Fire Kentucky Motor Speedway

Fans who didn't race to the track didn't get to see the show.

The chaos at Kentucky Motor Speedway for fans trying to attend the Quaker State 400 last weekend was about as bad as it could be without anybody dying. Reports are that some fans waited in traffic for more than six hours to see the track's inaugural race while others were sent packing upon arrival because no parking was available. This epic logistical mismanagement should most definitely be fired.

The biggest problem on race day was that there were only parking spaces for 33,000 vehicles even though 107,000 fans bought tickets for the event. “The on-site parking was filled, the off-site parking was filled – so the people coming off the interstate had nowhere to go,” said Nancy Wood, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6 in Fort Mitchell. The result was that a line of cars 20 miles long formed during the worst of the jam.

Unfortunately the problems with the race weren't limited to traffic. The track has to be changed due to a safety issue of not having enough SAFER barriers. The inside walls in Turns 1 and 2 are a major concern and the track also is extremely rough and bumpy, according to an ESPN report. 

Before the race, the speedway said in a press release that: “Kentucky Speedway, Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet have collaborated on a comprehensive traffic and parking plan to accommodate more than 100,000 race fans." After the race, speedway general manager Mark Simendinger said: “We’re committed to working with NASCAR, state and local officials and traffic experts to address Saturday’s traffic issues to ensure that we never have this type of experience again.” Woops.

In the meantime, Kentucky Motor Speedway is giving fans who were unable to attend the race over the weekend admission to another race at the track this season. Apologies and free tickets aren't enough for some people, though, and now Kentucky lawmakers are looking to get involved. Kentucky Senate president David Williams said Kentucky Senate transportation chairman Ernie Harris has agreed to hold a hearing on the issue. As we know, fact-finding missions by lawmakers are always extremely productive and this hearing is likely to resolve the problem (that was absolutely sarcasm).

Despite all the mistakes, Kentucky Motor Speedway will host six more races this season, but it shouldn't be hosting anything for quite a while. Most people are forgiving of minor mistakes or growing pains, but 20 miles of traffic doesn't fit into that category. Forget the excuses, the hearings and the apologies - just shut down the track until the surface is fixed and the parking lot is expanded.