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I see both sides in this situation. The fans probably do feel more a part of the action when they can see what is happening in the pits and they can get up close and personal to the drivers and crews if they are in the infield. I was a kid in the infield of Terre Haute, Salem, Winchester, the Indy Fairgrounds etc. and I know how special that was to be close to my father and grandfather as they were working on the car. (I might have even snuck in occasionally!!)
The other side is that most if not all the teams have spent a considerable amount of time and money setting up their large enclosed trailers to efficiently prepare and repair their cars during an evening of racing. Back in the day, most teams towed with a pick-up or station wagon and an open trailer. It was really not that much of a problem to unload and some tracks allowed you to park your tow rig inside since it did not interfere with sight lines.
With today’s situation having to compartmentalize, load and unload all the spares, fuel, tools, lights, generators and tires is a big job. Invariably you forget something or require something that is still in the trailer and that just might keep you from making the next event while someone detours through the tunnel to get it.
The last item to consider is the wear and tear on the racing surface when moving the cars and equipment into the infield pits. Even when the large trailers were not permitted to unload directly into the infield pits and Terre Haute provided pick-up trucks to move the teams in, there was a definite dry slick spot running from the outside pit area to the infield pit entrance. The same thing happens at Eldora but it is somewhat less noticeable because it is at the end of the back straight.
If I were designing a new dirt track and had to have an infield pit area, I would have it like Perris and Eldora with a tunnel. If the pits had to be on the outside of the track, I would have a fenced in paddock/walkway that fans could move through and see the teams at work free of charge. Lastly I would have a way of segregating the pits so that as soon as the main feature was over the fans could come to the pits without waiting for the support classes to finish.
Rob Hoffman
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