Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
Florence banned stadium seats completely but will let you bring cushions or blankets to everything but the North/South. THen they sell out and have a couple thousand sit in the infield on their own chairs or stand.
That's how big that race has gotten.
I watched it on Flo. That place was packed! Looking at the infield crowd, I can't fathom standing up for a 5 hour race program. If you did sit down anywhere, you had a good chance of getting run over by a race car or side by side the way they were all flying around the whole area.
Originally Posted by Daisy's dad:
I watched it on Flo. That place was packed! Looking at the infield crowd, I can't fathom standing up for a 5 hour race program. If you did sit down anywhere, you had a good chance of getting run over by a race car or side by side the way they were all flying around the whole area.
There's a big area in the track that has those big jersey barriers all around it. Nobody's getiting hit. Fans are only allowed to enter or exit the infield while no cars are runniing. After hot laps. After qualifying. after B mains.
I mainly choose to attend based on what's on the track, but there's always a consideration of the facilities and food too. If the on-track product is good enough, I'll deal with splinters from the seats and no food at all, but if it's a toss up between a couple different tracks getting my money for basically the same show I always will think about comfort, cleanliness, and value of concessions. One thing that sours me on places more than anything is exhorbitant prices for food and beverage.
When I was younger it didn't mean a lot. Been to a track to watch midgets that had no front stretch wall or fence and people sat on a mound on blankets there. And still the bottom line is I go to see great racing. I live in Kansas city but go to as many races in Indiana almost than I do races in Missouri or Kansas. I just get no joy watching a rubbered down or slow roll the bottom single file parade that we see around here.
But as I get older and have more body parts that don't work as designed I do pay attention to the stands. Walking up boards that flex and bounce with no railing or have gaps in them has at times threated to send me to the ER. I am also not into having to sit with my legs spread so some guy can sit 6 inches from my testicles. ( admit my eyes shine when it has a soft back because as soon as he gets up when sits down my knees are together shoved into his back). And I don't appreciate standing in piss gagging when going to the bathroom. So I guess facilities do mind some to me.
Growing up we looked forward to the cheeseburger the women's auxiliary fixed in the concession stand. They were hard to beat. I still occasionally enjoy sharing a funnel cake with the wife or some ice cream if they have it. But that's pretty much it for the food.
I live 2 hrs. from a track that according to many is the nicest track in the world. I go a couple of times a year because it is halfway between my kids and I and it's a family tradition reunion. Great facilities, would be awesome for a rodeo or tractor pull but rubber in the heats is not uncommon. only really good race there I ever saw was after 3 inches of rain the night before.
So i guess I am cranky in my old age. I wand decent, safe bleachers and comfortable seating. but if the racing isn't decent or I'm not meeting the kids and grandkids I am staying home.
One thing I never do anymore is put up with not being reasonably safety to watch. I did for the first several years, Would stand by the fence in the pits. Put up with a inadequate catch fence in any track in fan zones.
After decades watching this sport, I've seen several things that shouldn't have happened but did. A couple things that are almost impossible to happen but did A car clearing Perris's 15ft fence. While landing on the other side with nobody there. It happened. Had friend who's wife eye got blinded at a track notorious for rocks. Those two were at all the usac and big races. All the time. THey've not went to a track in 8 years.
Two instances I personally witnessed were at Atomic. Now fixed. But I noticed it seen what I thought what could happen before actually witnessing em happen and moved. Turn three grandstand. All star sprint week about 7years or so ago turn three, Car flips out of park, Hits the end of grandstand only one guy sitting real close to impact but near end of stand. Impact knocked over and back off the bench five feet breaking his back. Smoke owns all stars and after 20 minutes of cars stopped ambulance securing and transporting guy. Smoke calls the sprint car portion.
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Second was sitting low on front stretch. Im as big and out of shape as ever. I go just past flag stand toward one. Sit in row two. I notice fence is too low and don't have a retaining arch top So move up six seven rows and back on flexing stairs and no hand rails. But I feel reasonably good. Some point during night not even sure the class a car loses part of a axle and a blown tire which cleared the fence. The axel landed just fans side of fence hurts nobody but the shredded tire a piece of it his a kid in the leg slapping him pretty good. Not seriously hurt. Just hurt.
Even eldora or burg I'll sit back at least twenty feet and ten feet up minimum.
I've not seen it all. But enough to pay attention. Even though I could of at the time visited Circle City. Hell you could see the rocks clearly on the track and hear em hitting the stands during broadcast.
