2026 Motorsport trip: Indy 500, NASCAR or Monaco F1?
Discussion
Planning a long weekend away next year to hopefully tick a box off my bucket list.
Current options are:
Indy 500 - amazing spectacle but does it get boring after 3 hours?
NASCAR - favouring Kansas as it’s close to a couple of other things I would like to do.
Monaco Grand Prix - Much cheaper and easier to get to, potentially expensive for a grandstand seat, and is general admission even a thing? Could also do this any other year as it’s only a short flight to Nice.
Thoughts and experiences invited.
Current options are:
Indy 500 - amazing spectacle but does it get boring after 3 hours?
NASCAR - favouring Kansas as it’s close to a couple of other things I would like to do.
Monaco Grand Prix - Much cheaper and easier to get to, potentially expensive for a grandstand seat, and is general admission even a thing? Could also do this any other year as it’s only a short flight to Nice.
Thoughts and experiences invited.
It must be over 15 years since I last went to Monaco so this might be wildly out of date but general admission was certainly a thing back then although it basically meant clinging to a hillside. The regulars brought trowels with them so they could dig themselves in a little bit. The tickets you are looking for are called Secteur Rocher. I did the hillside one year and the next year it was a section called Z1 which was much nicer but less of a view but you can't get any more track adjacent unless you are a marshall.
Great thread, I’ll join the club of those who want to go to all three events.
Monaco is surprisingly cheap to actually buy a ticket, although of course everything else in the place is quite ridiculously expensive. The GA on the hill is something silly like €50, and a grandstand seat something like €200. As mentioned above Austin for the F1 is the choice of Stateside events, not only a high chance of a good race, but also loads to see and do in the city, many small music and comedy venues where big stars just turn up unannounced. Tickets for Joe Rogan’s comedy club are as difficult to get as tickets for the F1 grid walk!
Indy I’ve always thought needs to be done the proper old-fashioned way. Stay there for a fortnight and use it as a base for exploring the area, rent a big pickup truck or small RV and join the locals at the nightly campsite parties at the track. It’s by far the largest one-day ticketed attendance of any event in the world, nearly 400,000 there this year which is awesome to see in itself.
Probably Daytona or Charlotte for the NASCAR, suitably crazy and small-town American. Need to go and see them before they follow every other series in introducing turbos or hybrids, while you can still hear the big ol’ V8s in a relatively small space. This year at Daytona the pace car at the start was Trump in his limo - only in America…
Monaco is surprisingly cheap to actually buy a ticket, although of course everything else in the place is quite ridiculously expensive. The GA on the hill is something silly like €50, and a grandstand seat something like €200. As mentioned above Austin for the F1 is the choice of Stateside events, not only a high chance of a good race, but also loads to see and do in the city, many small music and comedy venues where big stars just turn up unannounced. Tickets for Joe Rogan’s comedy club are as difficult to get as tickets for the F1 grid walk!
Indy I’ve always thought needs to be done the proper old-fashioned way. Stay there for a fortnight and use it as a base for exploring the area, rent a big pickup truck or small RV and join the locals at the nightly campsite parties at the track. It’s by far the largest one-day ticketed attendance of any event in the world, nearly 400,000 there this year which is awesome to see in itself.
Probably Daytona or Charlotte for the NASCAR, suitably crazy and small-town American. Need to go and see them before they follow every other series in introducing turbos or hybrids, while you can still hear the big ol’ V8s in a relatively small space. This year at Daytona the pace car at the start was Trump in his limo - only in America…
Done Monaco a few times, I really don't see it as expensive as opposed to what lots of other people say. The ticket isn't cheap but other than that you simply stay slightly outside of the principality and then it's no more expensive than any other holiday in the south of France.
If you simply must stay in Monaco, then yes, it will be expensive! Admittedly that would bring an extra dimension to the experience, being there for the whole weekend-I must admit I'd love to do it that way but for what it would cost?
One of the big American races for me would be first choice even though I have no interest in either of the sports. I think I'd love to see a NASCAR race just for the spectacle and it being something completely difference-it's on the list for when the kids bugger off!
If you simply must stay in Monaco, then yes, it will be expensive! Admittedly that would bring an extra dimension to the experience, being there for the whole weekend-I must admit I'd love to do it that way but for what it would cost?
One of the big American races for me would be first choice even though I have no interest in either of the sports. I think I'd love to see a NASCAR race just for the spectacle and it being something completely difference-it's on the list for when the kids bugger off!
I've not done any of those, but all sound amazing. I have done a few F1 races and if you want to do F1, I'd do 'traditional' F1, so Sivlerstone, Spa, Monza maybe with the full camping over/festival/beers and bands at night sort of experience.
Nascar looks amazing and Americans generally 'do' sport really well - an NBA game is an incredible experience, and I bet one of the classis Nascar races is incredible fun.
However what I was incredibly tempted to do, and very nearly did this year (priced it up but just couldnt make the dates work), is the Long Beach Grand Prix, as an alternative to Monaco.
https://www.gplb.com/
I visited for work a few years ago a few days before the race (complete coincidence) and totally fell for it.
Its a long way but easy to get to with loads of options for UK-LAX. Hotels did not appear to be particularly expensive. Race tickets, grandstands etc were literal quarters of what it typically is for F1. The track is superb, its all walkable, its a nice, relatively affluent area, lots to see and do right on the shore with the beach and the harbour, and the racing is always incredible.
Its in April so the weather is generally lovely and warm and pleasant, not hot.
