I took some time today to complete my recon on the Maxton Mile ( http://www.ecta-lsr.com ) today. A friend and I took the 2 hour ride to see the old airport runway presided over by the ECTA (East Coast Timing Association). It's a fairly laid back affair. You can get up close to most of the cars and bikes running there. At the same time, since the start and end are a mile apart, it's difficult to get terminal speed on the runs. They broadcast the speeds of each vehicle on a CB channel, but we didn't know that and consequently didn't bring CB radios. Regardless we had a great time. We spent about 3 hours there. It would be a stretch to spend a full day just spectating. Participating is the way to go at Maxton. You don't need much more than to pass a safety inspection and a helmet to run unless you exceed 135 MPH.
You must be a member to run your car. Membership is $50 a year or $25 for the second half of the season. For a weekend's running, the registration fee is $100 per car if you pre-register before coming. At the track it is $120.