One problem the folks at the NHRA didn’t have last Sunday at Joliet was traffic control. That’s usually the case when most of the stands are bare aluminum. The NASCAR folks, however, were seeing the other side of that coin. That sanctioning body’s race in Kentucky drew more than 100,000 people and totally blew up the roads for a huge radius around the race track. How could a Bruton Smith owned and operated facility that added 40,000 additional seats for this one race not be prepared for such an influx of people? Simple. They did it on purpose.
Believe it or not, that most illogical of answers is the most logical path of thought once you look over the whole situation. For starters, you cannot possibly believe that there are not manuals, volumes probably, in the SMI offices about traffic. It is literally their business to know how to get mass volumes of people in and out of facilities. What they do at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is remarkable seeing as the track is located on what is basically a two lane road. Their prowess has been proven time and time again.
The catch here is that Smith has been lobbying the state to pay for upgrades to the (wait for it) roads in and out of the track. He has gotten nowhere fast with the Kentucky government, so this would be the best way to demonstrate (read: force the to address) to them how important such upgrades are. We’re sure the state likes all the tax revenue generated by the race fans and ol’ Bruton will probably tell them that it would be a shame to see another batch of 20,000 fans miss the race like they did this year sitting in 10-15 mile traffic jams. Heck, if the track got a reputation for being inaccessible, they may even have to move the race…right?
Smith played high stakes poker and although the track took some heat from peeved fans, lots of the ire is heading toward state officials and they are already reacting in ways that must have Smith smiling.
The President of the Kentucky State Senate has already called for legislative hearings on the traffic issues and the Governor is putting together a multi-agency task force to examine the event and make changes for the future. Somehow we think that will translate to some Kentucky tax dollars heading the track’s way. We’re sure that’s SMI’s preferred outcome.
Other track operators and promoters wasted no time in jumping on the situation for their own benefit, as they are supposed to do. Roger Curtis the boss at Michigan International Speedway started throwing punches almost immediately. In a press release he said:
“Unfortunately Saturday’ night’s events became an exercise in blame
and unpreparedness, and fans, corporate partners, media and drivers were
caught in the middle.”
“As a track
promoter, I’m saddened and embarrassed about what happened. To think all
the hard work we’ve done at MIS and other tracks could be quickly
erased by Saturday’s events. Kentucky Speedway, having been open since
2000, should have known the challenges it would face when it tripled its
seating capacity”
At the close of his release he offered fans from the Kentucky debacle to send their tickets into his Michigan track for discounted tickets to his NASCAR race in August.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway was next, although their release was not nearly as acerbic as Michigan’s. That track slapped Kentucky lightly with jabs like:
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has provided great fan
experiences for the largest auto racing crowds in the world for 100
years…”
and
“We have easy and efficient access to and from the track that allows our
fans to participate in activities at the track. In just a matter of
minutes, [they can] enjoy all that the city of Indianapolis has to offer
or be well on the road toward home or the hotel.”
Indy then offered fans from Kentucky discounted tickets to the Brickyard 400.
Finally Talladega got in on the action with a final boot to the ribs of Kentucky with a release that was upbeat, yet clearly directed at Kentucky’s management. Some clips from their release:
“After hearing how rough the fans had it at Kentucky this weekend, I
wanted to let them know that we’re ready to show how a race weekend is
supposed to run,” he said, speaking of the track’s 40 years of hosting
major Cup races. “We put fan experience at the forefront of everything
we do.”
Track promoters are in the business of filling their tracks any way they can. If someone gives them some low hanging fruit to grab and chomp into, you know they are going to do it, if not they’d not be negligent in their duties. It just isn’t too often that the opportunity comes on this grand a scale!
Are the track operators at Michigan and Indy going to get the hotel owners near their tracks from gouging race goers as well? Are they lowering their concession prices too? A half gesture is still an empty gesture.
The reason the stands were empty at the NHRA event last weekend was that the ticket prices are out of control. Especially now, but the tickets prices for the drags are simply out of reach. Add in the usual and the cost of a day at the races just can’t happen. I think if they lowered the price they’d actually make more money, due to better attendance, more people buying stuff, etc., but what do i know.
And how is this traffic mess any different from any other NASCAR race? (even with the on-going NASCAR decline in attendance)
Ticket prices for nearly all professional sporting events (not just racing) are out-of-control.
If either series was good to watch anymore people would pay. Both series are half asses of their former selves now.
I’m sure the folks at Atlanta Motor Speedway, who lost their spring race to these KY amateurs, were having at least one moment of private satisfaction.
I find it hard to believe that with all the problems facing government these days, the politicians of Kentucky would be willing to waste their time and money on Nascar.