Michigan International Speedway: A Great Place to See a Race

Michigan International Speedway was built in 1967 and since then has provided a very favorite spot to fans during the NASCAR running season. Although it takes on a near identical look to the California Speedway, it still gives fans around MI the chance to catch a race. Michigan International Speedway is located in Brooklyn MI and basically just outside of Jackson. You can find this 2 Mile monster of a track pretty much located in the middle of no where, and when I say that I mean it.

The very first time I went to Michigan International Speedway was last summer for the 3M Performance 400. Upon arriving to our exit by Brooklyn, I kept seeing the signs pointing to the track but really had no idea on where it would be. Basically you just follow a bunch of country roads and from there the traffic will begin to build up and before you know it, your basically at a stand still for at least and hour or so. Depending on where you park, you can take the $5 parking in this gigantic grassy field and you would have to walk maybe a half mile to the track or you can pay like $20 or so to park closer if you need to. The track itself is located in the middle of a bunch of fields basically. It was a quite a sight to see at first.

Michigan International Speedway offers several gates along turns 3 and 4 and by the front stretch that allows access into the track and to the grandstands. If you are seated on pit road or if you have a campsite in the infield, you can use the Turn 1 entrance tunnel. Outside the track you will find the many campgrounds surrounding the track that people will take advantage of during the week or weekend the Cup/Busch series is in town. Campground pricing will vary in price and by location. A lot of the sites offer bathrooms, running water and electricity while others do not. Stay within the track area if you want the best campsites with the most luxury.

Also outside the track you will find many team haulers and other haulers offering all of your favorite gear and you can find TONS of freebies here. Like last year we were given free Domino's pizza and them brownie bites they had. This is where most people will spend there time and if you get there early enough (which I highly recommend), then you should definitely check out all the driver haulers and get some cool stuff. They always make sure to have at least one NASCAR driver appearance for some autographs. Last year I got to meet Jamie McMurray and get his autograph.

Ticket Pricing around Michigan International Speedway will vary by where you want to sit. Obviously the higher the seats the better the view but you will pay more. For upper grandstand seats and upper turn seats they will cost you at least $65 and probably more for the higher seats. Where I sat last year it cost me like $45 and we sat on pit road which was awesome! We only could see the cars go around once but seeing the pit stops and just being that close was awesome. Infield lots will cost more and in my opinion they are very worth it. Instead of having the fight the traffic once the race is done, you can just go back to your campsite and just chill and relax. Next time I go to Michigan International Speedway I will definitely be staying the weekend to do some tailgating and just enjoy camping for a weekend at the track.

The only real problem with Michigan International Speedway is trying to get in and out. Over the years the owners and other officials have been trying to revamp the area so the flow of traffic is more smooth and can allow easier access to and from the track. I didn't get to experience the dreaded post race traffic because a guest that had gone with us lost her phone and we spent like 4 hours trying to track the people down that found it. Even waiting for 4 hours after the race there were still people leaving but it only took like 30 minutes to get to the highway again. Fan feedback has been superb supposedly this year after the race in June for the post race traffic. Apparently they had gotten something right when they redesigned stuff. So hopefully this will just be a problem of the past.

If you are a NASCAR fan or a race fan in general, I would definitely recommend going to see a race down at Michigan International Speedway. My only recommendation to you if your thinking about going, is to just call up early and get yourself a campsite inside or outside the track! You will be glad you did.