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dando
07-10-11, 09:10 AM
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=blount_terry&id=6753479


More than four hours before the race, the bumper-to-bumper madness was backed up more than 15 miles on Interstate 71 north of the track.

That's a shame because the racing was actually decent for once. No dancing with the cars contrived BS and not a D-shaped oval.

-Kevin

trish
07-10-11, 11:23 AM
I was bored to tears.

And not only was traffic backed up, but apparently they had already run out of parking anyway.

dando
07-10-11, 11:48 AM
I was bored to tears.

The restarts we're dicey and there were lots of battles on the track. True that on the long runs a couple of cars ran away, but the yellows erased those leads. Plus, several lead changes among several drivers. McMurray's blow up was epic...like the mosquito killer on the last lap @ RA in '97, IIRC. I'd like to see that lump after that blow up. Far better than Dancing with the Cars, MIS, Fontucky, etc., IMO. YMMV.

-Kevin

TKGAngel
07-10-11, 12:32 PM
People were lined up 50 deep at some port-a-cans just to use the bathroom after sitting in their cars for hours.

:eek:

I also read this morning that Bruton Smith estimates that up to 20,000 people may have missed the race due to the traffic situation. There were also issues with leaving the track, too. Each lot received a time that they were allowed to start leaving the lot. If you tried to leave before your lot's assigned time, you were held. Needless to say, people were not handling that well.

gerhard911
07-10-11, 12:33 PM
Much to my embarrassment and regret, I was an eyewitness to this cluster fudge. Contrary to the Speedway and press reports - it was not a problem with I-71. That is, unless you believe it's primary purpose is to be a parking lot to stage cars waiting to enter the Speedway.

The Speedway (and the KY Highway Patrol) did NOTHING to expedite entry into and parking at the facility. We left the nothern suburbs of Cincy at 2:30pm knowing that I-71 was backed up for miles. So we went around I-275 west into Indiana, then following the river on 156, crossing into KY over the Markland Dam. Clear sailing up to that point but once a mile or so into KY and within 5 miles or so of the track entrance, both lanes of traffic on KY1039 came to an immediate stop. It was 4:10pm.

Creeping along, stopped for extended periods of time we did not reach the entrance at Speedway Drive until 6:30. At the entrance, they had one lane of traffic turning left from our direction and two lanes turning right from the east (I-71 inbound traffic). There were 2 KHP troopers standing in the road doing absolutely nothing. Traffic continued to creep into facility, we were stuck in the leftmost lane, and could not get into the first lot two lanes over on the right. There was no traffic or parking control at all inside the facility.

We pulled into the first lot we came to on the left. Had to drive past a dozen or so rows of parked vehicles but at the back of this lot there were a LOT of empty spaces. We parked and started the mile+ hike up to the speedway. On our way in, we passed a lot more available parking, but without any traffic or parking control, those on the entrance road would have had no clue where they were.

We barely reached our seats (freebies courtesy of Goodyear) by the rescheduled 7:40pm start time. Many empty seats around us. The usual NA$CAR snooze fest ensued until the "competition yellow" at lap 30 :laugh:

As the race wore on people continued to trickle in, many obviously perturbed. We stayed through a couple of "debris" yellows, the first thrown when KyleB had a full straight-a-way lead :gomer: I amused myself watching the Jeff Gordon fans go nuts willing him to not go a lap down. He did.

People were still coming in when we left at lap 180. Our parking lot was not close to full when we reached the car. Despite the early departure, traffic still crept out of the speedway. Again, absolutely no traffic control. When we reached 1039 went left toward I-71 hoping we were early enough to avoid bad tie-ups. Cars were parked on the berm along both sides of the road all of the way out to the interstate. These folks had undoubtedly parked out of frustration and hiked 3-5 miles to the track.

Out on I-71, traffic moved slowly and in fits and spurts but what you would expect, though not quite that early. I would guess a lot of other "fans" bailed even before we did.

Bruton will be all bluster and BS, blaming everything but the Speedway's lack of planning and traffic control. Eventually I expect many public $$$ will be spent without addressing the real problem :shakehead

NismoZ
07-10-11, 07:16 PM
Really? Isn't this the place that claimed they had been done wrong by NASCAB, cried, bitched, pissed and moaned then filed a lawsuit demanding a race? THEN they can't even park the crowd!? Methinks this might be a little more than embarrassing for them. Lets have another lawsuit!:)

dando
07-10-11, 08:00 PM
Really? Isn't this the place that claimed they had been done wrong by NASCAB, cried, bitched, pissed and moaned then filed a lawsuit demanding a race? THEN they can't even park the crowd!? Methinks this might be a little more than embarrassing for them. Lets have another lawsuit!:)

It's Kentucky, yo. 100K+ fans in the stands and only 50K teeth. :gomer: I hope NASCAB blasts Smith for this fiasco. :shakehead

-Kevin

SteveH
07-10-11, 09:32 PM
Just saw this posted elsewhere....

CYOMWbBmA-k&sns

50K teeth may be generous

Michaelhatesfans
07-11-11, 02:51 AM
Just saw this posted elsewhere....


"Everybody's your friend..."

I think she meant, "Everyone's related"

High Sided
07-11-11, 09:42 PM
Really? Isn't this the place that claimed they had been done wrong by NASCAB, cried, bitched, pissed and moaned then filed a lawsuit demanding a race? THEN they can't even park the crowd!? Methinks this might be a little more than embarrassing for them. Lets have another lawsuit!:)

same place different people. the ones who built the track filed the lawsuit and lost THEN they sold the track to bruton smith.

Beautiful facility, the original owners were totally hosed by nascar.

High Sided
07-12-11, 02:50 PM
free indycar tickets for the poor saps stuck in the traffic jam....
http://www.indycar.com/news/archive/show/55-izod-indycar-series/44013-fans-offered-free-ticket-to-kentucky-race/

SteveH
07-12-11, 02:52 PM
free indycar tickets for the poor saps stuck in the traffic jam....
http://www.indycar.com/news/archive/show/55-izod-indycar-series/44013-fans-offered-free-ticket-to-kentucky-race/

double jeopardy

Cam
07-12-11, 07:56 PM
double jeopardy

...or cruel and unusual?