Kentucky Speedway FINALLY apologizes to fans but...

[AndyMarquisLive]

... no ticket reimbursements. Instead, they can exchange their tickets to any future 2011 Sprint Cup Series race at a SMI venue or the 2012 Sprint Cup race at Kentucky.

Of course, the only remaining SMI track on the schedule within driving distance is Bristol, nearly 300 miles away -- farther for fans who traveled from Indianapolis or Cincinnati.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

It's a good start.

They should be given the SMI deal for any remaining 2011 race AND 2012 tickets.

 

[MRM]

I've never heard of any track that gives a refund for a completed race regardless of the circumstances. My question is does this apply for unused tickets only or all tickets?

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

I've never heard of any track that gives a refund for a completed race regardless of the circumstances. My question is does this apply for unused tickets only or all tickets?

I've never heard of a track sending away fans who paid to get in because they sold more seats than they have.

The Super Bowl did the same thing, sold more seats than they actually had in another sense, and they offered full refunds to those fans. Same exact reasoning to sell those seats, they were more interested in breaking records than anything... Kentucky was interested in getting a huge turnout regardless.

As Bruton Smith has stated on various shows, he KNEW the roads and the parking couldn't accommodate the number of tickets he sold, but that's not his problem, "it's the state's problem."

The process is lengthy, Bruton knows this -- you can't go up to someone two months for a race and say "I need more roads".

 

[PettyBlue]

That was fun watching Bruton's kid squirm on Race Hub yesterday trying to explain what went wrong and how they're going to fix it.

 

[MRM]

I've never heard of a track sending away fans who paid to get in because they sold more seats than they have.

The Super Bowl did the same thing, sold more seats than they actually had in another sense, and they offered full refunds to those fans. Same exact reasoning to sell those seats, they were more interested in breaking records than anything... Kentucky was interested in getting a huge turnout regardless.

As Bruton Smith has stated on various shows, he KNEW the roads and the parking couldn't accommodate the number of tickets he sold, but that's not his problem, "it's the state's problem."

The process is lengthy, Bruton knows this -- you can't go up to someone two months for a race and say "I need more roads".

Is there any proof they sold the same seats to two different people? I have heard there were a lot of people there without tickets for the concerts and other pre-race activities.

The Super Bowl did not sell seats they didn't have. The seats, which were added just for the game, we deemed unsafe by the fire marshall and they were ordered not to let anyone set in that section. This happened well after the tickets had been sold. The Super Bowl's mistake was not notifying or dealing with this issue before fans arrived. They also goofed by waiting too long to get approval and didn't have time to safely fix the situation.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

Is there any proof they sold the same seats to two different people? I have heard there were a lot of people there without tickets for the concerts and other pre-race activities.

The Super Bowl did not sell seats they didn't have. The seats, which were added just for the game, we deemed unsafe by the fire marshall and they were ordered not to let anyone set in that section. This happened well after the tickets had been sold. The Super Bowl's mistake was not notifying or dealing with this issue before fans arrived. They also goofed by waiting too long to get approval and didn't have time to safely fix the situation.

I didn't say they sold the same seats to two different people. I said they sold seats they didn't have (standing room only). They added 40,000 seats, sold more than they added and never did anything to accommodate this.

"It was the number of cars that overwhelmed us" -- how the **** did they expect people to arrive? Teleportation? Shuttles (that Kentucky admitted they never got more of to accommodate the increase in fans)?

Also, remember, Kentucky only has two entrance gates to park. Tracks that seat 60,000 fans have more than that... you cannot get 110,000 people in to TWO entrance gates.



Straight forward, Kentucky Speedway thought they could sell 110,000 seats and still have the same traffic/parking volume as they would selling 60,000 seats.

 

[racer8]

Instead of complaining about it Andy maybe you could send them one of your ideas. The one about shuttle busses, I think that would be a great idea to have a number of locations 10, 20 or even 30 miles in either direction away from the track with shuttle busses running to and from all day long. I remember a few times in the past doing this at Phoenix. A park and ride type deal. It worked pretty well. Some what of a line to get on a bus after the race but well worth the wait. the busses were given priority over normal traffic. I remember one year they were using school busses and probably generating income for the local school district.

 

[Mopardh9]

Instead of complaining about it Andy maybe you could send them one of your ideas. The one about shuttle busses, I think that would be a great idea to have a number of locations 10, 20 or even 30 miles in either direction away from the track with shuttle busses running to and from all day long. I remember a few times in the past doing this at Phoenix. A park and ride type deal. It worked pretty well. Some what of a line to get on a bus after the race but well worth the wait. the busses were given priority over normal traffic. I remember one year they were using school busses and probably generating income for the local school district.

I don't know of any track that I have been to that host a Cup race that doesn't use shuttle buses. So if Kentucky didn't, then they really messed up.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

If this is any indication of the parking at the rest of that venue, no wonder they had the issues that they did. Complete BS. The powers that be @ Kentucky need to come up with a better plan than what they've announced. If they've decided that they can give any of those fans a free ticket to Bristol for that night race, what does that say about the upcoming attendance at that track? Oh well, it looks like I'll have plenty of leg room once again for that one.

