Learn me: taking my semi-elderly mom to the Rolex 24

My mom and dad got me into sports car racing when I was a kid.  They always dreamed of going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Dad passed ten years ago.  I can't afford to take Mom to France...but the Rolex 24 is doable, right?

Mom is a pretty hardy race fan, having sat through many events at Mid-Ohio in the rain and/or cold.  But she is now in her mid-70s, so staying up all night or sleeping in the car is out.  She's able-bodied but has some COPD, so she can't walk more than a mile or so without stopping for a five-minute rest.  So here's my plan:

Stay at a chain hotel on I-95 in Flagler Beach (~20 miles north of the Speedway) with two queen beds

Park in Lot 3 across the street, go up in the grandstands, watch the pre-race and start

See if I can talk her into going into the infield to watch some of it from there and maybe see some paddock stuff

Leave whenever she wants (probably ~8 or 9 pm), go back to Flagler, sleep in a warm bed

Go back to the Speedway whenever she wants (probably ~10 am), park in Lot 3 again, watch the rest of the race

Anybody see anything wrong with my plan?  I've been to several Daytona 500s, but never the Rolex 24, so I'm a bit ignorant about parking and pass-outs.  TIA.

Nothing wrong with that idea. The view from the grandstands is awesome, and they have all of the escalators up in there. Plus food and clean bathrooms. 

You can catch a tram from the grandstands to the infield, too. 

Nothing wrong with it. Take advantage of their tram system.  They run through the entire event and will take you to the grandstands and throughout the infield.  I did i with my wife in a wheelchair a few years ago and it was one of the most painless large events we've ever attended.     

Call the hospitality line and ask about their accommodations. Usually if the person/persons have a doctors note they can get assistance around the event or even preferred seating.

Definitely use the trams!  I take my Dad each year and he's in the same age range and with bad feet and a bad back that make lots of walking difficult so the trams and shuttles help out a lot.  The seating in the infield has some good views but is either bring-your-own-chair or bleachers without backs, just in case that poses a problem.  Staying on-site can help out a bunch.  We park the RV outside turn 1 which means it's really low effort to go back and sit down or take a nap or whatever and you don't have to travel together the whole time like you do when you have to drive to and from a hotel together.

Would mom be willing to be in a wheelchair? Depending on what your logistics mean (and I've never been there so don't know any of it) it may be a good idea, despite how able bodied she is. Similar to how someone here recommended using a stroller at Disney for 7 year olds.

Alternative to that, bring your own folding chairs. I'd plan on 2 for each day in case you need to pitch them somewhere. The $15 kind you find at Walgreens. 

Does Mom have handicapped parking privileges at home? . Is there a window placards that you can bring with you? 

John Welsh said:

Does Mom have handicapped parking privileges at home? . Is there a window placards that you can bring with you? If not wait a day or so and there will be 6 threads started on this forum where you can purchase "authentic" placards from overseas.

Fixed it for ya.  

My parents lives changed when they decided they were willing to use wheelchairs on an as-needed basis. 

The track may have loaners, or they can be rented for a modest amount from medical supply companies. 

In reply to SVreX :

This was actually the first event I convinced her to try one. We were able to rent it from a place in Deland for I think $30 for the weekend. 

Also, we just posted our 2020 Rolex guide.

Great advice here, but the only thing I'll add is that the infield can get very smoky with campfires. If she's sensitive to that, have an exit strategy waiting to employ.

An idea on how to the race--in fact, one I'd like to do personally:

Walk the garage before the race.

Then do the pre-race Fan Walk.

When they clear the grid, cross the track for the grandstands.

Spend the rest of the day in the grandstands. 

Only thing is that this plan requires walking across the front stretch, which is also fairly banked, as well as a bit of stairs. If you enter the grandstands from the back, then you eliminate the stairs. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

At the end of the fanwalk we looped back to the infield and took a shuttle across to the grandstand.

There are special golf carts to transport people with medical issues. Check with Daytona to see how to qualify. 

Also you can drive close to the pickup point and drop her off while you park. 

Be sure to pack warm clothes,  that Florida weather gets damp and chilly.  I went last year for the 1st time, and that weather felt colder then the 5 degrees I'm used to living in here in Wisconsin 

Good point, yeah, it can feel colder than you'd expect at the race. Lotta open space at the track, too. 

See also: We sell a lot of hoodies and beanies that weekend. 

David S. Wallens said:

We sell a lot of hoodies and beanies that weekend. 

Once I went to San Francisco in June and I thought it was summer so all shorts and T-shirts was in my luggsge. 
 

Now when I see a Fisherman's Wharf jacket on someone I ask if they didn't think it would be that cold when they went.  

Have you considered renting a motorhome and parking in the infield. Or there are companies (don't know about that area) that have travel trailers  they rent which they bring to where you want, set up, you use for what ever time and then they come tear down and pickup. That way you are in the center of action with a lot less transit time, walking, etc. 

Wow, lots of good helpful information here.  You guys are the best...

Trams - Didn't know about those.  Will definitely use them!

Wheelchair - Great idea, but no way Mom will let me bring her in a wheelchair.  She's too proud/stubborn.  We'll just have to stop every five minutes or so ("to check the view from here," "to look at these interesting rocks," etc) so she can catch her breath.

Fan Walk - Will run that by her and hopefully she'll want to do that.  We took the track tour a few years back and she could walk up start/finish with a little help from me.  My wife and my son stayed at the beach - they don't like racing, which makes me profoundly sad.

GRM Guide - Great info.  Will that be in a forthcoming issue?  Sadly I have three unread issues at home - been working a lot.

Clothes - I told her to bring clothing for all four seasons.  Coldest weather I've experienced at Daytona was 42° - hottest was 84°.  42° was cold, just like in Ohio - imagine that.

Motorhome - Would be great, but no budget for that.

I have a feeling this will be a trip I never regret and never forget. 

You really want to watch the sun rise from the grand stands. Seriously, it is much better to miss a few hours in the later morning for a nap. When my mom lived 10 miles from the track I would go back and forth 4 or 5 times during the race, frequently with Mom along.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

I would definitely make the effort to be there at sunrise.  It's an incredible scene as the night fades away and everyone starts coming back out. 

bluebarchetta said:

Wow, lots of good helpful information here.  You guys are the best...

GRM Guide - Great info.  Will that be in a forthcoming issue?  Sadly I have three unread issues at home - been working a lot.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/do-daytona-pro-presenting-grassroots-motorsports-2/

The weekend holds two pre-race Fan Walks: Friday for the Michelin cars and Saturday for the Rolex. Saturday's will be totally packed, making it really hard to get close to the cars. If it's too packed, head towards the Tri-Oval--you'll find people relaxing in the sun, laying on the track, and just enjoying the day. That alone is worth it. 

Friday's Fan Walk isn't nearly as busy, so it's a good chance to meet drivers and see cars close up. 

Sadly, the trip is off.  Mom said she didn't want to leave her dog that long, which is "tough ol' Appalachian gal" talk for "I'm concerned I'm not in good enough shape to do this."

Thanks for all the advice.