I was there, and I had a great time! The cars were flying, top fuel versus funny car was fun, prices were reasonable, $50 for Friday and $50 for Saturday to get in, and being there for the first 340 was just the icing on the cake! I will absolutely go again if they do it again.
A few thoughts about if PRO goes back to Bradenton or any other non-national event level track:
One concession stand on each side of the track was just ridiculous. An hour plus wait to get anything is unacceptable in 2024. We brought our own food and drinks Saturday to avoid that hassle. On the pro pit side, the food and drinks lines were separate!!! So you waited for an hour or more to buy food, you then stood in line for another hour to get a drink. Just stupid.
I could not get any cell service (Verizon) at the track. There were also no WiFi options. Also unacceptable in 2024. You need people sharing on IG, TikTok, YouTube, etc to generate any type of hype or interest for any one under 35, or to generate any impression that a big event is going on. As soon as I pulled out of the track and got closer to Bradenton, my phone exploded with missed calls and texts.
Traffic was god awful getting in and out, but luckily I came early and stayed late. Not sure this is Bradenton/PRO’s fault … 2 lane road in and out. But if they do it again next year (and they absolutely SHOULD) … plan for traffic.
Again, I had a great time, it was a fun and unique event, got to see lots of friends, and I will absolutely go next year if they do it again. They just have some growing pains to sort out.