52 Best Weekends: Toyota Grand Prix, Long Beach, April 3
Forget what you've heard; Super Bowl fans do not have the most fun. In the world of event weekends, the Toyota Grand Prix is as good as it's going to get—if you can take the torque from your fellow fans, 200,000 beery enthusiasts screaming for speed as 120 burning machines tear through the streets of Long Beach.

The three-day Grand Prix actually comprises four races: The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and the Kool/Toyota Atlantic Championship happen on Saturday; on Sunday, there's the PPG-Firestone Indy Lights Championship and the PPG Indy Car World Series. The best views are at the turns and, of course, at the start and finish lines—but folks with reserved seating get first dibs.

The key to surviving this rubber-scorching, octane-flaming funfest is to arrive early at the right hotel. The Long Beach Hilton, several blocks from the course, in an option, as is the Long Beach Hyatt Regency, but only if you book now. You may as well splurge on a suite or even a luxury room, since you're going to be hiding out here whenever the other 199,999 racing nuts get on your nerves.

Avoid the standard hot-dog fare trackside and try a decent sit-down lunch at L'Opera, an ultrahip Italian eatery within a short stroll of the track. On race days, a Lifestyle/Auto Expo in the convention center (also within walking distance) offers racing simulators, lessons and products for diehards. Toyota Grand Prix: 800-752-9524 or 562-436-9953; tickets, $40-$95. Long Beach Hilton: 800-HILTONS or 562-983-1200; $125-$275. Long Beach Hyatt Regency: 562-491-1234; $275-$400.—Phuong-Cac Nguyen