Michigan International Speedway Fan Guide: Cooler Policy, Bag Policy and What to Bring (2026)

Part of the Happy Hour Racing Track Fan Guides, our series on what you can actually carry through the gate at every track on the schedule.

Cooler Policy at Michigan International Speedway

The Michigan International Speedway cooler policy is one of the friendlier ones in the Cup Series, and it comes down to two words: soft sided. Every guest is allowed one soft-sided cooler, and the maximum size is 14 by 14 by 14 inches. Ice is permitted inside it.

The word that trips people up is "one." You can combine a cooler with your other bags, but the cooler limit is one per guest no matter how you stack it. Two people, two coolers. One person cannot carry two.

Foam and hard-sided coolers are prohibited regardless of size. That includes the small hard six-pack cooler that feels like it should sneak through. It does not. A 14-inch cube of soft cooler is a genuinely useful amount of space, so pack it properly at the car rather than trying to argue a hard shell through the gate.

One more thing worth knowing before you walk up: there is no bag check at Michigan. The track states plainly that there are no provisions for checking and holding restricted items, that restricted items may not be left at or around the gates, and that anything left unattended gets removed and discarded. Whatever does not clear security goes back to your car or in the trash.

Bag Policy at Michigan International Speedway

The Michigan International Speedway bag policy allows a maximum of two bags per person through the admission gates. Backpacks, diaper bags, clutch bags and fanny packs are all permitted as long as none of them exceed 18 by 18 by 14 inches.

There is no clear-bag requirement at Michigan. Your normal backpack is fine. That puts MIS on the more relaxed end of the schedule, and it is why the two-bag ceiling matters more than the material: a regular day pack plus a soft cooler covers almost anyone.

Anything larger than the allowable size is prohibited outright, and all bags are subject to search on the way in. Give yourself a few extra minutes at the gate on Sunday morning when the whole grandstand arrives at once.

Prohibited Items at Michigan International Speedway

This is the official prohibited list for Michigan International Speedway. Any one of these stops you at the gate:

• Foam or hard-sided coolers, regardless of size
• Weapons, including firearms, knives and pocket knives, and anything else restricted by local, state or federal law
• Displays of the confederate flag
• Fireworks
• Glass or ceramic of any kind
• Dry ice
• Any bag, backpack or container larger than the allowable size
• Laser pointers
• Noisemakers and air horns
• Aerosol cans, other than sunscreen, sunblock, hand sanitizer and bug spray
• Selfie sticks
• Tripods and monopods, solid or collapsible
• Illegal substances of any kind
• Seat cushions with metal components
• Collapsible chairs
• Wagons
• Drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles
• Frisbees, balloons, beach balls or any other projectile
• Skateboards, hoverboards, roller skates, scooters and bicycles
• Obscene or indecent clothing

The track also notes that anything else deemed inappropriate or unsafe can be refused at the discretion of security and management, and that the list can change without notice.

What You Can Bring Into Michigan International Speedway

The permitted list is longer than most people expect, and it answers a lot of the questions fans ask on the drive up:

• Sunscreen, sunblock, hand sanitizer and bug spray, in aerosol, gel or liquid form
• Clothing and blankets
• Ice
• Insulated cups up to 64 ounces, with no liquid inside them at the gate
• Cameras and binoculars
• Scanners and headsets that can be worn over the neck or belt, or carried inside one of your bags
• iPads, tablets and laptops
• Seat cushions without metal components
• Cigarettes and lighters
• Service animals
• Nationality flags attached to a pencil-sized wooden stick, as long as they do not block anyone's view

Two of those are worth underlining. Bug spray in aerosol form is specifically allowed even though aerosols are otherwise banned, and Michigan in June earns that exception. And the 64-ounce insulated cup has to go through empty, then gets filled inside.

Grandstands, Seating and the Michigan Layout

Michigan is a two-mile D-shaped oval in Brooklyn, Michigan, with 18 degrees of banking in the corners, 12 on the frontstretch and 5 on the backstretch. It opened in 1968 and it is one of the widest, fastest ovals the Cup Series runs. The practical effect from a seat is that you can see almost the entire lap from almost anywhere in the grandstand, which is not true at most tracks.

Seat cushions without metal components are allowed and they are a good idea, because aluminum plus a June afternoon is a long combination. Collapsible chairs are not allowed in the grandstand. Frontstretch seating at MIS is smoke free, including e-cigarettes and vapes, with designated smoking areas marked by signage around the property.

If you want a scanner, buy it ahead. MIS states that scanner rentals must be purchased in advance online and that no walk-ups are allowed.

Getting There and Race-Day Tips

Michigan runs free trams with seven stops around the property, plus ADA carts that you can pick up at any guest services information booth or at the campground ambassador sites. Parking is sorted by lot, and the track publishes inbound and outbound traffic maps along with a color-coded property map worth pulling up before you leave the house.

The single most important logistics detail: the track is cashless. Merchandise, concessions and the box office all take cards only, and there are no ATMs on the property. If you are buying alcohol you need a valid US or Canadian government-issued ID plus a 21-and-over wristband, which is free at concession and club locations when you show the ID.

If something goes wrong, you can call 517-592-1104, or text "MISFAN" followed by a space and your issue and location to 69050. For an actual emergency on property, call 911.

