Quaker State 400

[cobraman302]

Anyone making it out to the Sprint Cup Quaker State 400 today? Should be a frigging mad house down there all day. I will be down with a few friends at about 1ish.

[cobrajoe]

Beefcake, Untamed, Brandon A. That I know of.

[firestang70]

I have had season tickets since the track opened. The traffic was a nightmare, they were totally unprepared for the numbers. My prices were increased, less events, and they took my preffered parking passes. I think Mike Brown might actually own the joint now.:rolleyes:

[mustangboy]

My season tickets were cheaper than we paid for the first 5 yrs. Everywhere I look traffic is moving really well. I've been yto several races where you could sleep in your car for hours and traffic would not move. I think there were a lot of people who were dumb ernough to think you can show up at the track a few hours before and expect to park and walk right in the track. It don't work that way. We've had the camper down here since wed and have had a blast. I will say the race was boring but I don't think traffic from inside the track has been bad

[cobraman302]

Actually traffic was an absolute mess all around because of the horrible bottleneck at the track. I left my house (1 hour away from track) at 1pm, arrived in the campgrounds in the track around 430. Yes, that's 3.5 hours of driving. Wait, I haven't told you the best part. We were smart enough to get off exit #63 (8 miles before the exit we needed) because traffic was bumper to bumper and had been for over 10 miles at this point. If we had not taken the backroad shortcut off exit 63, we would have been another 2 hours later arriving. That would have put us at getting to the track at 6pm, yes a 5 hour drive. Wait, there's more. We parked in someones yard because traffic was backed up 1.5hours on the exit. We parked for $20 in a field, and walked 4 miles to the track. 45 minutes later I walked back to the car and passed the same exact cars lol!

I had a friend (goes to about 6 races a years and has for the past 15 years) leave mason at 130 and he got to his seats with 130 laps to go!!! Next year we will be camping and making a week out of it for all 3 races. Bottom line, they have a LOT of improvements to make before they will be prepared for that many people in one place at one time again.


My season tickets were cheaper than we paid for the first 5 yrs. Everywhere I look traffic is moving really well. I've been yto several races where you could sleep in your car for hours and traffic would not move. I think there were a lot of people who were dumb ernough to think you can show up at the track a few hours before and expect to park and walk right in the track. It don't work that way. We've had the camper down here since wed and have had a blast. I will say the race was boring but I don't think traffic from inside the track has been bad

[Jeff88coupe]

Heck....we got caught in about a 12 mile long 1 Hr. delay traffic jam on 71N heading to 75 at 3:30am last night coming home from the outlaw 8.5 race down in Hardinsburg, KY. I went to the first truck race years ago..traffic was a mess then....said I wouldn't go back especially with the no cooler rule. Much more enjoyable to go to the brickyard race at Indy. They get you in and out of the speedway really well.

[Mbubby61]

Tickets, bus, pit pass, concert, hospitality tent,, Was supposed to leave at 1pm from eastgate, 3pm snacks, 3:30 pit tour, 5pm concert, 5:30 dinner. Left at 1pm, got within a mile of the track and got off the bus at 6:30. Decided we would not make it unless we walked in. Busted our ass walking to make it to the hospitality tent and eat before it closed at 7pm. Oh, did i mention the toilet was about to overflow on the bus. AT the track, our Seats were 20 rows up from the track,, could not see the cars racing after they crossed the finish line, then saw the cars heading into turn 1.. Great view of pit exit tho. Race was boring. Know of a guy who waited 1.5 hrs for a slice of pizza. $8 beer, $6 lemonaide. Line for Mens bathroom was 30 yards deep, cant imagine what the womens line looked like. Ride home left at 11,pm arrived at 2am. The toliet was fixed on the buss for the trip back,, but the the light didnt work so ya had to use the light from your phone, or borrow some guys lil mag light to see in the bathroom.. Someone who had way to much to drink decided to throw up in the middle of the bus. The air shocks were shot, potholes felt like land mines. Guess we didnt notice that as much on the way down from all the noise, and slow pace due to traffic, Figure we stopped about 9 miles out, the bumper to bumper. Heard traffic was backed up for up to 20 miles.. had only 2 lanes open into the track,, 4 lanes for leaving the track. Well, I Been there done that, wont ever do it again. ATmosphere was negative, race was boring, Thank GOD I only had to pay for the ticket, $75, the hospitality and pit pass was a gift. Would have been in a rage had I paid for them,, was still livid that the fun parts were denied due to the lack of planning and snobbish comments from the Track owners,, "should have left earlier " Guess ya need a camper and 3 days vacation to enjoy the race.. Like I said, been there done that, will not do it again..

[cobraman302]

Heck....we got caught in about a 12 mile long 1 Hr. delay traffic jam on 71N heading to 75 at 3:30am last night coming home from the outlaw 8.5 race down in Hardinsburg, KY. I went to the first truck race years ago..traffic was a mess then....said I wouldn't go back especially with the no cooler rule. Much more enjoyable to go to the brickyard race at Indy. They get you in and out of the speedway really well.

