Fans watch the action under the lights at Richmond International Raceway. Credit: Autostock

Tailgating: Richmond

The weekend at Richmond International Raceway marks the beginning of a four-week stretch of night races and night racing is just plain old fun! Like Rusty Wallace said, "When they turn on the lights, all hell breaks loose."

The two RIR races each year are favorites for many NASCAR fans. Knowing your way around traffic is key in Richmond; but if you successfully navigate the busy streets, you'll get to see one of the most exciting races of the year.

For traffic updates visit traffic.com or virginiadot.org

From the North: Travel I-95 to Exit 82, take Chamberlayne Avenue (301), turn left at third traffic light onto Azalea Avenue, follow signs (2.5 miles).

	Credit: Autostock
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From the South: Travel I-95 to Exit 82 (Do not take Fairground Exit 76A!) At end of exit ramp turn right on Chamberlayne Avenue (301), at a second traffic light turn left onto Azalea Avenue, follow signs (2.5 miles).

From the West: Travel I-64 east to Exit 186, turn left at end of exit ramp onto Laburnum Avenue, follow Laburnum about two miles to Richmond Raceway Complex.

From the East: Travel I-64 west to Exit 195, turn right at end of exit ramp onto Laburnum Avenue, about five miles to Richmond Raceway Complex.

Alternate Route: Take I-64 or I-95 onto I-295. Follow I-295 to Exit 38B - Meadowbridge Road. Travel Meadowbridge Road approximately five miles; the entrances will be on the left.

Check traffic online before you leave. The Meadowbridge Road exit can be clogged on Nextel Cup race day. If so, try to approach the track from Highway 360 -- take I-295 to 360 and go around.

Free shuttles leaving from the Richmond Coliseum parking area at N. 7th Street will take you to and from RIR. Parking at the shuttle lot is $5. Shuttle service is available only on Nextel Cup race days beginning at 1 p.m.

Each ticketholder may bring into the grandstands at Richmond:

• A 6x6x12 soft-sided cooler or a similar item, such as a scanner bag, a fanny pack or a purse

• One clear plastic bag, no larger than 18x18x4

• A seat cushion -- All seating in the grandstands are aluminum bench seating. The seat cushion is for comfort and for keeping your place on the bench.

• Chairs, a grill, food and games. These items are a must for those who plan to get there early.

If you do not mind paying, park on a lawn in the neighborhood outside of Gate 9. Many of the residents who live on the roads that run off Henrico Richmond Turnpike allow parking and camping in their yards. There are places right on Richmond-Henrico Turnpike, but those are higher priced. Off Laburnum Avenue, there are a couple of streets that have camping and parking too: Florida, Walnut and Carolina. Prices range from $25 to $45 for parking and $100 and up for camping.

Kurt Busch is the most recent RIR winner. Credit: Autostock

If you decide to park on speedway property, know that tailgating for Cup events is limited to the area directly in front of or behind your own vehicle and must not take up any additional parking spaces. Vehicles remaining in the parking lots two hours after the conclusion of on-track activities on Thursday and Friday nights will be towed at the owner's expense.

Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom historic areas where you'll find restaurants, items of cultural interest, historic architecture, shopping, dining and entertainment on cobblestone paved streets between 12th and 14th streets by the river.

Many of the museums located on or near the Boulevard in the Region's Fan District are within walking distance of each other. Walk through 400 years of history at the Virginia Historical Society. For the young at heart, follow your shadow at the Children's Museum of Richmond or go to the neighboring Science Museum of Virginia.

Even if you're not a Civil War buff, a visit to the Richmond Region wouldn't be complete without a tour of the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. The American Civil War Center interweaves the Union, Confederate and African American stories of the Civil War in a national context.

Jo Ann Hlavac is the producer of Laidbackracing.com, a fan site devoted to NASCAR tailgating. The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.