Back in the 60's-70's I hung around Union Grove Wisconsin at the Great Lakes Dragway many weekends throughout the summer. Back then you took "your Girl" to the drive in or the drag strip on dates.
Great lakes had seating on the left side of the strip nothing on the right or behind the starting line.You paid your entrance fee and then found a place to sit, simple.

I have not been to a Drag race since and lost touch with how things are now.

I noticed a ad for the RT 66 Dragway in Joliet IL.They have a NHRA event coming up that I thought my Son and 2 of his kids (4 and 6 years old) might enjoy.
This event offers seating on both sides of the strip and behind the starting line. The tickets on the left side of the line are double the cost .
I don't mind paying for better seats but wonder why the big difference in price from the left side to the right side or the Strip.
Is seating behind the starting line a good option?
Any suggestions?

I want the kids to enjoy this event. I doubt that Drag Racing will continue to be available in future years. Electric car racing sounds very boring. I want the Kids to have a great experience so they may grow to enjoy Motorsports as they grow-up.

bring hearing protection

The difference is likely pit access. One side it's included in the price and the other side you'd have no access or have to pay extra. Pit access you'll be able to stand relatively close (20ft or so) and watch the crews rebuild the engines. Once completed they'll start the engines and give em a couple of throttle bumps. Part of the experience. Just have ear protection and stand up wind because, trust me on this, you don't want to breath the exhaust or raw nitro methane. It ain't fun. Seats on corners and directly behind the starting line are usually designated premium and some include food/drink therefore more expensive. This is how it works at the Texas Motorplex. Attended nationals there for decades. It's definitely a great time though and something to experience at least once.

It might be a bit much for little ones of that age though. The nitro cars are extremely loud and two cars running down the track will vibrate your entire body. The first time they experience it may scare them. The first race usually startles adults. The raw power is overwhelming.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: texassierra,

The difference in price is probably facing the sun or not and/or the direction of the wind.
It’s nice to have all the fumes and tire smoke blown away from your seating position.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
The difference in price is probably facing the sun or not and/or the direction of the wind.
It’s nice to have all the fumes and tire smoke blown away from your seating position.

This right here. Broiling like a laborer working behind an asphalt paver is not for women, children, or sober adults. Fresh breeze, overcast, you save money though.

I would not put little ones near the starting line. Made that mistake with a friends son one summer and he about melted down despite having ear protection. Those things on burnout and staging rattle your insides.

I would recommend against bringing a 4 year old or a six year old to a drag race today. It won’t be pleasant for them and you’ll be leaving early.

I used to go to drag races when I was a "tween" kid in central CA, circa 1969-70. Circa 2010 I went to one at Bristol (TN) Dragway. The new is nothing like the old I remember. In addition to the tremendous noise, the vibration will rattle your innards, even from hundreds of feet away (I had the "cheap seats"). Today's Top Fuel engines make over quadruple the horsepower they did 40-50 years ago.

If the more expensive tickets include pit passes, then spring for it. That was one of my favorite parts when we went to the NHRA nationals in Indy a number of years back. Watching the teams wrench on the cars was really interesting, and you could get up close and see the details of how everything worked.

The top fuelers are indeed loud. Like shake your innards loud. I thought it was awesome . We somehow managed to talk our way onto the roof observation deck of the building right behind the starting line, and standing there with all the exhausts pointing right at you when they lit off was an experience I'll never forget. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But ear pro is absolutely a must, even if you're just sitting in the stands or walking the pits.

The seats themselves aren't that important. We spent very little time sitting. We were mostly walking around, checking out the pits, or standing by the fence. I don't think we actually sat down until the end of the day when the stands were mostly cleared out anyway.

As to your kids...I'd say it depends on the kid. A couple of mine would have hated it at that age, but the others would have loved it. It's a celebration of fuel and noise...quintessentially American. If your kids are up for a full day walking around in the heat and incredible noise, you may just start a lifelong tradition that you all enjoy together. If they aren't, it'll just be a long, hot, loud day with grumpy, tired, hungry kids.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 92fstech:
If the more expensive tickets include pit passes, then spring for it. That was one of my favorite parts when we went to the NHRA nationals in Indy a number of years back. Watching the teams wrench on the cars was really interesting, and you could get up close and see the details of how everything worked.

