• Home
  • About PubClub.com Nightlife Pubs And Clubs Website
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

PubClub

Where The World Goes To Party!

The Best Motorsports Bars In America

May 31, 2020 by kevinwilkerson Leave a Comment

Eat & Drink Where The Racers Play From Laguna Seca To Watkins Glen

Best motorsports bar Seneca Lodge Watkins Glen NY
A race team crew celebrates a Watkins Glen win at the Seneca Lodge. Photo: Seneca Lodge




By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Motorsports Blogger

Before I ever saw a car turn a lap on a racetrack, my PR mentor at the time made sure I knew one of the most important elements of being on the road for racing professionals: the signature bars that are associated with each venue.

These are not motorsports themed bars, mind you, but places people at the races – team staff, team owners and often the drivers themselves – frequent when in town, which makes the venues as legendary as the tracks themselves. They are the must-go-to places when you go to a race at these tracks.

This article is a result of my personal experiences in motorsports PR with a couple of the sports cars series’, manufacturers and IndyCar/CART.

Armed with this first-hand experience, PubClub.com presents the best motorsports bars in America.

Since it’s really impossible to rank them because each has its particular virtues, they are listed in alphabetical order, along with their associated race track.

• Baja Cantina, Laguna Seca

Best motorsports bars Baja Cantina Carmel CA
Baja Cantina in Carmel, CA, is like being in a vintage motorsports museum. Photo: Baja Cantina

The owner of this location of Baja Cantina – there’s one in LA’s Marina Del Rey, too – is a huge race fan and walking into it is like going to a motorsports museum. It has vintage automobile memorabilia and is a true racing fan’s bar. Be sure someone else drives to it, tho; the strength of its margaritas are legendary among the racing community.

Address & Map: 7166 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel, CA
Website: www.carmelcantina.com
Related Link: Laguna Seca Is America’s Coolest Racetrack

• Bucks, Mid-Ohio

Great motorsports bars Buck's Mid-Ohio
The staff is Midwestern friendly at Buck’s near Mid-Ohio.

Buck’s Bar And Grill is as unassuming as the area in which it is located.  This low-key place is known throughout the motorsports world for its super-friendly staff and cheap food and drinks. We once went there with a picnic-table full of PR people and the entire bill was less than 100 bucks. At Buck’s! The menu has the kind of food you would expect to get in the middle of Ohio, and that is to say a lot of fried stuff in baskets. Plus slow-roasted BBQ ribs.

Location & Map: 192 East Main Street, Lexington, Ohio
Website: bucksbarandgrill.net

• Paulie’s Pub & Eatery, Milwaukee Mile

Best motorsports bars Paulie's Milwaukee Mile
Paulie’s Pub & Eatery is across the street from the Milwaukee Mile. Photo: Paulie’s Pub

Right across the street from the Milwaukee Mile is this nice pub that adds live music to the motorsports bar mix.  There’s also sports on the many TVs, so you can catch up on the other races and games you missed during the day while you were at the track. There’s a lot of history at that track, too. It’s the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, hosting at least one auto race every year since 1903, excluding during World War II. It was also the Milwaukee home of the Green Bay Packers from 1934-1943.

Address & Map: 8031 W Greenfield Ave., West Allis , WI
Website: pauliespubandeatery.com 

• Ocean Deck, Daytona International Speedway

Ocean Deck bar Daytona Beach FL
They aren’t the only ones who jump for joy when they “hit the Deck.” Photo: Ocean Deck

This bar has nothing to do with racing or the Speedway, but one cannot go to Daytona Beach without “hitting the Deck.” It’s right off the sand, which gets onto it concrete floor, to inside the bar. There’s live music from the house reggae band and the drink to get here is the rum-heavy Red Tide. Served, in typical Florida beach bar style, in a souvenir plastic cup. I once watched a night space shuttle launch barefoot in the sand just outside of Ocean Deck and it was a spectacular sight.

• Address & Map: 127 S. Ocean Ave., Daytona Beach, FL
• Website: oceandeck.com

• Seneca Lodge, Watkins Glen

Best motorsports bar Sceneca Lodge Watkins Glen NY
It’s beer time (again) at the Seneca Lodge Photo: Seneca Lodge
Best motorsports bar Seneca Lodge Watkins Glen NY
Race fans pack into the Seneca Lodge bar in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Photo: Seneca Lodge

Take in the history of Watkins Glen racing at the Tavern Room bar. Behind the bar, laurel wreaths from the Formula 1 races of the 1970s hang from hundreds of arrows shot into the wall by ace archers who frequent the lodge for archery championships. Suspended from the ceiling are tires from NASCAR champions. I used to drink the local “Ginny beer” from the Genesee Brewing Company here but the place now has its own craft beer. The Tavern Room has long been a hangout of racing mechanics – as well as the occasional PR person.

