Best Way to Get Tickets to the Daytona 500

By Chris Moore

  • Overview

    The Daytona 500 has become the biggest car race in America. Every year in mid-February, more than 160,000 people show up at the Daytona International Speedway for NASCAR's season opener. Since this race has become nearly as big as the Super Bowl, even 160,000 tickets can go pretty quickly. Don't expect to show up at Daytona on raceday and see tickets available at the gate. The good news is that Daytona 500 tickets are still a lot simpler to get than any other big sporting events. You don't have to deal with any lottery drawings or contests. You just need to know who's selling them and how to get them before they're gone.

    • Step 1

      Show up at the Daytona Speedway office the day tickets first go on sale. Individual tickets usually go on sale in May, nine months before the race. Not every seat will be available, as the speedway's season ticket holders renew their seats early. The ticket office is at 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona (Highway 92 next to the airport). It usually opens at 8 in the morning Eastern time.

    • Step 2

      Use the phone to order tickets from the speedway if you can't get to Daytona on the first day. Daytona's ticket hotline is 1-800-PIT-SHOP. There may be extra shipping and handling charges, but it can beat waiting outside the ticket office for hours.

    • Step 3

      Try your luck on Race Tickets, a Website that is NASCAR's own version of Ticketmaster. It allows race fans to purchase tickets for any race of the year, including the Daytona 500.

    • Step 4

      Buy from ticket vendors that may sell race tickets secondhand. StubHub, TicketsNow and ABC Tickets are among the largest national vendors, selling online and over the phone. These vendors will be selling the tickets for much more than their face value, so start looking here once the speedway itself has sold out. You can find the links in our Resources section.

    • Step 5

      Look for individual resellers around the Daytona area only as a last resort. You'll be paying through the nose to get tickets from them. At this point, watching the race on TV may be a better option.
    • Skill: Moderately Challenging
    • Tip: There are many other events taking place at Daytona during the week leading up to the 500 race. It starts on the prior weekend with the Twin Duel front row qualifying races, the remaining qualifying during the following mid-week, the truck race on Friday, and the Nationwide race on Saturday.
    • Tip: You'll also need a place to stay prior to the race. While several hotels are available in Central Florida, camping outside any speedway is another NASCAR tradition. Keep in mind the camping spots will sell out even faster than the race tickets.

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