Good point, I forgot about the drive home since the drive there was so horrible. The race ended at 11, we partied at the campgrounds until 1am. We left at 130 and got home around 4am because 71n was bumper to bumper for about 10 miles or so.

[sean]

what a mess. I was reading that people that sat through all that finally made it to the track just to be turned away because there was no more parking.

[mustangboy]

Guess ya need a camper and 3 days vacation to enjoy the race.

Bingo!! We dropped the camper off Wed afternoon and left Sunday morning. Had no traffic problems whatsoever. Buddy of mine drove separate so we parked his car right where the buses dropped us off and kept a cooler and snacks in there so we did not have to go all the way back to the campground. I do agree the no cooler thing sucks but that is a KY state rule not a track rule. You guys that have never been should have asked advice. Even when the track first opened we would get to the track no later than 9am and just make a whole day out of it. Its not like a ball game where you can show up a couple hours ahead of time and be ok. When you have well over 100k people things move very very slow that is the way it just is. I've been to Indy, Atlanta, Charlotte and Bristol and traffic was no better there than KY. I do hope the racing gets better next year or at least throw a mandatory cation every 50 laps or so to bunch everyone back up as the racing was boring especially the first 100 laps.

[cobraman302]

Bingo!! We dropped the camper off Wed afternoon and left Sunday morning. Had no traffic problems whatsoever. Buddy of mine drove separate so we parked his car right where the buses dropped us off and kept a cooler and snacks in there so we did not have to go all the way back to the campground. I do agree the no cooler thing sucks but that is a KY state rule not a track rule. You guys that have never been should have asked advice. Even when the track first opened we would get to the track no later than 9am and just make a whole day out of it. Its not like a ball game where you can show up a couple hours ahead of time and be ok. When you have well over 100k people things move very very slow that is the way it just is. I've been to Indy, Atlanta, Charlotte and Bristol and traffic was no better there than KY. I do hope the racing gets better next year or at least throw a mandatory cation every 50 laps or so to bunch everyone back up as the racing was boring especially the first 100 laps.

This is crazy talk. So I have to either A) wake up at 6am and be to the track by 9am for an 8pm race??? Fuck that theory. B) camp out with a camper for a few days before the race and go to all 3 races and make a vacation out of it. That's an ok theory, but that theory does not hold up for 100k people sir. I have been to Michigan internation speedway, I have been to Indy, I have been to Dover and Bristol. This race was nothing like those experiences. Yes there is traffic, of course...but the coordination was aweful at the track. My friend that went to the race and go there at 9pm, they told him there were no parking spots left and he had to go home!!!!! What do you think about that? Or that they had to call in extra Kentucky state police to support the traffic issues 30 minutes into the race! I got 3 words for ya, they fucked up! I could keep going with reasons and examples of things I witnessed.

[Pitbull1052]

What did you all think of the racing? I thought it sucked, not that track but the cars themselves... this new car jacked up everything it's like once you get out front no one can catch you or once they do they can't pass you...... from behind the leader on back the racing is great...

[mustangboy]

I don't disagree that they fucked up on the traffic. However the fuck up was getting cars off the exit not around the track facility. There were parking spaces still available. I saw quite a few open fields that could have held more cars. Not sure if that was a KY state police call or if they were following track official rules. While riding on one of the buses the state police closed off one of the bus routes. From what the driver said that was a police decision and not a track official decision so right there I got the impression the police were going to do what they wanted to do not what the track people wanted. So turning people away could have very well had nothing to do with what the track wanted but what the police decided to do on their own. And yes option A is the norm when going to a nascar race for those that do not camp. However if you walked out to the campgrounds you would quickly realize there was probably as many campers on the grounds as cars.

[cstreu1026]

Didn't they have the exact same problems with traffic when the track opened?

[DSSKing68]

Didn't they have the exact same problems with traffic when the track opened?

Yea, and I remember it raining around one of the races and the lots becoming a huge mudpit...cars had to be towed out.

[mad max]

When does any place get it right the first time they hold an event like this ? I would be willing to bet a very small percentage do. You can never truly create an enviroment like the one you will deal with.

[2Kblacksleeper]

Brad and got stuck in the 15 mile back up from hardingsburg. It took us 6 hours to get home.
We left at 530 because I had a family emergency, and I dropped him off at his house at 12:15.

That is nuts. Every event at the speed way turns into this crap.

[beefcake]

we left at 3:15, i really enjoyed the drive as i had plenty of beer and yeag, and friends to keep me company, i anticipated the long drive and we had a blast

got a parking spot not too bad, and that was at 7:20

we were walking up when the race started about 10 mintues or so, then hopped a bus to the entrance,

left with 25 laps left and drove straigh home, took maybe 5 minutes longer than normal!

[firestang70]

Not sure where some people are getting their info. When they opened up people were just letting people park however they wanted. That was the first huge mistake. Some people are so disrespectful and take up 3 or 4 spots for their more important than everyone elses' tailgate party. You park side by side and use the shouldnt be traveled anymore center sections. I hope everyone of those aholes got a flat on the way home.