[/QUOTE

Yes! the pit passes for sure, the race teams are friendly and will talk to you. They know how much time they need and even though they look busy there is usually someone around to answer questions. I was shown what the spark plugs looked like after a run, they completely burn up 1/3 of the way down the track and the engine finishes the race on combustion detonation.
Cool stuff going on in the pits, depending on what mechanical interests you have, still a work of art just to watch them rebuild an engine either way.

Despite your overwhelmingly good intentions, they are too young for that. Nitro cars will just scare the piss out of them and the parents.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
Back in the 60's-70's I hung around Union Grove Wisconsin at the Great Lakes Dragway many weekends throughout the summer. Back then you took "your Girl" to the drive in or the drag strip on dates.
Great lakes had seating on the left side of the strip nothing on the right or behind the starting line.You paid your entrance fee and then found a place to sit, simple.

I have not been to a Drag race since and lost touch with how things are now.

I noticed a ad for the RT 66 Dragway in Joliet IL.They have a NHRA event coming up that I thought my Son and 2 of his kids (4 and 6 years old) might enjoy.
This event offers seating on both sides of the strip and behind the starting line. The tickets on the left side of the line are double the cost .
I don't mind paying for better seats but wonder why the big difference in price from the left side to the right side or the Strip.
Is seating behind the starting line a good option?
Any suggestions?

I want the kids to enjoy this event. I doubt that Drag Racing will continue to be available in future years. Electric car racing sounds very boring. I want the Kids to have a great experience so they may grow to enjoy Motorsports as they grow-up.

No real difference, last year the north/left seats where closed. As previously mentioned bring ear protection and extra if you have them. the stands are loud as F**k, but fun. I will be there on Friday and possibly Saturday.

Why did you pick Friday or Saturday and not Sunday when the finals run?

Agreed on this not being great for young kids unless you want to have the opposite effect and turn them off to it.

You mention you've not been to a strip in a while. If this event doesn't include Top Fuel and Funny Car, maybe. But those two hit really hard, enough that even after a grown ass man knows what's about to happen again and again, it's still a shock.

Of course also fun was my wife pounding on my arm after the first pass yelling "That was AWESOME!!!!"

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Agreed on this not being great for young kids unless you want to have the opposite effect and turn them off to it.

You mention you've not been to a strip in a while. If this event doesn't include Top Fuel and Funny Car, maybe. But those two hit really hard, enough that even after a grown ass man knows what's about to happen again and again, it's still a shock.

Of course also fun was my wife pounding on my arm after the first pass yelling "That was AWESOME!!!!"

Some day, I would like to go to one of those 4 wide at once thingies .

I'm another one that is suggesting you rethink brining kids that young to a Top Fuel event. They are amazing and like others have noted, you will feel the vibrations in your chest. if you do bring them, hearing protection is a must.

You Tube search something like, "First Time Top Fuel Drag Car Reactions" and watch what happens to grown adults who experience these things for the first time. It is pretty entertaining. The power these cars generate is mind blowing.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
Why did you pick Friday or Saturday and not Sunday when the finals run?

no specific reason but I go with a large group and it's easier to get us all together.

My wife and I took our kids when the youngest was 4. We had muffs for everyone. The 4 year old slept through the top fuel runs while we were in the bleachers. Take the kids, enjoy the day. Be prepared to leave early though too just in case. If they like cars at all, they will enjoy it.

NHRA tickets are all "pit passes."

For me, the ideal seat is a bit down track from the starting line. On the aisle. Here, you can see all the pre-run activities, the burnouts, and the launch.

The event will be LONG. So many classes of racers. Watching can be a bit tedious, if you are not motivated.

The use of ear plugs with ear muffs is necessary.

The sun will bake you. Your neck will be exposed. Your legs. Everything not covered in clothing will be red at the end of the day.

The pits are enjoyable. But, the noise and the odor can be off-putting to some. You can't take off your ears and walk by a Top Fuel pit who just finished rebuilding an engine...it will soon be fired up and revved loudly.

Regarding taking anyone new...it is not that challenging to bring them to a new understanding of noise. You start with YouTube. You then, at the race, walk slowly from the parking lot to the stands. Pause at the pits. Listen...they are about to take off. Wow. Then, to your seats. You chose how to expose them to the new stimuli. And you remain positive that the noise is exceptionally exciting. No where else can you hear this! And,it is very brief. Each run is a moment, say four seconds, with only the first second truly loud, as the cars move down track. There are minutes in between runs.

Looks like they sound about the same on water!
Top Fuel drag boats