No parking lot, no re-entry, and no I-5 drive after a day in the sun. EGT drops you at the gates and your named driver brings you home — flat $120 (2 passengers) or $200 (up to 5, $40/person), no surge, 100% electric.
Call (858) 522-0264The best way to the Del Mar races without parking — or driving home after — is a flat-rate private car that drops you at the gates and handles the return. Elite Green Transportation runs flat race-day round trips from anywhere in metro San Diego: $120 in the BMW i7 (two passengers) or $200 in the Cadillac Escalade IQ (up to five — $40 per seat), no surge, 100% electric, with a named driver confirmed in advance. The Coaster to Solana Beach plus a short shuttle is the budget option; a private car is the door-to-door, no-driving one.
General parking runs about $10–$20, preferred is $25 on a regular race day (about $35 on Opening Day), and valet is $30 ($50 on Opening Day). There's no re-entry, preferred lots sell out, and it's all per vehicle, every visit. Cheap on paper — but it still means you're the one driving home up I-5 after a long, sunny day at the track.
A day at the races is sun, food, and usually a drink or two, then summer beach traffic home. That's exactly when you don't want to be behind the wheel. A pre-booked car means a named driver brings you home on a flat rate that doesn't move with the crowd or the hour — no parking, no re-entry, no designated-driver debate.
The NCTD Coaster stops at Solana Beach, a short shuttle or rideshare from the track, and is the cheapest way up the coast if the schedule fits your day. Where it leaves a gap: the door-to-door legs, getting a group home together after the last race, and inland or North County origins off the rail line. That's where a pre-booked car earns its place.
| Option | Race-day cost | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| General parking | ~$10–$20 | You still drive home up I-5 |
| Preferred | $25 ($35 Opening Day) | Sells out, no re-entry |
| Valet | $30 ($50 Opening Day) | You still drive home |
| Coaster + shuttle | Cheapest | Schedule + last-mile |
| EGT private car | $120 i7 / $200 IQ flat | None — door to door, you're driven |
For a group of five in the Escalade IQ, that's $40 per person — round trip, door to door, no one driving home. The point isn't the parking fee; it's not being the one on I-5 at the end of the day.
And don't forget the gas. California averages about $5.70 a gallon right now — the highest in the country. The roughly 45-mile round trip up the coast from central San Diego burns ~$9–$14 in fuel in a typical SUV. And fuel is only part of it: the IRS puts the all-in cost of driving at 72.5¢ a mile for 2026 — fuel plus maintenance, tires, and depreciation — which makes that round trip about $33 in real vehicle cost, before you've paid to park. EGT is 100% electric, and none of that wear lands on your car.
Parking figures per the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (dmtc.com); confirm current rates for your race day. Gas price per AAA California (~$5.70/gal, June 2026); all-in driving cost per the 2026 IRS standard mileage rate (72.5¢/mi); distance is an estimate. EGT rates are EGT's own published Del Mar flat rates.
Uber Black is a premium, metered tier that surges in high-demand windows — and the last-race exodus up the coast is one of them. You pay two legs, each surged separately, the return hit hardest, with no locked price until you're standing in the lot. Del Mar's distance from town makes each metered leg longer, too.
EGT is one flat number, both ways: $120 (BMW i7, two) or $200 (Escalade IQ, up to five — $40/person), set at booking. On a quiet day an Uber Black round trip can land in the same range; on a stakes-day surge — commonly reported at 1.5–3× the base fare during peak egress — the metered fare is exactly what climbs past a flat rate, while your named driver is already waiting. And surge isn't the only lever — a 2026 Consumer Reports study found Uber and Lyft quoting riders different prices for the same ride at the same time (a median gap near 50%) using AI-driven surveillance pricing. EGT's published rate is the same for every rider.
Flat Del Mar race-day round trips: $120 BMW i7 (2) · $200 Escalade IQ ($40/seat). Door to door, named driver, no I-5 drive home.
Call (858) 522-0264