Camping and Infield Rules

Camping is a big part of the Michigan weekend, and the rules are specific. Campsites are reserved, limited to eight people, and camping units must sit at least four feet apart. Fires have to be off the ground in a contained ring and at least ten feet from any vehicle or structure. The campground speed limit is 10 mph, and you need to park at least 50 feet from water stations.

Quiet hours vary by area. Most campgrounds run midnight to 7 a.m., the Apex runs 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., and the infield splits by section between midnight and 1 a.m. Generators without an upward-venting exhaust or a muffler should be off between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The campground prohibited list is separate from the gate list and includes weapons, fireworks, sky lanterns, drones, laser pointers, scaffolding, rental trucks, semi-trailers, large bonfires, ATVs and off-road vehicles, private golf carts, eBikes, super soakers, and any animal other than a service animal. Dogs are limited to two per site, on a leash, and they cannot go through an admission gate.

Fan Tips

Pack the cooler as a cooler, not as a bag. You get 14 inches cubed of soft-sided space, and the fans who use it well bring water first, then food, then whatever else fits. Ice is allowed, dry ice is not.

Bring the bug spray. It is one of the few aerosols specifically permitted, which tells you something about a June afternoon in Lenawee County. Bring sunscreen for the same reason: Michigan is wide open with very little shade in the seats.

Put a card in your pocket before you leave the campsite. Cashless means cashless, and there is no ATM to bail you out.

Common questions about Michigan International Speedway

What size cooler can you bring to Michigan International Speedway?

One soft-sided cooler per person, with a maximum size of 14 by 14 by 14 inches. It may contain ice. The limit is one cooler per guest regardless of how many other bags you carry.

What is the bag policy at Michigan International Speedway?

A maximum of two bags per person through the admission gates. Backpacks, diaper bags, clutch bags and fanny packs are allowed up to 18 by 18 by 14 inches. There is no clear-bag requirement, and all bags are subject to search.

Are hard-sided coolers allowed at Michigan International Speedway?

No. Foam and hard-sided coolers are prohibited regardless of size. Only soft-sided coolers within the 14 by 14 by 14 inch limit are permitted.

Can you bring food and drinks into Michigan International Speedway?

Yes. Bring your own food and drink inside your permitted soft-sided cooler. Ice is allowed, dry ice is not, and glass or ceramic containers of any kind are prohibited. Insulated cups up to 64 ounces are permitted with no liquid inside at the gate.

Are chairs or seat cushions allowed at Michigan International Speedway?

Seat cushions without metal components are permitted. Seat cushions with metal components and collapsible chairs are both on the prohibited list.

Are cameras allowed at Michigan International Speedway?

Yes. Cameras and binoculars are permitted, along with iPads, tablets and laptops. Selfie sticks are prohibited, and so are tripods and monopods whether solid or collapsible.

What items are prohibited at Michigan International Speedway?

Foam and hard-sided coolers, weapons including pocket knives, confederate flag displays, fireworks, glass or ceramic, dry ice, oversized bags, laser pointers, noisemakers and air horns, aerosols other than sunscreen and bug spray, selfie sticks, tripods and monopods, illegal substances, metal-frame seat cushions, collapsible chairs, wagons, drones, projectiles such as frisbees and beach balls, skateboards, hoverboards, roller skates, scooters and bicycles, and obscene or indecent clothing.

Does Michigan International Speedway take cash?

No. The track is fully cashless for merchandise, concessions and the box office, and there are no ATMs on the property. Bring a card.

The Bottom Line

Michigan is one of the easier tracks on the schedule to pack for, and the whole thing fits in a sentence: one soft cooler at 14 inches cubed, two bags at 18 by 18 by 14, no glass, no hard shells, no chairs, and a card in your pocket because nothing on the property takes cash. Add sunscreen and bug spray, which are both specifically allowed, take a cushion without metal in it, and you are set for a two-mile oval where you can watch the whole lap from your seat.

Policies change season to season and can be updated by the track at short notice. Confirm everything against the official Michigan International Speedway general information page and the official MIS fan guide before you travel, and call 517-592-1104 if you need a detail confirmed.

Gear Up for Michigan

Denny Hamlin won the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan on June 7, 2026, ahead of Erik Jones and Bubba Wallace. That was his second Michigan win in a row. Here is what we have in stock tied to this track:

• Denny Hamlin #11 NASCAR 2026 Back 2 Back Wins at Michigan Win T-Shirt - the 2026 winner shirt, back-to-back at the two-mile oval
• Checkered Flag Sports Denny Hamlin #11 2025 FireKeepers 400 at Michigan Win T-Shirt - the first half of the back-to-back
• Checkered Flag Sports Justin Allgaier #7 Xfinity 2024 Cabo 250 at Michigan Win T-Shirt - for the Saturday-race crowd
• Denny Hamlin #11 NASCAR Magnetic Wooden Etched Metal Bottle Opener - lives on the camper door all weekend
• Denny Hamlin #11 Alderwood Name and Number Etched Wooden Coaster Set of 4 - no glass at the track, but the campsite is fair game

More at the Happy Hour Racing race wins collection, or join the win-shirt fan club and get the winner's shirt after every race.