Kentucky Speedway had a traffic problem. Who would of guessed?
You invade a town of a thousand with 100,000 NASCAR fans, plus the media and the race teams and you get one crowded little city.
Many of you, from more populated states, may not have realized this but last weekend Sparta was the third largest city in Kentucky. Twice as large as the fourth biggest city – Bowling Green. Many times I have spent thirty minutes driving the mile from I-65 to the corner of Scottsville and Lovers Lane in Bowling Green during afternoon rush hour. I can’t imagine why tiny little Sparta would have traffic troubles when you add 100 times their population for one weekend.
Could Bruton Smith’s Speedway have done a better job? Of course there is always room for improvement. Could the fans have foreseen there was going to be a traffic nightmare? Easily!
I routinely went to Sparta when the cup drivers were allowed to practice there and I knew last weekend would be ridiculous. I solved the problem by watching the race on my 73 inch HD TV. You should of too and I’ll tell you why.
Whenever you see a Sprint Cup race scheduled for a town who has ONE gas station, ONE hotel (a Ramada Inn) and a strip club as their only businesses besides the track – you are going to have traffic problems when 100,000 people come to town. I understand many fans didn’t know this but whose fault is that?
It’s the NASCAR media’s fault.
Most of them have been coming to Sparta, KY for years to cover the trucks and the Nationwide series plus maybe even Indy style racing. They knew the size of Sparta. They should of known what problems the parking, traffic and roads were going to present. They should of been asking track officials questions about traffic, transportation, lodging facilities, food and yes even bathrooms. Did they? Not a single one that I heard. In the immortal words of Tony Stewart, “You guys really go out on a limb each week for stories.”
The problems last week were ultimately Bruton Smith’s but they were compounded heavily by the laziness of NASCAR writers and media personalities and there lies the problem.
It wasn’t that long ago, NASCAR was covered by people who were journalists and not talking heads. This is no longer the situation. NASCAR, like the rest of America’s media, is more interested in making news than reporting it.
I suggest you people quit Tweeting for a moment. Stop trying to predict the races. Pry your lips lose from Kyle Busch’s butt and do your jobs.
You may think it’s open season on Kentucky because it isn’t a France owned track but I think enough is enough.
It’s time for all of us to quit the Monday morning Crew Chiefing and start sending Bruton Smith suggestions on what we think would help. You let NASCAR down now and it’s time to make up for it. If you were there you must of noticed something. Open your mouth and tell NASCAR.
If you choose to stay quiet you will continue to be the problem and not the solution. If you are okay with that so am I. I have a remote control on my big TV and I’ll simply find real reporters somewhere and not just bobble head dolls who regurgitate the same mess week after week.
I imagine your bosses will eventually do the same.
