....... are the staging lanes open to the public during a national event? I know when we bracket race and such people are allowed to roam the lanes. I'm figuring the answer I'm gonna get is a "no".

They are usually open near the rear of the lanes but when you get close to the front they start checking to see if you have a restricted access pass. The point at which the lanes become a "restricted area" seems to differ from track to track.

Have you never been to a national event?

At Pomona, you have to cross the staging lanes to get to the West side grandstands. However, they have security guys that keep you from straying out of the cross-walk.

Sonoma, if on the tower side, you have to cross them to get to the pits, but all the times I've gone, there has never been anyone or anything to impede you from straying.

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At Vegas, you could not get into the staging area period but lately (last couple of years), your allowed til the painted stripes end.

Yeah, I go every year to Sonoma since '04. At least it looks like they didnt put that green stuff on the fences, so maybe I can peek in from outside the fences. Thanks!

Pretty much the same for Denver except I wish they would control the people better at Denver. This year was particularly bad because a lot of people would stray from the cross walk and since Denver is downhill staging lanes, it's not necessary to start the cars to roll down to under the tower, they don't hear the cars coming.

One of the 'crossing guards' finally got a starwars like baton to hold people back because people would just walk right passed her when she was trying to hold people back so we could get down track.

I don't mind the people in the staging lanes up until we get into final pairs but when it presents a dangerous situation, then there needs to be better crowd control. Particularly when it's SG where there are a lot of tall scoops...

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'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' -Ronald Reagan

This is exactly why every one of you should plan your summer vacation around the Mile High Nationals. You MUST walk across the staging lanes to get to the pit side. I've seen fans all the way down to about 20 feet in front of under the tower. Plus, they pretty much let you stand a little further back in the lanes and watch, and you can see the entire track, and they have ET boards mounted on the backside of the tower. It's a pretty cool setup. I hope it stays that way. You do gotta stand in the right place though or else you'll get mowed down.... it's all down hill. But do it responsibly; I saw little kids darting in & out of the lined up funny cars like it was friggin McDonalds Playland.

On the other hand..... try Topeka; hell you can't see the staging lanes let alone walk in them.... and that's gotta be a good 1/2 mile walk if you even tried.

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On my arm until the day I die, but in my heart forever

The easiest way to get access to the staging lanes is to buy a racecar or go to work on a race team and then you can a restricted access ticket. Not necessarily the cheapest way, but definitely the easiest way.

Think the five race cars that I already have should do it? Or should I pick up an extra one? I've always wanted a super stock car...

Denver does have the most spectators in the lanes that i've seen, and it's great in the fact that some of the spectators go through the lanes collecting autographs from the sportsman drivers who usually aren't asked for them. Like Chris says, it's a great view and people get into watching from that angle and they forget about the cars that are behind them, BUT they need to be made more aware of the fact that cars are moving there.

I'm just saying for the spectators who haven't signed away their rights on the waiver that NHRA provides in order to receive the restricted area credential, they should have some way to tell the spectators that we are rolling down hill without the engines running.


Although the worst track for getting beaned by rocks behind the burnout box has got to be Noble, OK.

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'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' -Ronald Reagan

It's always been that way in Denver, even on TnT days.

As far as rocks go, you must not have ever been to Douglas Motorsports Park in WY

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No, but I've heard rumors! I've been cut by a few rocks at various places, Noble being the most memorable

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'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' -Ronald Reagan

Jenn, it needs more B's.....

My approach-

Head turned, with one of my gloved hands covering the pretty parts and head/temple area... The rest of the hits you take are just a crapshoot anyhow...
Guy standing over my shoulder got nailed, pinky was a full 90 bent... I never saw the pebble/rock...

Muchless him limping away, looking for medical attn. Tell me about it!!

Rubber hits hurt as well... bam!! DAMN!!

ALWAYS!! cover the pretty parts (EYE'S)... Only takes one, and it dont matter where it's from!! Ask Randy Goodwin... Anyone who has been behind the waterbox, long after it became a gravel pit knows...

THINK!! or as my sis says... TINK!!

Dont matter the track... Stuff Happens, TINK!!

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Approaching the burnout box, I usually hold my hand to gaurd my face, head down and away so my Broncos cap shields my eyes (ALWAYS a Broncos cap). Couple times I've wondered if it wasn't Unk throwing a rock at my cap too. Come to think of it, hasn't happened since Unk got out of the booth...hmmm j/k Unk!

Sometimes you just turn your back and they just whack you.

The little flecks of "burnout juice" used to drive me nuts when I first got my glasses. Now I'm more used to it but it takes a fair bit of scrubbing to get it off sometimes. I'm usually coated with a fair amount of burnout juice by the end of the day anyway

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'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' -Ronald Reagan

Dang Chris, are you saying "good walking shoes" required for Topeka? lol...I have to agree there, it's a long way to anywhere there.

Douglas doesn't have a mechanical sweeper, nothing attached to a truck or tractor to clean the track. Two guys with push brooms do not get the job done! Spinning tires on race cars do a better job of sweeping away the marbles, so that's what they do...

I've seen alky cars run on that track, and it was very scary!