Address & Map: 3600 St Rt 419, Watkins Glen, NY
Website: senecalodge.com

• Siebkens Resort, Road America

Best motorsports bars Siebkens Elkhart Lake WI
This mural at Siebken’s shows it all. Artwork: Siebkens

When you go to Road America, this is the only place you need to be when you are not at the track. There’s an inn, a nice restaurant and – best of all – the Stop-Inn Tavern, all on the property. The tavern is where ALL the racers (drivers included) congregate at night on race weekends. The drink here is Jagermaster and Siebkens goes through more of it than any other place in the Midwest. And they are only open half the year! They used to have a musician who changed the words of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” to the “Jager Man.” The chorus became “and soon we’ll be drinking all night!” I became somewhat of a legend there myself when I introduced the bartenders to a popular shot from my resident town of the time, Manhattan Beach, CA, the “Surfers On Acid” (Jager, Malibu rum and pineapple juice and trust me, it’s way better then it sounds). Soon everybody was drinking it, so much so that the bartenders were constantly having me run out to the outside vending machine to get them the pineapple juice.

Address & Map: 284 South Lake Street Elkhart Lake, WI
Website: www.siebkens.com

•  St. Elmo’s & Union Jack Pub, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

St. Elmo Steakhouse Indianapolis
St. Elmo Steakhouse is an Indy 500 – and Indianapolis – tradition for race fans and visitors. Photo: St. Elmo Steakhouse
Union Jack Pub Speedway IN
The Union Jack Pub is a casual racing bar a few blocks from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Photo: Union Jack Pub

Yes, Indy has two places. One is a high-end downtown restaurant with “steaks as long as your arm” as a motorsports friend once told me. St. Elmo’s Steakhouse is as much of a tradition at Indy as drinking milk in Victory Circle. It is also famous among its customers for its shrimp cocktail with super-spicy  horseradish sauce. Roger Penske has his own room here and while most of the places in this story are primarily bars, St. Elmo’s is such a part of the Indy experience that it has to be included here. On the opposite end of the culinary and atmosphere spectrum is Union Jack’s. Located in Speedway, IN, this is casual racing-themed bar a few blocks from the Speedway with a patio, pub room and Chicago-style pizza as its signature food item.

St. Elmo’s Address & Map: 127 S. Illinois St. Indianapolis, IN
St Elmo’s Website: www.stelmos.com

Union Jack Pub Address & Map: 6225 W. 25th St., Indianapolis, IN 
Union Jack Pub Website: unionjackpubspeedway.com

In Case You Are Wondering, These Places (Sadly) No Longer Exit

The Savoy, an awesome rock ‘n roll bar in downtown Watkins Glen…The Ragamount Inn, a fantastic restaurant where the waitressed dressed up like pilgrims, in Salsbury, CT (Lime Rock)…Bridgeport Brewing Company, where all of us PR types had our annual Thursday gathering before races in Portland.



Filed Under: Homepage Fun Stuff, Racing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Unfinished Man

Search

Today On PubClub.com

EVENTS CALENDAR:
• Feb. 12 – Super Bowl LVII, Glendale, AZ

LET’S BE SOCIAL!
 
PubClub.com is a member of the Travel & Tourism Marketing Association, Inc.​, and the Travel Massive chapters in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County (CA).

