I couldn't agree more Bill. The fist time I wondered by the beer tent and saw the band playing during the middle of the day I was amazed. What the heck were they thinking?
I will use Indy as my example of fan experience since that is the race I usually spend the most time at. I usually get there at dawn and leave long after dark Friday to Monday.
I see the fan experience as what you put into it. Nothing is handed to you at this race. It is spread out and walking is the order of the day. I find walking through the sportsman pits to be a different world than the pro side. More relaxed, but there's always something interesting to see. A trip to the apparel sale tent is cool. I usually buy my girls matching event shirts there from another event because they are cheap. I also like walking as far down as I can to the end of the track. Standing by the scales is also fun for awhile.
During the HEMI Shootout..the cars parade out the pits and head down the return road to the staging lanes. The sound of thundering elephants and smell of race gas surrounds you. Then, while they are lined up in the lanes you can walk around and check out the cars and sometimes chat with fellow Hemi car nuts. This alone is one of my favorite things about Indy.
Watching the teams set up for the day is also cool. I stand at the top of the pro pits bleachers and look on as a symphony of unloading cars plays out under the backdrop of the rising Indiana sun. Then begins a real treat...sportsman racing. Cars of all kinds staging and running is only bested by the PA announcing. Alan Reinhart on the microphone spouting an amazing wealth of information about almost every car is a real treat. The sounds echo around the mostly empty grandstands, and all is good in drag land. A slice of pizza is my breakfast of choice, as tradition dictates. You can get a breakfast burrito or sandwich...but they are forgettable.
As things move on, the crowds start to swell, and the activity begins to pick up in the pro pits. That first nitro blast gets everyone's attention. Like migrating cattle, people flock to the pits to get a snort. Watching people jump and gag is always fun. Nitro-newbies are downright shocked and usually scared out of their minds, followed by huge smiles.
Qualifying is a race to the grandstands when the action heats up. There is a surge when the Nitro cars run, and a oil down is a chance to grab a bite to eat and a beverage. Speaking of food, you have to pick and choose. There are some booths to avoid, but some are really good. Experiencing a corn dog in central Indiana during Indy is an experience. Avoid the foot longs, and go for the short and chubby deep fried dough-covered meat pop-sickle.
The day progresses through qualifying, and soon it's dark. Night racing is always a treat, and as the chilly air moves in, a sweatshirt is necessary sometimes. The climax of the day is the firework show after the final pair. Due to dry conditions, sometimes it is called off. But when they have it...it's something special.
After the fireworks, a trip to the pits is in order. A small group of nitro junkies and worn out folks wonder the pits. The smells coming from the pits is what made the experience the most overwhelming for me. The sweet smell of parts cleaner wafting up and down the rows of trailers is amazing. It's not always there, but when you catch a whiff it hits you just right. Crews scramble to either find what the problem is, or most likely, get the heck out of there! A nice thing about wondering the pits after the race is the traffic leaving the track is mostly gone.
A trip to the campgrounds follows, if you know someone there. If not, just walk around a bit and try not to get run over by the crazies pulling trailers of party-goers. The occasional firework, loud crash, drinking banter and the smells of BBQ's fill the air. Then it's off to your car, and to either a local place for a bite, or beverage. Onto your hotel to prepare for the next day is next. It's a marathon not a sprint.
Saturday night is my favorite night at Indy. When all is done, one thing is quite clear...there is another full day of pro qualifying! Sunday is make it or break it day...and watching the final attempts for some to get in the show is a treat.
Monday is greeted with a different attitude. Some trailers are missing. The pace has picked up in the pits, no more fun and games. Crew members scramble and have their game faces on. The day goes by as a blur, and after all is said and done, the winners circle is where the last die-hard fans hang out. Sometimes they let you walk the track depending on if they get all the racing in. The emotions from the team members is that of exhaustion and pure joy as they stand for photo after photo. Slowly the crowd eases, and a walk through the pits reveals a shell of it's former self. Cars and gear are loaded, and the chill of the crisp midwestern air welcomes you into the night.
Sometimes I make it out to the track on Tuesday. The mostly-empty pits are quite a shock after these last days of excess. The occasional test session happens, but it is a long drawn out process with no set time or frequency.
Now after a way too long rant on my fan experience, on to what needs work. I do not know who thought that the idea of shooting a small amount of T-shirts into the crowd, staging silly games, and annoying the crud out of everyone on the microphone was a good idea...but they need a new job. Team Powerade...err Geico was OK for the first five minutes..but they need to go. It's not entertaining, not fun and not funny any more. Yes I will admit, I have toured the track in that little pickup truck, and won two consecutive poweraid chugging contests, but the shriek from the PA when they start up always makes me cringe. A few years ago in Chicago I was speaking with someone from the corporate side of Geico. I asked him why they took over for the Powerade goofs...his response was enlightening. He had no idea most folks thought they were a joke and didn't think they were entertaining. I just shook my head and wondered away.
Another thing that needs work is the restrooms. Bigger, cleaner, and more of them please. That alone will make going to the races a better experience. As a father of three girls, when I take them to the drags it is always a hassle. Up here at US 131 Martin we have family bathrooms. A few of those at a NHRA event would really be a good idea. You want family entertainment...fine, but kids have to go and family bathrooms would make it so much better.
So in review, (sorry for the novel) so in a perfect world I would like too see reduced ticket prices, better quality and variety of food, better restrooms and some semblance of entertainment during down times. I'll take the drags over the TV every time, but you have to put some effort into making it an exprience. IMHO..your mileage may vary.
