CORONADO (KGTV) — NASCAR fans are taking over Coronado Island for the weekend.
Some fans chose to keep it low-key Friday night, skipping opening day at the track and trading it for rooftop views.
At Dive, the only rooftop bar in Coronado inside The Bower Hotel, fans grabbed drinks, soaked in the views, and saved some energy before a big weekend of racing.
Sean Murphy, General Manager of The Bower, said the event has been a boost for the property.
"Our hotel is fortunately sold out, and we're ready for those 100,000+ folks on the island," Murphy said.
Fans said they made the trip from across the country, including Santa Clarita and Sacramento, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles; South Plainfield, New Jersey; and beyond.
Many are seasoned NASCAR circuit veterans, having attended races in Texas, Talladega, Charlotte, Phoenix, Daytona, Vegas, and North Carolina.
Every fan had a favorite driver they were pulling for heading into the weekend.
"Jimmy Johnson, he's our guy, seven-time champ, and I'm a big Earnhardt fan, so on Sunday we'll go for Chase Elliott," Jim Greenis said.
Desiree Karnes said she's rooting for, "Brad Keselowski, he's number six, we just followed him, and we really like him. He's a great guy and does a lot for the community and stuff too."
Jennifer Riley said, "I always root for Shane van Gisbergen. He's new to the series, but he came in and just kind of showed people what's up, which I thought was really impressive."
For many fans, watching a race on a naval base during the year America turns 250 made the event impossible to skip.
Cameron Neff, visiting from Los Angeles said, "I'm a 40-year fan. I've been to over 200 races, and this one's a little extra special, 250th birthday of the country."
Derek Maldonado, visiting from Sacramento, said he planned well ahead to make sure he had a spot.
"I reserved these tickets in October. And was on a waitlist in August. So we got good seats. We're at turn 11," Maldonado said.
Paul Buckley, who lives on Coronado said, "There's nothing more American than NASCAR and the military. Go America!"
Buckley also said this weekend is more than just about NASCAR. It's also a chance for him and his brother Ken Buckley, visiting from New Jersey, to catch up on some lost time together.
"It took NASCAR to get my brothers here to Coronado," Buckley said.
Dive will host watch parties for NASCAR all weekend. Murphy said they will be from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
