Michigan International Speedway in the southern part of Michigan has been hosting NASCAR races since 1969. For many years, the track hosted a race in June and August. With the many changes in NASCAR and tracks, today the race is only held in early August. The race brings tens of thousands of fans to the 2 mile track, including many Canadians and out-of-state racing fans from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The first NASCAR race held at the track as in 1969, when legendary driver Cale Yarborough won. That race was called the Motor State 400.
If you are going to attend the annual race in August in the Irish Hills of Michigan, here are a few good things to know:
If are going to the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, the top 5 things to know are:
- Traffic. Plan ahead, don’t expect to drive to the track an hour before the race and get there in time. There are only 3 main roads into the track. The grandstands and main parking are only on the north side of the track. Which means 90,000 to 110,000 people are trying to get to the same place at the same time, so there is going to be traffic.
- The lines to get into the track: While it is in the best interest of everyone’s security, the line to get into 3 of the parking lot main entrances into the speedway is long. The volunteer school/college workers there do a great job, but it does take 10-15 minutes to get through the line.
- The concession lines are long: Since the COVID19 pandemic, the lines at MIS have gotten longer. Why? Simply put, there are less groups and organizations willing to offer up workers. So if you can, pack a cooler with your pop and soda, along with turkey sandwiches.
- Can you bring in food and drinks? Yes you can food and drinks into MIS. With a regulation cooler, you can likely bring in 6-10 canned pops and beers and have enough room for a sandwich too.
- Post race traffic. While the Michigan State Police does an incredible job regulating the traffic, post race at MIS is still a hectic mess. With only a few roads out of the parking lot, especially the north parking lott, it is a lot of passenger cars and trucks. If you aren’t in a hurry to get home, stay and cook up some brats or hot dogs and let the traffic flow out before you get started home.
The NASCAR Cup Series race is an awesome event held annually at MIS. Following these top 5 things to know will make it an even more enjoyable experience for you and your family!