[ISF]

We went to Daytona for Speedweeks 20+year in a row beginning in 1984 and luckily we have always had family in Daytona to stay with. Around 1997 we stopped going to the 500. Tickets were overpriced at that time so I can't imagine what they cost now. We cut back to attending just the twin qualifiers and the Saturday race at the big speedway and of course the dirt tracks. Around '01 or '02 we even stopped going to the qualifiers and just did the dirt races. Quality of entertainment, or lack thereof, and steeply escalating ticket prices curtailed our interest. In those days the hotels were more than doubling their regular room rates requiring 5 & 7 night minimum stays during Speedweeks. The best seats are now bundled in such a way as to eliminate the average fan and most definitely a family. It costs over $1000.00 up to just over $2900.00 just to camp at the track for 500 weekend. You combine all that with the fact that the people in the grandstands who do attend stand during the whole race, which has to be the stupidest thing we've ever witnessed (although it's gettin' almost as bad at The Little 500 these days).

At one time we looked forward going to Daytona in February like a 3rd grader looks forward to Christmas Eve. Haven't set foot on DIS property for close to 15 years and don't miss it at all. Whatever happens to NASCAR and the hotels and restaurants that gouged people for all those years is okay with me. They done did it to themselves.