Sears Point Transportation Tips by Karnubawax

Arrive early, leave VERY late

Sears Point is located in the middle of freakin' nowhere. The roads leading to the racetrack are seldom traveled, 2-lane blacktops cutting through farmland and swamp. On most days you'll be sharing the road with tractors and bigrigs, but on racedays the roads will be choked with traffic coming from all directions.

Even if you make it to the track in reasonable time, the battle is only half over. Once inside the complex the 2 lane roads narrow to one, and you must snake your way through the hills, to find the parking lots. If you get there late you may have to park up to a mile away - and that's a mile up and down hills. That's to get to turn 7. If you're sitting in the main grandstand then you'll have to walk another half mile.

This wouldn't be so bad if Infineon's shuttle service was reliable. It isn't. Some years they are really on top of it, and some years it's like they just plum forgot.

ARRIVING - figure out how far away you are staying from the track. Multiply the mileage times 60, and then add an hour and a half to park and get to your seats. Add an additional half hour if you're getting there within an hour of the start.

DEPARTING - Infineon wised up in '03 and added the American Grand Prix race immediately after the NASCAR race in an effort to keep some people back and prevent a monumental traffic jam. It's been only partially successful. Again, it's success depends on the shuttle service, which, as I said, is totally unreliable. Plan to hang out for a LONG time after the race - bring food and drink and maybe a game or something. Seriously... don't make any plans for the evening, 'cuz it could take you all evening to get back to the city!

UPDATE!!!! The above was written right after the last 2004 NASCAR race, which was the last one I went to before this year (2008). I am happy to say that Infineon Raceway has gotten the message, and things are MUCH better than they used to be. The shuttle service is vastly improved, and getting to the track seems to be a lot smoother. Now, LEAVING the track is still a pain, but again, not as bad as it used to be. They no longer have the AGP race after the NASCAR race, but they do have a track-walk, where they let everyone walk around on the track and look for colored lug nuts that can be traded for prizes.

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