Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

The pit pass thing was new last year from my understanding, but with only 3 events so far this year and no big events until June (USAC and WoO), it's hard to guage as most weekly patrons in the pits are with cars.   Probably worth calling the ticket office and talking to Kim DeLong to find out if a pit pass gets you access to the stands without the need for a ticket.

The push trucks, 4-wheelers, officials and teams all work together to make it a well oiled machine on regular race nights and reduce the down-time (makes it great for families or those traveling from long distances).  We are definitely spoiled in that aspect of the racing program.

Been a while since I've been to a USAC show, but hoping they have made their nightly processes faster than the last time I saw them race at Osky about 10 years ago.

Cobblestone is probably about 1.5-2 mile walk and you'll have to cross the highway a couple times to go on sidewalk the entire way (thinking from the Hospital to the Middle School you'd have to be on the East side of the highway to be on a sidewalk, but there is sidewalk on the west side of the highway the rest of the way).  You can walk through yards on the west side so you don't have to cross but there is a spot where a guy still plants corn that is kinda steep to walk on across from the VFW.

People have left cars at the track overnight in the past without issue from what I've seen (always better safe than sorry when it comes drinking and driving).

Sounds like it's your first time coming so I'd encourage you to visit the Hall of Fame & Museum (I think the Sammy exhibit opens up around that time) as well as Slideways ( www.slidewayskartingcenter.com ) and even hit up Pella for dutch pastries on Saturday.

Haha I was just meaning what you previously replied, to me, seemed pretty standard self explanatory stuff. What you just replied was exactly the info I was looking for though!

From what i've witnessed from at least the tracks i've been to, the pit pass is your admission to basically anywhere on the track. But like I said, that's the tracks i've been to (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and pennsylvania). I mean at Williams Grove there are breaks in the action when people go across the track for example. Never been to Knoxville and I know they take their program pretty seriously up there so that's why I asked.

Good info on the different pit braclets though! Never heard of that before. Doesn't sound like it's going to be worth my time to try and do the pit pass though if it's so restricted. Maybe i'll just have to bring my camera and then i'll be able to go anywhere I please ;P

Thanks for the well wishes, really looking forward to the trip. We may just walk to the track (staying at Cobblestone) but still undecided on that. If we do drive we'll definitely be walking back lol...think it'd be ok to leave the car at the track overnight?

Thanks for the heads up and the very thorough response though. I think you about covered it all for me!

I can provide first hand experience with this. My first time to Knoxville i bought a pit pass and thought that would get me into the grandstands as well...... it didn't. Had to buy both. 

I think 32 might be a little bit optimistic... but hope I'm wrong!  The fact that they're racing the night before in Greenwood, NE doesn't hurt.  

I did see that RJ Johnson (from Tampa, FL and racing weekly at Knoxville in the 71A) is letting RJ Johnson... the OTHER one (from the Phoenix area, and one helluva nonwing shoe) ... strip the wing off his car for the race at Knoxville.  If he does well (and I really hope he does), the confusion for the uninformed will be classic!  I'm guessing the announcers will be all over this... but my hope is that they wait to say something until at least after hotlaps!    

We had Florida/Iowa RJ on Live Track Side last week.  Apparently the 2 RJs have known each other and have been good friends for several years.  Florida/Iowa RJ said they're using his backup car for the event because there's several things you have to change on the car to make it compeitive for non-wing.  So Arizona RJ is coming out a few days early with his seat and parts to get the car race ready.  1 thing they won't need to chance is the name on the car!  If he wins, the headlines will write themselves!

The pit pass thing was new last year from my understanding, but with only 3 events so far this year and no big events until June (USAC and WoO), it's hard to guage as most weekly patrons in the pits are with cars.   Probably worth calling the ticket office and talking to Kim DeLong to find out if a pit pass gets you access to the stands without the need for a ticket.

The push trucks, 4-wheelers, officials and teams all work together to make it a well oiled machine on regular race nights and reduce the down-time (makes it great for families or those traveling from long distances).  We are definitely spoiled in that aspect of the racing program.

Been a while since I've been to a USAC show, but hoping they have made their nightly processes faster than the last time I saw them race at Osky about 10 years ago.

Cobblestone is probably about 1.5-2 mile walk and you'll have to cross the highway a couple times to go on sidewalk the entire way (thinking from the Hospital to the Middle School you'd have to be on the East side of the highway to be on a sidewalk, but there is sidewalk on the west side of the highway the rest of the way).  You can walk through yards on the west side so you don't have to cross but there is a spot where a guy still plants corn that is kinda steep to walk on across from the VFW.

People have left cars at the track overnight in the past without issue from what I've seen (always better safe than sorry when it comes drinking and driving).

Sounds like it's your first time coming so I'd encourage you to visit the Hall of Fame & Museum (I think the Sammy exhibit opens up around that time) as well as Slideways ( www.slidewayskartingcenter.com ) and even hit up Pella for dutch pastries on Saturday.

Old thread I know but I called and talked to Kim a bit ago and she said that a pit pass will grant you access to the grandstands as well, without a ticket. Pit passes are only $25 according to the tracks website so it seems like a no brainer to me for $5 more, even if the pits are a little limited. Checkout the pits pre-race and possibly through hotlaps, then head up to the grandstands. I'll just have to make sure I don't get stuck!

Good to hear!  Enjoy the races, sounds like we are in for a warm and muggy night.

Eh yeah it looks like it'll be warm but the forecast has really improved. Humidity doesn't look bad at all. Still a chance of a thunderstorm but almost no chance at this point. I hear Terry McCarl and his two sons are racing 360's that night too, that'll be cool. He said he'd love to have gone wingless but his wife wouldn't go for it lol.

I remember Terry running either  the USAC or CRA race in the Jensen Construction 55.  That might be the last time he took the lid off and that was probably either the late 80's or early 90's. 

Competition in the 360 Class that night will be specacular, but my $$ would still be on Clint Garner to win.

In the 20's Hope for more