Camping at Richmond International Raceway

The Richmond International Raceway in Virginia is one of the older tracks used in NASCAR. The raceway is located at the Virginia State Fairgrounds and is surrounded by residential and commercial property. Because of these factors, the track has very little camping spaces around it for race fans. It's also a short track, which means infield camping is not available. Many race fans need to look for off-track options if they are planning to camp out on race weekend.

  1. Raceway Camping

    • The Richmond International Raceway does not have any reserved camping spots for the raceway immediately available for fans to purchase and reserve in advance. The reserve spots have a waiting list of around two years. The only official camping spots held by the racetrack itself is in Parking Lot J, which is located on the north side of the speedway off of Meadowbridge Road. The spots are unreserved and given out on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee is around $80.

    Independent Camping

    • Most race fans looking to camp near the raceway will rely on "Pop Odom sites"--the race fan's slang term for private property offered for parking and campsites by the property owners. Many of the residential properties near the track and fairgrounds will sell space on their properties for camping. Most of these areas are also believed to be a first-come, first-served system. It might be possible to reserve a space from the property owner for next time just by asking--an advantage because there are two race weekends a year at Richmond. Many of the residences off of the Henrico Richmond Turnpike (like on Oronoco and Greenbrier avenues) offer camping and parking spaces, and there are other available spaces at the residences off of Laburnum Avenue. Talking with other campers in the area is a good way to determine how safe a particular area is.

    Other Campgrounds

    • There are also independent campsites and other establishments offering campsites near the speedway. The Life Tabernacle International Church on Oronco Avenue can have space available. Some of the businesses within a mile of the speedway include the Azalea Flea Market off Azaela Avenue and Strawberry Hill Landscaping on Laburnum Avenue. Two other campgrounds within a 5 to 10 mile radius are Kosmo Village and Americamps. All other campgrounds will be at least 20 miles from the raceway, likely requiring campers to drive to the raceway on race day. Most public parking at the raceway is free, so there won't be an additional cost.