Instagram

Follow on Instagram

Destinations

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Destinations (2,112)
    • Asia (17)
      • Japan (5)
        • Tokyo (3)
      • Taiwan (1)
      • Thailand (7)
    • Australia (19)
      • Surfer's Paradise (3)
      • Sydney (5)
    • Brazil (7)
      • Rio (2)
    • Camping (1)
    • Canada (21)
      • Montreal (2)
      • Niagara Falls (5)
      • Toronto (2)
    • Caribbean (56)
      • Cuba (1)
      • San Juan (5)
      • Virgin Islands (20)
    • Central America (1)
      • Costa Rica (1)
    • Europe (102)
      • Amsterdam (15)
      • France (3)
      • Germany (5)
      • Ibiza (2)
      • Kiev (1)
      • London (6)
      • Malta (1)
      • Moscow (1)
      • Munich (5)
      • Paris (5)
      • Poland (3)
        • Krakow (2)
      • Prague (6)
      • Switzerland (35)
        • Basel (5)
        • Bern (3)
        • Swiss Alps (1)
        • Zermatt (3)
        • Zurich (4)
    • Greek Islands (25)
      • Corfu (3)
      • Ios (2)
      • Mykonos (5)
      • Santorini (5)
    • Mexico (10)
      • Cabo San Lucas (1)
      • Puerto Vallarta (1)
      • Tijuana (1)
    • Michigan (1)
      • Traverse City (1)
    • Ski Resorts (70)
      • Aspen (1)
      • Austria (5)
      • Big Bear (13)
      • Big Sky (6)
      • Mammoth (17)
      • Squaw Valley (4)
      • Whistler (3)
    • Tokyo (1)
    • USA (1,772)
      • Alabama (3)
      • Alaska (1)
      • Arizona (7)
        • Lake Havasu (1)
        • Scottsdale (3)
        • Sedona (1)
      • Boston (5)
      • California (1,324)
        • Carmel (24)
        • Central Coast (9)
        • Lancaster (16)
        • Los Angeles (809)
          • Catalina Island (12)
          • Culver City (1)
          • El Segundo (4)
          • Hermosa Beach (174)
            • Fourth Of July (12)
            • Smackfest Events (22)
          • Hollywood (16)
          • Huntington Beach (1)
          • Lake Arrowhead (2)
          • Long Beach (41)
            • Grand Prix (11)
          • Manhattan Beach (77)
          • Marina del Rey (6)
          • Newport Beach (44)
          • Orange County (27)
          • Party Report (15)
          • Redondo Beach (83)
          • Santa Monica (4)
          • South Bay (93)
          • Sunset Strip (4)
          • Temecula (12)
          • Venice Beach (5)
        • Mendocino (12)
        • Monterey (30)
          • Restaurant Reviews (10)
        • Napa (5)
        • Oakland (7)
        • Palm Springs (8)
        • Paso Robles (7)
        • San Clemente (1)
        • San Diego (281)
          • Balboa Park (1)
          • Del Mar (11)
          • Events (72)
          • Gaslamp (46)
          • Imperial Beach (5)
          • Lifestyle (4)
          • Music (1)
          • Ocean Beach (5)
          • Oceanside (1)
          • Pacific Beach (4)
        • San Francisco (70)
          • Events (12)
        • Santa Barbara (1)
      • Chicago (10)
      • College Towns (1)
      • Colorado (4)
        • Denver (4)
      • Florida (84)
        • Daytona Beach (1)
        • Ft. Lauderdale (3)
        • Jacksonville (1)
        • Key West (25)
        • Keys (8)
        • Miami (10)
        • Panama City Beach (3)
      • Hawaii (25)
        • Waikiki Beach (15)
      • Indianapolis (3)
      • Las Vegas (165)
      • New Jersey (1)
      • New Orleans (41)
      • New York City (14)
      • Newport, R.I. (1)
      • North Carolina (1)
      • Oregon (9)
        • Portland (8)
      • Seattle (2)
      • South Carolina (3)
        • Charleston (3)
      • St. Louis (1)
      • Tennessee (46)
        • Franklin (4)
        • Gatlinburg (5)
        • Knoxville (10)
        • Nashville (5)
        • Smoky Mountains (3)
      • Texas (6)
        • Austin (6)
      • Utah (2)
      • Virginia (1)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Hong Kong (1)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Events

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Events (516)
    • BVI Interline Regatta (5)
    • Carnival (5)
    • Cinco de Mayo (2)
    • Exercise and Socalize (2)
    • Fourth of July (8)
    • Halloween (9)
    • Holidays (19)
      • Thanksgiving (7)
    • Indy 500 (10)
    • Kentucky Derby (12)
    • Memorial Day Weekend (5)
    • New Year's Eve (43)
    • Oktoberfest (11)
    • Party Report (46)
    • Running Of The Bulls (5)
    • Spring Break (6)
    • St. Patricks Day (8)
    • Sundance Film Festival (8)
    • Super Bowl (16)
    • Valentine's Day (10)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Sports

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Sports (504)
    • Baseball (8)
    • Beach Volleyball (3)
    • College Football (290)
    • Golf (11)
    • NFL (44)
    • Olympics (13)
    • Racing (25)
    • Soccer (8)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Lifestyle

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Lifestyle (1,587)
    • Beach Reads (1)
    • Cannabis (4)
    • Celebrity Sightings (6)
    • Entertainment (22)
    • Mr. Sorehead (3)
    • Music (276)
      • Festivals (58)
      • Jimmy Buffett (38)
      • Trop Rock (13)
    • Party Stories (2)
    • People Profiles (10)
    • Singles Life (7)
      • Men Vs Women (2)
      • Relationships (2)
    • Social Media (2)
    • Spirits (26)
    • Travel (651)
      • Airlines (30)
      • Airports (1)
      • Blogger (366)
      • Cruise Ships (23)
      • Hotels (15)
      • Product Reviews (3)
      • Singles Travelers (1)
      • Solo Travel (2)
      • Touring Blog (12)
      • Weather (17)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

From the Bar Stool

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • From The Bar Stool (311)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Bars

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Bars (260)
    • Bars & Food (24)
    • Bars & Nightlife (196)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

News

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Business News (4,159)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • News (54)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Colleges

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Colleges (29)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Food and Drinks

  • 72 Hours (3)
  • Food and Drinks (387)
    • Beer (98)
    • Cocktails (45)
    • Foddie Blog (27)
    • Rum (7)
    • Singles Cooking (1)
    • spirits (8)
    • Spirits & Beer Industry (79)
    • Tequila (16)
    • Vodka (1)
    • Wine (78)
  • Homepage Fun Stuff (6)
  • Homepage Lifestyle (3)
  • Men's Stuff (4)
  • Party Report (3)
  • Virtual Happy Hour (8)

Subscribe To The Party Report

About PubClub.com

PubClub.com is a content-oriented nightlife tourist guide dedicated to social-minded travelers with articles on worldwide destinations such as Amsterdam, the Greek Islands, Prague, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Canada, and more. Top keywords for search are pubclub, pub club, party pubs, club pub, travel pub, pub club night, pubs and clubs and the pub club.
Read More...
Our Terms | Privacy

Legal

Ads

Powered by imFORZA