LAT PHOTOGRAPHICRoads leading to the Kentucky Speedway were clogged with traffic during Saturday's NASCAR race.
By AL PEARCE on 7/10/2011
If getting there is half the fun, an untold number of fans going to Saturday night's Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway didn't have any fun at all. Estimates vary, but it's been reported that a significant number of fans--many thousands, according to some--never got in because of a massive traffic jam that's been dubbed “Carmageddon.”
To get a coveted Sprint Cup date, speedway owner Bruton Smith expanded his newest track's grandstand capacity from 66,000 to 107,000 and added 200 acres of camping area. But there were no upgrades or additions to the neighboring roadways, and those largely rural roadways simply couldn't handle the traffic. Even nearby Interstate 71 proved little or no relief as traffic backed up for upward of 15 miles and the off-ramps were overwhelmed. Many fans abandoned their cars along Kentucky Route 35 and hiked the final miles to the track. Others ran out of patience, made U-turns and went back home without ever getting within sight of the speedway.
Smith is smart enough (and rich enough) to refund their money and/or give them tickets for next year's race. And, yes, of course, there will be another Cup race in Kentucky next summer. A massive traffic jam getting into a venue might not thrill NASCAR, but it's better than having a crowd so small that traffic isn't an issue. The Cincinnati-Louisville market is huge for NASCAR, so Saturday night's debacle isn't going to cost the speedway its long-awaited date.
According to one report, fans who finally arrived halfway through the race were turned away because officers were reversing the traffic flow from “incoming” to “outgoing.” The speedway's Facebook page and various Twitter accounts were filled with criticism from angry fans about the lack of traffic control or efficient parking. Smith told reporters he feared upward of 20,000 fans didn't get in because “traffic is horrendous.” Among those who didn't make it was David Williams, Republican candidate for governor of Kentucky.
Track general manager Mark Simendinger issued this statement: “We've had an overwhelming response to our inaugural [race]. We know we had challenges related to traffic. We're already planning improvements and looking forward to a much better situation for next year's event. Clearly, it was beyond what we expected.”
NASCAR issued its own brief statement: “We had a great race and a heckuva crowd this evening. It's disappointing the fans had a difficult time getting in. We expect the track to address this head-on and have a much better situation for the fans moving forward.”
Saturday night wasn't the only time a new Cup event has overwhelmed roadways. Imagine the surprise of media and fans when the late Bill France Jr. was personally directing traffic for Homestead's inaugural Cup race in 1999. And Smith was on the ground, too, directing traffic for the first Atlanta race after he renovated it in 1997.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France even spoke out: "While NASCAR was thrilled by the incredible response to our inaugural (Sprint Cup) race in Kentucky, we also were extremely disappointed by the traffic problems and inconveniences endured by fans who wanted to be part of our races at Kentucky Speedway," he said in a statement Sunday. "NASCAR will be in close communications with Kentucky Speedway and Speedway Motorsports Inc. to see that they work to resolve the issues. This situation cannot happen again."
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has vowed to work with speedway officials to address the traffic flow and parking problems that plagued Saturday night's race.
"There is no question the entire week at Kentucky Speedway was a big success, but it's also clear there are issues, such as traffic flow, which must be addressed before next year's event," Beshear said in a statement. "We will work with track officials to determine what can be done to address these problems so that next year's event will be even bigger and better."
Beshear said it's too early to tell whether the state will get involved in a major expansion or renovation of the interstate near the track. But that's the hope of speedway owner Smith, who said during the race that the state must step up in fixing the interstate.
Kyle Busch joins the club
With his win Saturday night, Kyle Busch became the seventh driver in the past 17 years to win the inaugural Sprint Cup race at a new venue.
Kevin Harvick won at Chicagoland in 2001, and Jeff Gordon won the first races at Kansas City in 2001, Fontana, Calif., in 1997 and Indianapolis in 1994. Tony Stewart won at Homestead in 1999, Mark Martin at Las Vegas in 1998, Jeff Burton at Fort Worth in 1997 and Rusty Wallace at Loudon in 1993.
Busch's career résumé continues to shine. He has 13 wins in NASCAR's top three series this year: five each in Nationwide and Camping World and three in Sprint Cup. His career record of 99 major wins includes 22 in Cup, 29 in Camping World and 48 in Nationwide.
Junior continues to slide
Once thought a virtual lock for a Chase for the Championship spot, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has slipped badly in recent weeks. It's too early to panic, but Junior and crew chief Steve Letarte need to do something soon or risk falling from the top 10 in points.
Junior was third in points as recently as Michigan, three races ago. But he finished a contact/overheating-related 41st at Sonoma, a wreck-related 19th at Daytona Beach (a race many felt he could win) and a flat-tire/body-damage-related 30th on Saturday night in Kentucky.
And it's not just that he's finishing poorly; he's running poorly, too. Earnhardt has led only 33 laps all season, more than half of them (17) in the spring race at Martinsville. And despite three of his eight top-10 finishes in the past 10 races, he's led only four of 2,786 possible laps.
Regular-season races remain at Loudon, Indianapolis, Pocono, Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond. Junior is eighth-ranked but only 29 points inside the top 10. To stay Chase-eligible, he must stay top-10 in points or win a race and hope that will get him one of the two wild-card spots into the 12-driver playoffs.
Coming up
NASCAR's Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams are at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a Saturday-Sunday double-header next weekend. The Camping World Truck Series is at Iowa Speedway for a Saturday-night race.
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