I talked with several LEOs trying to jockey for a spot. There was NO communication between the track people and all the agencies. Those guys had a horrible job and felt sorry for them.

I have been going to NASCAR races since 90 and been to all but a handful of tracks. That was the worst traffic flow barring emergencies (MVAs etc) that I have ever witnessed from a race.

I thought Bruton Smith would have had things better planned. He sure how knows to blow smoke up peoples arses. Watched the Speed Channel pre race and he was on the show. He complained that he needed another 150 acres to park, that 71 sucked, and needed govt assistance fror future help. He even said he was even helping parking cars. Uh huh I know I never saw him as I sat parked with NO traffic moving forever.

If my son had not went out and walked and found our own spot and talked the officers into letting us into a lot, we would have been screwed.



When Brian France issues a statement that the traffic issues of that day cannot happen again, that says something. I have never seen a statement issued like that before from NASCAR.

[rsrr]

I blame it KY state police. They should have blocked off more lanes for incoming traffic,using shoulders like other tracks do.They should have learned from the first truck race,this was not there very first time with a race,granted they have more seats,so they should have expected this.

[02mingryGT]

I left at 12:30 pm and hit traffic 15 miles out from the speedway. Rolled along until it went to three lanes and hit the high speed lanes passed about 3 1/2 miles of traffic and got off at exit 55. How many of those complaining were trying to get off at exit 57? There was a big sign that said all race traffic to exit 55. Anyway I made it in to the track at 4:30 pm. met up with some friends, drank some beer and watched the race. Hung out after the race, drank some beer until 1:30 and went SOUTH to Carrolton took 227 to 42 and got home about 4:30. I had a good time and had planned appropriately for a Nascar race not, as someone else said, a ballgame. Do i think it was messed up. Yeah it was but I expected it so I prepared for it. Next year I'll probably leave about 9 am and take 50 and cross over at 1031 and take that to the track.

My biggest complaint was the lack of port-a-lets in the damn lots. No excuse for that. And after I stand in line 40 laps for a $4 hot dog the least you can do is have it ready. The concession crew sucked. Don't know who they worked for but they need another crew. Got in and out of the bathroom easily but i didn't try to go during a caution. That's kinda like going at halftime. Not too smart.
Took my granddaughter to her first race she thought it was great so all in all I had a good time. Did notice on my way south that there was a officer parked on the side of the road every mile. You would think they could have been used at the track.
As far as Brian France and Nascar goes. They hate Bruton Smith. He's been the only person who has successfully stuck it up Nascar's ass. Not a whole lot they could do if anything. That statement was a publicity stunt to pretend they care. You believe otherwise I have a bridge for sale.

[beefcake]

I left at 12:30 pm and hit traffic 15 miles out from the speedway. Rolled along until it went to three lanes and hit the high speed lanes passed about 3 1/2 miles of traffic and got off at exit 55. How many of those complaining were trying to get off at exit 57? There was a big sign that said all race traffic to exit 55. Anyway I made it in to the track at 4:30 pm. met up with some friends, drank some beer and watched the race. Hung out after the race, drank some beer until 1:30 and went SOUTH to Carrolton took 227 to 42 and got home about 4:30. I had a good time and had planned appropriately for a Nascar race not, as someone else said, a ballgame. Do i think it was messed up. Yeah it was but I expected it so I prepared for it. Next year I'll probably leave about 9 am and take 50 and cross over at 1031 and take that to the track.

My biggest complaint was the lack of port-a-lets in the damn lots. No excuse for that. And after I stand in line 40 laps for a $4 hot dog the least you can do is have it ready. The concession crew sucked. Don't know who they worked for but they need another crew. Got in and out of the bathroom easily but i didn't try to go during a caution. That's kinda like going at halftime. Not too smart.
Took my granddaughter to her first race she thought it was great so all in all I had a good time. Did notice on my way south that there was a officer parked on the side of the road every mile. You would think they could have been used at the track.
As far as Brian France and Nascar goes. They hate Bruton Smith. He's been the only person who has successfully stuck it up Nascar's ass. Not a whole lot they could do if anything. That statement was a publicity stunt to pretend they care. You believe otherwise I have a bridge for sale.

I'm with you, at 3 lanes, i went flying around to exit 57 and found parking still at 7:15

[fastone]

You can't blame the police for any of the traffic problems. i will fight for them on this one. They have to keep one lane open for emergencies. That was their decision (Gallatin County EMS/Fire). Now when you have 107,000 people in one spot and ONLY 33,000 parking spots, sorry KY Speedway, you fuc*ed yourself. You need to level the land and put down a bunch of gravel. And once you were off the road, the people parking and taking up 2 and 3 spots is on the speedway. That is private property. Blame who you all want, but it all goes to the speedway. You guys have to remember, they (Jerry Carroll and his stupid friends) built a track to bring bunches of people to, in the smallest county in the state of KY. Great planning on location!!