What to bring to the track: #1 & 2 Ear Protection & Radio

        You might think that ear protection is an obvious thing to bring to the track, but you'd be surprised how many people we see putting their hands on their ears to muffle the sounds of roaring engines.  Ear protection is a MUST have. If you do not have on ear protection, you are bound to have a headache for days after the event- as well as potential hearing loss for the rest of your life. 

         Many people use ear plugs, and while these are better than nothing, I haven't had good experiences with them. They simply don't muffle the sound enough for my liking. I also find that ear plugs are not easy to use for children. You can't get them into their small ear canals and I can't tell if they have sufficiently muffled the sound in my boys' ears.  If you do forget ear protection, they will sell these trackside and at concessions, and some vendors give them away for free. Recently we picked up some free earplugs at the Air Force as well as the Nationwide Insurance booths around Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

       Yes, some people rent headsets and scanners, but if you are new to the sport and aren't willing to invest, there is a cheaper option. I picked up a set of winchester earmuffs from Walmart for under $10 for each of my family members. Here they are at Walmart's website.  If you are willing to pay $20-$120 for tickets, invest a few more dollars to enjoy the race and watch headache-free! (Notice the picture above of my boy on the third row- horrible seats but they were free tickets- he's happy as a lark with his earmuffs on!) Now here's #2 of the most essential items to bring to the track, and it might surprise you: a radio.

        I always bring a small hand held radio, or mp3 player that has a radio, and some ear buds to put under my ear muffs. I'm almost to the point where I am going to invest in a scanner, but for now I am happy with my radio/ear muffs combination. Why is a radio such a big deal? Well, honestly, sometimes it's hard to know what's going on during a race. Sometimes the leaders and the "lapped cars" often get mixed, so you can't distinguish who is in the lead and who is in last place. Each track has a radio frequency that gives you live analysis of what's going on in the race.  Also, it should be noted that wrecks happen FAST. If you are looking in the wrong direction, you could miss the entire thing. But if you have someone yelling in your ear "wreck in turn 2!" you may actually get to see part of the incident.


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