Our look at the best races in the world, most notably for your tourist enjoyment, rolls on to the vacation playground that is the state of Florida. Spring break in Daytona anyone?
7. Daytona 500
For fans of open wheel sports and rally, a dissertation on the mass appeal of NASCAR is problematic. To outsiders, it looks like a pack of cars going around a large oval track. Which in essence, sums up the sport. But for some reason, NASCAR has become the most popular spectator sport in America, even more than the NFL. Attendance for major events runs in the hundreds of thousands and the television audience now eclipses the NBA and baseball. Baseball! Imagine that. NASCAR has beat out the national pastime.
The preeminent event on the NASCAR calendar is also the first of the season, which is weird. But then again, this is a sport where drivers have names like Cole, Chip and Bo. Sure, the Deep South vibe of NASCAR is not quite as pure now that corporate America runs the show but still, the sport is redneck at heart. The scene in Daytona for the 500 is pure entertainment and good times.
Check out some great deals on hotels in sunny Florida before you discover Daytona.
Another great tradition of the South in America is the Kentucky Dery. Of course, the origins of this race are far more genteel than NASCAR. If you consider a horse race genteel that is. The annual thoroughbred event at legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, a great town by any measure, is a grandiose spectacle. Although it culminates with a race that takes place on a 2 km track, the build up the week before is part of the attraction.
Since 1875 the Run for the Roses, as people call the Derby, has a number of traditions that go along with the pomp and circumstance of the event. If you go and you happen to be female, lavish and elaborate dress is important. A big hat is essential. Spectators drink Mint Juleps, a popular beverage in the South, and eat burgoo, a thick, meat stew native to Kentucky. Of course, strains of “My Old Kentucky Home” resonate everywhere you walk around Churchill Downs.
A mere six miles from Windsor Castle in Berkshire is the Ascot Racecourse, a fine segment of Crown Estate land. If you want the very height of supercilious snobbery, Royal Ascot is the supreme race event of the year. In fact, the event illustrates the very origin of the term “The Sport of Kings”.
Since 1711, Ascot has been the major event on the royal social calendar in England. The 16 races that comprise Royal Ascot week draw more than 300,000 spectators and lay in excess of ?3,000,000 on the line in prize money. Nobody cares much about who wins however. The real event is in the stands and luxury suites, where the most garish and ostentatious attire known to man or woman is on display. Subtle the clothes are not. While organizers have made every effort in recent years to stem the tide of fashion gone awry, the very rules they enforce result in ensembles that would be cause for embarrassment in the real world. But lest we forget, this is not the real world. This is the realm of royalty and aristocracy, celebrity and old money. The spectacle they put on is more than enough to make you forget that Royal Ascot is a horse race.
A trip to England to see the Royal Ascot is a special experience. Check out some great hotel deals before you go.
The state of Indiana in America is famous for fierce loyalty to two sports: basketball, where at the high school and college level the interest borders on maniacal, and IndyCar. Known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, the Indy 500 has been a Memorial Day weekend staple since 1911. Although squabbles between the two main open wheel associations in the U.S. have been harmful to the event in recent years, a new agreement promises to bolster the competition once again.
Nonetheless, the 500 has always been a thrill ride and draws the best drivers from around the world. For them, participation at legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a feather in their cap. Legends have been born here and careers have come to a fiery end. For spectators, the traditions that go along with the actual race are almost worth the price of admission. The crowds alone for the pre-race practice sessions the week before the 500 dwarf those for other events held the rest of the year. As the first row of cars approach the pole position and the Speedway announcer makes the famous call “Gentleman, start your engines!”, you may just feel a shiver run down your spine.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Want to see who wins the race in our Top 10? Read on …
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