Visited the Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway for the first time on an unseasonably cold…read morelast Saturday of May. We came to watch the Night of Champions racing.
Having never been here before, and not having much experience with racing at a local level, I did not know a lot of what to expect. But overall, it was a pleasant experience that was enjoyable for me, and would also be for people of many different ages.
There is parking in the grass right when you pull into the Motor Speedway. It is very close to the entrance, and a flat walk.
We purchased general admission tickets at the gate upon arrival. For this race, tickets were $16 per person. There were 5 races scheduled, along with the hot laps beforehand. There was not a line, and we walked right up to the ticket counter. It could have been because of the weather, but it was quick and easy to buy admission and enter.
You were given a ticket stub, and as long as you have it on you, you can go back to your car and reenter. I had to do this once and the security at the entrance was nice about letting me back in.
They let you bring your own food and drink inside. There are concessions for purchase, but it is a nice option to have if you want to have something other than typical snack bar foods and drinks.
The entrance is behind the grandstands, and you have to walk underneath them to get into the main areas of the venue. There are permanent restrooms in the building that is right in front of you upon entering. This is the same building that houses the concessions.
Once you are through the building and under the bleachers, you will see the area where they sell merchandise, and right next door are the concessions. They had typical foods of what would be expected somewhere like this, as well as some daily specials. Most of the food was self-service, meaning it was set up almost as a grab and go, with a cashier at the end of the line. Due to the weather that day, there were not a ton of spectators, but I imagine on a busy day this would expedite waiting times for food.
We got a Hot Chocolate and a Hot Dog to snack on. I thought the food was average, and the prices were a little high for what was offered for some of the items. The staff in the concession stand were very kind and helpful, and we enjoyed conversing with them.
After getting our food, we made our way to the bleachers. There are plenty of seats, and since there was a smaller crowd there was a ton of room to spread out. I do not believe there was any assigned seating for this section, so we just sat where we wanted to. The bleachers are old and wooden, so I would recommend either bringing some blankets, cushions, or those seat backs to make it more comfortable.
We enjoyed getting to watch all the races. They have a Victory Lane for the winners, and get them on the mic for a few minutes following the race. The "pit row" is in the middle of the track, so you can see everything going on. They kept it moving pretty well and had some engaging commentary over the PA system.
I had a very positive first experience at the Motor Speedway. If you are looking for something that is family friendly, affordable, and fun to do I would recommend a night watching the races going on!
