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Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:12 pm
by CNA75
Ok, I've just booked tickets for me and the wife to see the Gatorade Duel on Feb 17th at the Daytona Speedway (
http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2011/Speedweeks-2011/Gatorade-Duel.aspx ). Persuading the wife wasn't too difficult as she's quite up for doing different things when abroad and Daytona definitely seems part of the Florida scene....
Obviously, we would have preferred to attend the Daytona 500 but we fly back on that day so had to be content with the Gatorade Duel qualifiers. Has anyone been to this event in the past? I was wondering what sort of crowd numbers we could expect for attendance - hoping that there is going to be plenty of atmosphere. Presumably that will be the case?
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:24 pm
by mrlexan
UK to the US just for NASCAR? Seriously?
I went when I was in college (15+ years ago) when my brother was going to school right across the street from the speedway, so I won't be of much help.
Have fun.
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:30 pm
by CNA75
Thanks. We're doing a trip of Florida (flying into Miami for a few days, then on to Key West, then back up to Palm Beach and then on to Daytona before we fly from Orlando). The key driver is to get away from the dull, dreary, wet and cold winter here in the UK - we like to get some winter warmth and sun. Daytona just happend to be en route so I jumped at the opportunity to go see the NASCAR racing of which the only previous experience I had involved the arcade vidoe game "Daytona".....
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:38 pm
by mrlexan
Swing by the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Center (that's home for me). It's worth it if you've never been. BTW, when you are there, stop by the HQ Bldg and tell my dad to retire already for crying out loud.
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:48 pm
by CNA75
mrlexan wrote:Swing by the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Center (that's home for me). It's worth it if you've never been. BTW, when you are there, stop by the HQ Bldg and tell my dad to retire already for crying out loud.
Kennedy Space Centre was definitely on our list of things to do. Think that will be good. I'll pass the message on to your old man...

Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:59 pm
by mrlexan
Thx, I did at Christmas, it won't do any good.
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:01 pm
by scr8p
mrlexan wrote:UK to the US just for NASCAR? Seriously?
just because
you don't like it......................

Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:08 pm
by mrlexan
scr8p wrote:mrlexan wrote:UK to the US just for NASCAR? Seriously?
just because
you don't like it......................


Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:09 pm
by CNA75
scr8p wrote:mrlexan wrote:UK to the US just for NASCAR? Seriously?
just because
you don't like it......................

So you've been? If so, any insight to the Gatorade Duel that you can provide?
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:10 pm
by scr8p
no, i've never been to a race at daytona. furthest south i've been is to charlotte, nc for the coke 600 in 2003.
my best guess would be that it wouldn't be as crowed on thursday for the duels as it will be for the 500. not everyone goes down there for the whole week to catch all of the action.
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:22 pm
by JHarris
I've been to the Thursday race and it's definitely not as crowded as the 500. When I went the crowd was pretty subdued.
A trip to Florida without including a stop at the rc asylum????
Oh, we are in the middle of winter here so you won't really be escaping the cold. It's only getting up to 71 tomorrow. Ugh, I hate the cold!
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:10 pm
by CamplinP
71 cold

Thats a good one. Here it is currently -1 and a stiff 35mph wind. Not that bad really if you have the right gear and don't have to piss.
BTW the Duel's are pretty exciting on TV. Short races with a lot on the line.
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 12:03 am
by Eau Rouge
JHarris wrote:Oh, we are in the middle of winter here so you won't really be escaping the cold. It's only getting up to 71 tomorrow. Ugh, I hate the cold!
Everyone from Oklahoma to Detroit that is under 3+ feet of snow drifts right now gets to line up and punch you in the nads.
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 12:15 am
by klavy69
Eau Rouge wrote:JHarris wrote:Oh, we are in the middle of winter here so you won't really be escaping the cold. It's only getting up to 71 tomorrow. Ugh, I hate the cold!
Everyone from Oklahoma to Detroit that is under 3+ feet of snow drifts right now gets to line up and punch you in the nads.
I'm in line. After fighting 3 feet of snow all day and truck dying right in the middle of the road I'd be up for some nad punching
J/K JHarris...I've got snowbird parents in AZ right now calling to tell me to find my snowshoes so I deal with it all winter. When they come back in spring and stay on my property in their motorhome and complain about the heat I tell them to go back to AZ to their 'dry heat'. And not to start any other debates but where 105* and they call it 'dry heat' it is
still 105*
Todd
Re: Daytona - Gatorade Duel
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:03 am
by CNA75
Eau Rouge wrote:JHarris wrote:Oh, we are in the middle of winter here so you won't really be escaping the cold. It's only getting up to 71 tomorrow. Ugh, I hate the cold!
Everyone from Oklahoma to Detroit that is under 3+ feet of snow drifts right now gets to line up and punch you in the nads.
Great news, that's why we're heading over there...