 

[Magnethead]

If this is any indication of the parking at the rest of that venue, no wonder they had the issues that they did. Complete BS. The powers that be @ Kentucky need to come up with a better plan than what they've announced. If they've decided that they can give any of those fans a free ticket to Bristol for that night race, what does that say about the upcoming attendance at that track? Oh well, it looks like I'll have plenty of leg room once again for that one.

double you freaking tee eff. seriously????

FYI, TMS doesn't use shuttle busses that I know of. Then again....

Texas Motor Speedway (137,000) has room to park about 80,000 cars.

1.7 people per car

 

[Mopardh9]

The first year I went to Vegas in 99 the same thing happened, the parking was not directed by anyone, took us 5 hours to get back to the Strip from the track. After that shuttle buses and another road in an out of the track where the norm. I only drove one other year after that until 06 the last year we went and I had no problem tailgating then leaving the track. Sounds as if Kentucky, even knowing they had a year to prepare for this just said **** it, we will see what happens. You would think by now that Nascar would of learned their lesson, things like this is why ratings continue to fall, and you wonder why Nascar is scratching their heads?!

 

[dpkimmel2001]

I know it's kinda the norm on this board to blame NASCAR for everything that's wrong with the world today but isn't Kentucky a SMI venue? Bruton's no stranger to the world of NASCAR and what it takes to run a race weekend. He and the people he hired are responsible for putting together the logistics of making sure things go smoothly at his venues. He dropped the ball on this one yet the sport will have to pay for his mistakes. Not only the sport but also the thousands that were turned away. What good does offering a ticket to one of his other SMI operated tracks do? How does that compensate those that invested in a weekend of racing only to be sent down the road?

 

[fearless fred]

This is ludicrous about 5 years ago when the track opened people complained that the parking lot was not paved and mostly mud, they promised to repair it as soon as possible also the traffic problem was noted , guess the owners and state are not in much a hurry to get "R" done.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Well..... I just got done listening to Bruton Smith's press conference about last weeks debacle. He left little doubt IMO that he's a complete a$$. He implied that the fault was everyone's with the exception of his own, SMI, or Kentucky speedway. He blamed the governor, state police and even the race fans as being the problem. His initials say it all.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

Well..... I just got done listening to Bruton Smith's press conference about last weeks debacle. He left little doubt IMO that he's a complete a$$. He implied that the fault was everyone's with the exception of his own, SMI, or Kentucky speedway. He blamed the governor, state police and even the race fans as being the problem. His initials say it all.

I'm reading Gluck's timeline now.

Bruton Smith = ASS.

Has anyone ever gotten back-to-back bonehead awards? KY Speedway and Smitty might be going for it.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

Well..... I just got done listening to Bruton Smith's press conference about last weeks debacle. He left little doubt IMO that he's a complete a$$. He implied that the fault was everyone's with the exception of his own, SMI, or Kentucky speedway. He blamed the governor, state police and even the race fans as being the problem. His initials say it all.

Did you hear his response to why he didn't give cash refunds: "We don't want to".

 

[dpkimmel2001]

He's one arrogant SOB.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

He's one arrogant SOB.

To recap what dp is talking about, Bruton Smith blamed the following for KY disaster:

State of Kentucky
I-71
State Police
Employees
Fans
County
Local residents
Local businesses

 

[dpkimmel2001]

If someone finds a link to the transcript or a video link, please post it and let others form their own opinion. My phone battery is running to low to search any longer.

 

[Lap3Forever]

To recap what dp is talking about, Bruton Smith blamed the following for KY disaster:

State of Kentucky
I-71
State Police
Employees
Fans
County
Local residents
Local businesses

I-71 should of been turned in to a 6 lane. (3 on each side) for a least 10 miles from the track and a few going away from the track. Each side is a 3 lane now but just for a bout a mile.

Police were directing traffic and were asses. We had hot passes and they would not let us park in the lot cloeset to the tunnel. (or at least this one cop would not) every other cop/track worker had no problem with it on Thursday. Firday it was wild open but he would not let us in.

Employees, that were parking in the cars because they let people tailgate and take up 2-3 places pre car.

I guess as fan we should of know and left to go 30 miles at 7am for a 7pm race.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011...cky-speedway-traffic-comments-nascar-smi-2011

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

I'm sincerely sorry everybody did not get in. I'm sorry we had the traffic – although I had continuously warned people about that Interstate 71. I told everybody that would listen that that Interstate 71 sucked. I mean, it's terrible. It's the lousiest piece of interstate that I've ever driven on. And I was hoping that would get some attention. That's what we were dealing with. I think when we go back there, I think you'll find maybe somebody will have done something about it.

Come drive on the BW Parkway.

We've offered the exchange of tickets. Are you talking about a cash refund? No, did not (offer that). And we will not. We don't want to. That's factual.

And I'm sure there are fans who "don't want to" come back to an SMI owned track.

I don't think anybody could foresee what occurred. Maybe God knew, but I don't know of anybody else knew how many people would try to come see this event.

This track has had problems for ten years with Nationwide, Truck, even ARCA races. A lot of people saw it coming.

It was not all us. We don't control the highways. I wish we could sit here and tell you we do, but we don't control the highways.

You caused the backups by only building two entrances.