Remember also you get a full Indycar weekend, PLUS the IMSA Prototype/Sports cars and GT's, plus some support racing (Stadium Trucks and Formula Drift!)
As I type this its cementing my plans to go next year!
This is worth a watch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAVPYoh4RPM
Nascar looks amazing and Americans generally 'do' sport really well - an NBA game is an incredible experience, and I bet one of the classis Nascar races is incredible fun.
However what I was incredibly tempted to do, and very nearly did this year (priced it up but just couldnt make the dates work), is the Long Beach Grand Prix, as an alternative to Monaco.
https://www.gplb.com/
I visited for work a few years ago a few days before the race (complete coincidence) and totally fell for it.
Its a long way but easy to get to with loads of options for UK-LAX. Hotels did not appear to be particularly expensive. Race tickets, grandstands etc were literal quarters of what it typically is for F1. The track is superb, its all walkable, its a nice, relatively affluent area, lots to see and do right on the shore with the beach and the harbour, and the racing is always incredible.
Its in April so the weather is generally lovely and warm and pleasant, not hot.
Remember also you get a full Indycar weekend, PLUS the IMSA Prototype/Sports cars and GT's, plus some support racing (Stadium Trucks and Formula Drift!)
As I type this its cementing my plans to go next year!
This is worth a watch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAVPYoh4RPM
Edited by snotrag on Wednesday 18th June 11:24
Edited by snotrag on Wednesday 18th June 11:24
Edited by snotrag on Wednesday 18th June 11:25
We did a US road trip a few years ago - Carolinas, Tennessee , Mississippi and Georgia and spent a weekend in Charlotte (NASCAR central) for the 500mile race. It's unlike anything here - huge oval,massive crowd on race day (deserted on quaifying ) , very tribal but so friendly to a couple of Brits . It's a spectacle alright, but it's a long night(races are much longer than a GP )and it's not action every lap, far from it . MAGA b
ks might keep me away now, but if I returned I'd certainly take in some US style drag racing too , probably the hillbilly South East Gassers, where it is forever 1967...
But I'd do Indy, mucn as I'd love to see qualifying at Monaco.
ks might keep me away now, but if I returned I'd certainly take in some US style drag racing too , probably the hillbilly South East Gassers, where it is forever 1967... But I'd do Indy, mucn as I'd love to see qualifying at Monaco.
I'd suggest maybe a trip to the 'other' 24 hours, the Daytona 24 Hours.
Easy to get to (short drive from Orlando), amazing view from the main stand (you can see the whole track), but also good accessibility around the track.
Plenty of hotels nearby, relatively cheap to luxury, probably Airbnbs too, I'm sure.
Just like Le Mans, you'll get Hypercars, LMP2s and GT3s.
The only downside, is it involves a trip to the USA, something I wouldn't currently undertake.
Of the 3 you mention, only Monaco would really appeal to me, although as someone who visited one GP and never wanted to go again, I'm not sure I'd even bother with that.
NASCAR leaves me cold (and as confused by it as American 'football'), Indy 500 could be OK, but you could sit for hours watching cars drive slowly around (or even not at all if it rained!) due to pace cars.
If you want to do other things near Kansas, then that makes sense for you (I combined my trip to Daytona with a visit to KSC).
I suspect Monaco has a great atmosphere (although you'll only see a fraction of the action, wherever you sit, unless you're close to a big screen) race weekend and it's in the south of France, which is no bad thing for the rest of the time.
M
Easy to get to (short drive from Orlando), amazing view from the main stand (you can see the whole track), but also good accessibility around the track.
Plenty of hotels nearby, relatively cheap to luxury, probably Airbnbs too, I'm sure.
Just like Le Mans, you'll get Hypercars, LMP2s and GT3s.
The only downside, is it involves a trip to the USA, something I wouldn't currently undertake.
Of the 3 you mention, only Monaco would really appeal to me, although as someone who visited one GP and never wanted to go again, I'm not sure I'd even bother with that.
NASCAR leaves me cold (and as confused by it as American 'football'), Indy 500 could be OK, but you could sit for hours watching cars drive slowly around (or even not at all if it rained!) due to pace cars.
If you want to do other things near Kansas, then that makes sense for you (I combined my trip to Daytona with a visit to KSC).
I suspect Monaco has a great atmosphere (although you'll only see a fraction of the action, wherever you sit, unless you're close to a big screen) race weekend and it's in the south of France, which is no bad thing for the rest of the time.
M
Edited by marcosgt on Thursday 3rd July 14:29
Planning on Indy500 next year - biggest fear is travelling all that way and it being rain effected!
However, trying to work in a Fly to Chicago -> Drive to Indianpolis for the Sunday -> Chicago -> West Coast -> Seattle & Yosemite & Mammoth/Tahoe etc -> Seattle back to London.
Did look at doing UK->Dublin-> Indianpolis but then the flights internally from Indianpolis are a bit rubbish and not many direct so seems more sensible to get in from Chicago as only a 3hr drive or so.
Still early stages but hope to do that, will be the triple crown having done Monaco and Le Mans previously.
However, trying to work in a Fly to Chicago -> Drive to Indianpolis for the Sunday -> Chicago -> West Coast -> Seattle & Yosemite & Mammoth/Tahoe etc -> Seattle back to London.
Did look at doing UK->Dublin-> Indianpolis but then the flights internally from Indianpolis are a bit rubbish and not many direct so seems more sensible to get in from Chicago as only a 3hr drive or so.
Still early stages but hope to do that, will be the triple crown having done Monaco and Le Mans previously.
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff