Review 500 had to be special. "I took up racing because I was too lazy to work and too chicken to steal" -Kyle Petty "You win some, you lose some and wreck some" -Dale Earnhardt We all have a back story a past that formed who we are. Some experiences touch us, some move us. On a few rare occasions we are so inspired by an experience that it literally has the ability to guide our future. I am the only girl; growing up with four brothers was truly something. We would gather around our old floor model tv and watch Nascar with my dad. My brothers loved it. I had no idea what I was watching. My dad would yell "pick a car baby girl". I would yell back "7 or 13". My dad wanted us to experience Nascar in person but there was never enough money for all of us. In 2023 when Nascar came to Chicago, I was so excited! I know I had to be one of the first ten to purchase my ticket. Unfortunately, due to torrential rain I still missed it. I stood at the gate for over an hour in the rain. We were told that because of the lightning, they had to reset the clock on letting us inside. NO umbrellas allowed. I thought they were kidding until I was made to toss it. I walked to my section and was not allowed inside because it flooded. They were waiting for the fire marshals to approve entry. I walked to one of the food vendors and paid 9$ for a hotdog, 10$ if you add mustard. Food and drink were included with my ticket. We were let in a bit after 2. There were drinks but NO food. Frustrated, soaked and starting to feel sick, I left. This year's experience was priceless! I wish my dad was alive to see it. The weather was nice and sunny. Not too hot. My seat was perfect, even better than what I had last year. Made it in time for lunch and there was plenty of GOOD food. Drinks were also in abundance. Loads of snacks including Garrets popcorn. There was a beautiful lounge set up outside with Jack Daniel's seats and our private bathrooms were plentiful. When I was about to leave, they were serving dinner so I stayed and enjoyed a plate. So much to see, so much to do. Games to play, booths to visit, samples to try. Meet new people and enjoy the concerts. This was my first time seeing Buddy Guy in person. He was such a character, loved him. Yes, Nascar. I will be waiting for my email to return next year. read more

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First, I want to say that I'm a big fan of NASCAR. I attended my first race when I was just 16 years old in Sonoma, California. Once you hear the sounds of those roaring engines you fall in love with the chaos that is about to ensue. I've attended the Phoenix NASCAR event for 4 different years, including 1 year I had pit passes, so I'm a very big fan of NASCAR. Also worked Joliet NASCAR race the summer of 2006. This is my second year volunteering at the NASCAR experience street racing in the city of Chicago. When I saw this opportunity was going to be available for the residence of Chicago to see how awesome NASCAR is...I couldn't wait to be involved. What a joy that this is actually legal street racing. I ended up volunteering last year as I taking a break from work and it was such a good experience that I thought a why not volunteer again. Last year I volunteered on Saturday and was able to see a lot of qualifying races and have a good time, unfortunately they were rained out and I did not get to see the NASCAR event on Sunday last year. This year I have volunteered on Saturday and it was nice to be a part of the NASCAR community and hear live concerts said see demo and get free paraphernalia related to NASCAR racing. This year the weather was beautiful on Saturday and I got to hear, Buddy Guy live, and then also the Black Keys. The food, the energy, the community cannot be understated for this NASCAR event. NASCAR is very diverse and everyone feels welcome. I will say as a person that has attended other NASCAR around the country. What was missing was the tailgating aspect. Hanging out in the parking lot and sharing beers and stories of NASCAR with others is pretty cool element of the NASCAR community. Probably hard to accomplish when you are actually street racing and not at a standup venue however, the fact that you were street racing along the very streets that we drive every day is just undone, especially with the skyscraping views of the city of Chicago. Hands-down, I would buy tickets for this event and just prepare to spend all weekend hanging out with the NASCAR family. If you like cars, if you like live music, if you like good food, this is a place for you. Safety was a priority here and was such a nice place to be. If you plan on getting tickets for 2025 I highly recommend you spend the extra money and get reserve seating as there are no guaranteed seats with general admission. Tip: if you plan on coming to this event, I would highly recommend that you take the Metra as that is the closest entrance to getting into the park. read more

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