Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Looking at a Knoxville trip next year.  Question about lodging.  How far out do you have to stay to get lodging that isn't severely inflated due to the crowd coming in?  I'd be willing to drive an hour or so each day.  When I go to Eldora, I stay in Richmond IN so I'm not getting fleeced on the hotel prices.

Just curious.  This would be my first trip to the Nationals. 

Contact the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce after the Nationals this year.

http://www.winwithknoxville.com/#!blank/ghr5a

See the Housing Request Form on this page.

They will take care of you.

We stayed in Newton.

Been a few years since I've been down for the Nationals but I used to stay in Des Moines.    Usually booked a room off of priceline for $60-70 per night.

With Highway 92 and 5 being 4 lane all the way into DSM there are a lot of motel rooms within 45 min of the race track.

We stay in Altoona.  Always book the room around the same time as we get our tickets (October) and get good rates.  The drive is real easy (4-lane Hwy 163 to Hwy 14 South) and takes about 40 minutes.  Plus, there is plenty to do as far as food, entertainment if you don't want to spend all four days solely in Knoxville.  We have found it is a great balance to the weekend.  Plus, the new MB2 indoor go-kart track in NW Des Moines is an awesome way to kill an afternoon.

Is this heaven?  
No, it's Iowa....Knoxville, Iowa.

We have stayed in both Altoona and in Osceola.   Both are roughly 45 minutes from the track.    At Altoona we have stayed at Prairie Meadows a couple of times.   That's a hotel and casino if that appeals to you at all.    We are staying in Altoona again this year, but at the Holiday Inn Express this time.   The rooms have not necessarily been cheap, but because we split it between three or four people it's pretty cheap anyway.   

The Lakeside Resort in Osceola is also a hotel/casino.  We stayed there last year and we liked it.   The rooms were very reasonable and even overlooked the little lake there.    We elected to return to Altoona this year just because there are more restaurants and things available to do during the day.    

Just my opinion, I would rather spend an extra $100 per night just so I didn't have to drive an hour to and from the race.  My time, gas, and wear and tear on my vehicle are worth more to me than 2 hours of driving per day.  That being said, I don't think you are going to have many options as most places have their rooms tied up and on waiting lists i believe.   I did stay in Newton one year for the Late Model Nationals because that was the closest I could get.  Super 8, I would say about $100?  Can't remember but that wasn't too bad.  25-30 minutes once you finally get out of town.  Now I camp so I can watch the train of cars head out of town.