No pics. BORING race, winner checked out way early and just ran everyone into the ground. I'd like to thank the Justin Po-Lice for being complete dipwads and making us take 2 hours to travel 5 miles from Ponder to Justin. The point of controlling traffic at an intersection is to allow ALL directions a chance to move!
Saw an IROC race for the first time. I really enjoyed it, especially with the open wheel/road racers doing so well. Was rooting for Scott Pruett, but he didn't last long with a hill billy punting him. Hilarious, I was the only one with 500 around me rooting for Sebastian and not Mark Martin the last few laps. After the checkered I yelled out "open wheel racers are better!". Of course no one reminded me that hill billies win IROC races 80% of the time.
Sunday's race was fun. Dale, Jr. was hammering his pit crew all day on the scanner for bungled pit stops. Traffic going into the track that morning was the best I had ever experienced in all the years I have went there. Instead of secret routes, we went straight down 114. Uncle Johnnie & I left my place around 7:15am and we were drinking cold ones inside the track by 9:04am. And that even takes into account a pit stop for Johnnie in Roanoke on the way. Amazing. The way out would have been fast too except a genetically challenged hillbilly parked his "Go No.3!" pickup in front of my exit which blocked everyone in for over an hour. I have never seen so many toothless people in one place at one time. Out of about 250K attendees, Johnnie & I saw about 7 hot chicks total. Robbie takes more photos of chicks butts' at Indy F-1 in 5 minutes...
couldn't even bring myself to go this time. too tired to deal with the crowd and the associated BS of traffic and everything else
The race wasn't bad, but at the same time I have seen much better. The traffic to the track was not too bad--did the 35 north to Denton and then south. It took us just under two hours from N. Dallas. The return trip was dreadful. The speedway needs to work seriously on getting people out of the stadium area in a more organized way. I have been to Indy when there were a lot more people and they clear the track area in a short period of time. Trip from the track back to N. Dallas the reverse of the above 3:45 and that was after killing two hours after the race. VIP parking is great for access but terrible for egress. But with all that in mind I will return in November, I just am going to thinK the departure out a little more carefully.
I think the pattern is to push you out on the same road you came in on. The slow down will come with people trying to switch lanes outside the pattern. If you plan on returning a different road you came that can be a major headache. Not sure what else they could do to improve. Not as many as NASCAR, but for an IRL race I was late getting there and had zero traffic 20 minutes before green flag and was in my seat 5 minutes before. NASCAR probably isn't that easy. Had about 10 helicopters fly right over the house yesterday. Geez, that's all I need is a bunch of amateur NASCAR drivers flying over my house, we all know what happens with that. Helicopters go many more directions than one.
We were out on 156 10 minutes after getting to the car. We usually park out near the ring road. It's faster walking back out to the truck than sitting in traffic from the PSL parking out to the ring. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hey Rob - I also noticed the sudden influx of choppers starting Friday. Every half hour or so I was having 'Nam flashbacks. Oh wait, I'm not old enough for those. Anyway, they were buzzing very low overhead. I was out back mowing the yard and had to put one of those orange and white checkered flags on the mower to make sure it wasn't me getting mowed down!
Sean, didn't have to rake the clippings. Tillman, wow, is that where your season tickets are? Not sure if you can get better seats than that!
That may be the answer and just blow off the VIP parking for next year. The Busch race was no problem at all and neither is the IRL--in and out quickly. But that mayhem in the gravel parking lots is a mess.
So I've been to an F1 race, and a CART race, and the girlfriend really wanted to go to a NASCAR race.. heck, it is racing, and fast cars at that. I was actually quite impressed with the sound and the action. Even if you were in the back, like Biffle (who won the race) was, you can still win the race. You can pit many times, be under a few laps and still come out in front. This is far different than the pinnacle of motor racing we know as Formula 1. Comments: -- the B-52 Stratofortress that flew over at the end of the national anthem - wow! -- I need to get a helicopter to drop me off. parking wasn't that bad at all, taking the back roads up to 114, instead of 35 thanks to the sister in law, but it would be great to arrive like that. my legs & back would also be thankful. -- there are three kinds of fans: those that like dale jr., those that like jeff gordon and those that hate jeff gordon. sometimes the first and last go together. -- it might be redneck racing to some people, but it is competitive for 500 miles, in 3400lb cars that turn 9000rpms in an 8cyl motor with an iron block. -- there are some people that even the influences of alcohol cannot explain: one individual took off his shirt, swung it up and around and around like a stripper from time to time. in other times, he'd always point his finger out like a gun and shoot it at the 'goarmy' driver every few laps and wave his hand like "awe... go on an get" type of motion. strange. we sat on the backstreach, biased towards turn 3, where the rpm's and speed were really up there - just ten rows up. attached - pictures from my cell phone. with the new big-boy truck for soccer moms to upgrade to. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
A friend of mine that goes every year has solved the traffic problem. He comes out and parks his RV on Monday to get a good spot. He shows up Thursday and drinks untill Monday. Yes he still has all his teeth...for now. Unfortunately I dont have that kind of time to dedicate to NASCAR.
Holy mackaral is this quote true. I was at the first F1 race at Indy (and the second and third). Truly amazing hot babe turnout. I had also attended the Brickyard and Indy 500 the same year (I was working out at Eli Lilly on their SAP implementation in a former life outside of the oilfield). The babe count sky rocketed for the F1 race whereas the Indy and Brickyard babe population was nowhere near as impressive. And I was single at the time so nobody has any ammo at the next Houston FCA breakfast...nyah! -Mike
