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By Fred Gibson,
Darren Smith, Paula Upright, Bruce Larson, and Travis Teague
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY IS A 1.5-mile racing facility located in
north-central Kentucky outside the town of Sparta. The impressive facility
resides on nearly one thousand acres of land near the banks of the Ohio
River. Race teams compete on the 1.5-mile tri-oval with 14-degree banked
turns and 1,600-foot backstretch.
Original construction was completed in 2000 and the
facility has undergone numerous renovation and expansion projects over the
years. The track has hosted numerous events including open-wheel, truck, and
stockcar races. Original owner Jerry Carroll sold the track to Speedway
Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) in 2009. SMI Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith made it
the company’s mission to bring the highest levels of racing to the track. In
August of 2010, NASCAR announced that it would hold a Sprint Cup Race at
Kentucky Speedway during the 2011 season. This event became part of a
three-race weekend July 7-9 that also included Camping World Truck Series
and Nationwide Series competitions.
The Sprint Cup race announcement brought excitement and
increased activity to the facility including a number of capital
construction projects. Seating capacity was expanded from approximately
68,000 to 106,000. The facility improvements offered race fans and corporate
partners a total of 35 luxury suites, 125 backstretch RV spaces, 590 infield
RV spaces, 2,000 reserved RV spaces, 12,000 campsites, and parking for more
than 30,000 cars. SMI invested an estimated $100 million to upgrade the
infrastructure.
The venue has been described as a Las Vegas Motor Speedway style track with
Bristol Motor Speedway topography. The beautiful rolling hills which make up
the property have also created some challenges. Construction personnel have
excavated an estimated10 million yards of dirt while improving roads,
parking, and campgrounds. Even pit road was moved to increase safety and
provide a better view for fans located in the 40,000 new seats. Nearly every
square foot of the entire 848-acre property has been enhanced in some way by
construction projects. Work has continued through all weather conditions to
get the projects completed with as many as 250 contractors onsite at a given
time.
There is an increased emphasis on safety to go along with the new
facilities. On-track safety is enhanced by researching procedures and
protocols at benchmark facilities. The track currently has a roster of 250
emergency personnel that operate safety and medical services. Their
preparations include mandatory training sessions with mock incidents. These
professionals transport injured drivers to the infield care center, clean
the racing surface after wrecks or inclement weather delays, inspect the
facilities for safety, and get races restarted with a minimum number of
caution laps. All these services are conducted in conjunction with NASCAR
officials located on the track and in the control tower. Safety standards
are constantly adjusted based upon incidents occurring at tracks around the
country. Continuous training is necessary to keep up with industry standards
and protocols. Inspections of the track, facilities, and staffing plan aid
in preparation for events.
Keeping drivers and crew members safe isn’t the only
concern that comes with an expanded facility and race schedule. The speedway
staff works tirelessly in preparation for massive numbers of spectators.
Capacity increases require more emergency personnel, equipment, and
ambulances. Needless to say, hosting a crowd of 100,000 people in a county
with a population of 8,500 is a tremendous undertaking. Unlike many other
sporting events where spectators are only onsite during the event, NASCAR
fans arrive early and stay late. A large percentage of spectators come to
the facility several days in advance of races to take in the qualifying and
practice sessions. Many fans take advantage of the camping facilities and
stay for the entire race weekend.
The Kentucky Speedway’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
includes information on a variety of critical topics. These include sections
dedicated to evacuation, hazardous materials, severe weather, bomb threats,
weapons of mass destruction, aviation incidents, medical emergencies, and
plans for public information dissemination. Track staff attended the NASCAR
Track Services and Security Summit to enhance their preparedness. NASCAR’s
Track Services Event Standards provide guidelines for other areas of concern
such as communications, EMS, fire and extraction teams, first responders,
automated external defibrillators, safety training, and blood-bourne
pathogens. Staff members formulate event plans by remaining in constant
contact with motorsports personnel around the country.
Track personnel utilize a newly remodeled
administration building as their event command center. Safety is emphasized
around the two lakes located in close proximity to the campgrounds. Weather
is monitored constantly due to the potential for high temperatures and
thunderstorms. Staff is mindful of the potential for dehydration due to
increased humidity levels and alcohol consumption. Safety personnel document
incidents and injuries via standardized reporting procedures.
Transportation and accessibility have been greatly
enhanced at the complex. Newly constructed loop roads now surround the
track. Thirty trams move people around the speedway’s perimeter. Pavement
replaced gravel within many camping areas. Utility upgrades include
increased water and electricity supplies and upgraded sewer system access.
Spectators enjoy convenient access to new restroom and concession facilities
on all sides of the track. New signage assists fans with navigation.
Interstate access has been improved and roads have been widened to increase
the number of potential driving lanes. As many as one hundred plus airplane
and helicopter flights move racing personnel in and out of the track during
events. A dedicated air medical unit ensures quick access to the two
hospitals within a 25-mile radius of the facility.
The motorsports industry has sometimes been unfairly
categorized as reactive in terms of safety issues. It is important to
consider the very unique nature of motorsports venues, competitions, and
spectatorship. SMI and the Kentucky Speedway are proving to be
unconditionally committed to fan and participant safety. They are setting
great examples for other facility managers by ensuring safety and
entertainment are the highest priorities. It’s time to drop the green flag
on a bright and exciting future at the Kentucky Speedway.
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Fred Gibson, Ph.D., Darren Smith, Ph.D., Paula
Upright, Ph.D., and Bruce Larson, Ed.D. are Sport Management faculty at
Western Kentucky University. Travis Teague, D.A. is a Sport Management
faculty member at Winston-Salem State University. This group is working on
several research projects involving venue and event safety. Dr. Gibson can
be reached at (270) 745-6021 or fred.gibson@wku.edu.
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