Del Mar Opening Day Friday July 17 - Car Service from San Diego
Opening Day of the 2026 summer meet · first post 2:00 PM PT · your driver handles the I-5 / Via de la Valle interchange
⚡ Cancellation list ↓ 📞 (858) 522-0264
Marquee flat round trip: $150 BMW i7 · $200 Rivian R1S · $250 Escalade IQ-L - no time cap · (858) 522-0264
TL;DR
SOLD OUT as of July 11 — all three EGT vehicles booked six days before first post. Cancellation list only; Sat Jul 18 and Sun Jul 19 each have one vehicle left. Opening Day at Del Mar - Friday, July 17, 2026 - is the social kickoff of the 2026 summer meet: the season's first card, the One and Only Truly Fabulous Hats Contest, and one of the highest-energy gates of the year. First post 2:00 PM PT. EGT marquee flat round trip from anywhere in metro San Diego: $150 BMW i7 (2, $75/seat) · $200 Rivian R1S (up to 4, $50/seat) · $250 Escalade IQ-L (up to 5, $50/seat) - admission-gate drop-off, driver staged through the card, no hourly clock. Each vehicle runs two round trips per race day - an early arrival drop and a later drop; the late party gets a post-card pickup (beat-the-traffic before the last race, or an unwind pickup 30-45 min after). One of the biggest crowds of the year - limited slots, book early. Reserve below or call (858) 522-0264.
Opening Day - the social kickoff of the meet
Opening Day is Del Mar's biggest social Friday: the first card of the summer meet, the One and Only Truly Fabulous Hats Contest, fashion, and one of the highest-energy gates of the season. That means heavy egress from the very first day - and race-day traffic at Del Mar already stacks three flows into two exits: racegoers on I-5, beach traffic on Camino del Mar, and Via de la Valle surface congestion. A pre-booked car drops you at the admission gates and stages nearby - you skip the lot queue both directions, and the rate never changes with traffic or demand.
| Departing from | Leave by (for 2:00 PM first post) |
|---|---|
| Downtown San Diego / Gaslamp | 12:15-12:45 PM |
| La Jolla / UTC | 12:45-1:00 PM |
| North County coastal | 1:00 PM |
Leave a little earlier than a normal race day - Opening Day gates and lots fill ahead of first post. Arriving mid-card instead? The flat rate doesn't change - tell us your target race.
Opening Day and season schedule per the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club official 2026 season page, checked .
Two round trips per vehicle - early arrival + late drop
Each EGT vehicle runs two round trips on Opening Day: an early arrival drop for people who want the full card, the paddock, and the infield, and a later drop for the crowd that comes for the late stakes and the fashion. The late-drop party then picks their return - a beat-the-traffic pickup staged before the final race, or an unwind pickup about 30 to 45 minutes after the card ends, once the lot has thinned. Either way the driver is staged in the area, not dispatched from across the county.
This is one of the highest-demand days of the entire summer, and there are only a limited number of early and late slots per vehicle - check live availability above and reserve early. When all slots are taken the date is sold out and we open a cancellation list.
Flying in or basing in San Diego?
Opening Day pulls racing fans, owners, and fashion-set visitors from out of town - many flying in for the weekend with no idea how the I-5 / Via de la Valle corridor behaves on the meet's first big race day. EGT covers the whole trip, not just the track: SAN airport pickup when you land, your hotel, and the round trip to Del Mar on Opening Day - one operator, flat rates, named driver, no surge. Out of town and planning by phone? Call or text (858) 522-0264 and an owner walks you through airport timing, hotel-to-track, and the post-card exit before you book.
Opening Day cancellation list - Friday July 17
This date is sold out. Submitting the form joins the timestamped cancellation list - if a confirmed booking releases, EGT calls the list strictly in order. Want a guaranteed car at the track this weekend instead? Sat Jul 18 and Sun Jul 19 each have one vehicle left. Prefer the phone? Call (858) 522-0264 - an owner answers.
Opening Day - marquee flat rate - then it's a cancellation list
$150 BMW i7 (2, $75/seat) · $200 Rivian R1S (up to 4, $50/seat) · $250 Escalade IQ-L (up to 5, $50/seat), flat, round trip from anywhere in metro San Diego. Driver staged through the card. One of the biggest crowds of the year - book early.
Reserve your ride ↓