. For regular grandstand tickets, there's something for every budget. Price options are as follows:
$59
$79
$109
$115
$125
$140
$150
South Point 400
On Oct. 15, all eyes will be on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first race in the NASCAR Playoff Round of 8, the South Point 400. As the weather cools, the Playoffs get red hot -- after South Point, there are only two races to go before the Cup Series Championship. The eight drivers will race just over 400 miles over 267 laps.
Tickets max out at $129, but there are also options for $59, $79 and $99. Kids' tickets are $10 no matter where they are.
Xfinity 500
On Oct. 29, the stars of NASCAR will claw and scratch for one last shot at the Championship 4 at the Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. The final race before the Playoff Championship, the Xfinity 500 covers 263 miles over 500 laps.
Depending on where your seats are located in the speedway, this is the breakdown of the ticket-pricing tiers for the pre-Halloween event:
$40
$51
$66
$76
$86
At each pricing tier, adult ticketholders can bring children 12 and younger for $10. Darlington also offers $25 junior tickets for ages 13 to 17.
NASCAR Cup Series Championship
On Nov. 5., the long and fiercely contested NASCAR playoffs will come to an end at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, where the four remaining playoff drivers - and the rest of the pack -- will cover exactly 312 miles in exactly 312 laps at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Whoever among them emerges victorious will go home with NASCAR's biggest prize. In 2022, that was Joey Lagano.
If you want to see the action unfold live, tickets are available at 15 price points between $102 and $200, with juniors ages 17 and under admitted for $20.
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Jami Farkas contributed to the reporting of this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Cost To Get Into the Top NASCAR Races
