Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 11

Sunday August 4 1996 Star-Telegram Section A Page 11 MWHtJlMHI4WlWMl Speedway's practice traffic run gives vision of future gridlock 1 3 4 I i i 1141 I By Leslie Hueholt Star-Telegrara Staff Wriler FORT WORTH Texas Motor Speedway officials got cars off the highways quickly during yesterday's test run of traffic flow motorists spent their lV-hour wait for parking inside the grounds Once the 40000 or so visitors arriving to tour the almost complete speedway cleared the entrance from Texas 114 they faced bumper-to-bumper traffic that slowly circled the stadium Speedway fans didn't seem to mind the wait saying it was minuscule compared with what they anticipate when racing begins April 6 "I expected this" said Paul Daniels of Fort Worth "That's why I came but early" Former race car driver John Tipton of Azle said he has waited up to eight hours to get into tracks "I've never seen a raceway that could handle the traffic" he said At times yesterday vehicles were backed up Almost two miles on Texas 114 and for about a quarter-mile on interstate access roads "We thought it would be worse" said Richard Cerza vice president of finance for Texas Motor Speedway "We tried awful hard not to create a problem" The challenge will be far greater when an estimated 175000 fans turn out next year for NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Grand National races officials said By then officials hope to have completed five more entrances a 55-mile ring road inside and several roads to help keep cars moving "Unlike this event where we have construction we'll have multiple entries and we can enter the parking lots right away" said FM "I expected this That's why I came out early Paul Daniels Fort Worth Carroll the track's director of operations "We won't have this backup" John Cochie a Fort Worth resident who recently moved from North Carolina and has attended big-name races there said he is skeptical "The first couple of races will be mass confusion They don't comprehend the amount of traffic that's going to be here" he said "You wait three hours just to get out of the parking lot at some tracks" Yesterday cars were diverted to a "queuing" area a loop road on the east side of the speedway then were directed through a tunnel toward 4300 parking spaces on the speedway infield Late arrivals were sent to parking outside the track The stream of vehicles required constant attention from law-enforcement officers directing traffic "It's been a zoo since 8 am" Denton County sheriff's deputy Andy Formichclla said "We're trying to funnel them in as fast as possible" Law-enforcement officers said it was particularly important to keep vehicles on the Interstate 35 access road moving because of the potential danger of fast-moving cars suddenly coming up on a traffic jam "We'd rather have the backup on the slower-moving traffic" Fort Worth police Lt Bill McDonell said referring to Texas 114 "That may not be the case on a major race day because the traffic will be backed up no matter where it is" Cerza conceded that even with greater access to the speedway next spring traffic problems will not be eliminated "On race days cars will be backed up to the airport" he said Star-Telegram KEVIN FlJJII Motor Speedway open house si Race fans check out the view Speedway From Page 1 this opens in April" More than 38000 people showed up yesterday at the unfinished speedway near Alliance Airport and made a $5 charitable donation for a chance to climb the steel-framed grandstand and linger over from the grandstand yesterday at Texas racing memorabilia That's enough people to half fill Texas Stadium It's more than the population of Hurst or all of Wise County And that's just the beginning Backers predict that an April 6 stock-car race dubbed the Texas 500 could draw 200000 fans to the track making it the biggest one-day sports event in Texas history And speedway developer Bruton Smith says his long-range plan is to ex- i i 4 1 i I 1 li 'vi- Hi- I Vm in in-i in MMnKtniijiitni iwii ti -iiwiiA HHilW ili im HI i pand the racetrack to at least 270000 seats Yesterday dedicated shade-tree mechanics young couples holding hands and families with small kids in tow checked out the track and wandered among booths hawking motorcycles body shops and barbecue Hundreds of the race fans crammed into folding chairs in an unair-conditioned narrow concrete block building to watch the Brickyard 400 auto race on televi sion Speedway General Manager Eddie Gossage called the turnout "phenomenal" "We're just shocked with the crowd" Gossage said "It's hot And you could be sitting at home watching this on TV" "It just shows you how excited they are about Texas Motor Speedway" said track spokeswoman Laura Maready who cited ticket receipts showing attendance of 38211 people "It's outstanding" But some have complained that the huge track also means huge problems There are complaints about the track's tax breaks from the city and the developer's $16 million request for public spending on new roads and water and sewer improvements to help the track Northwest school officials have filed suit saying the development is straining their district but providing few resources to pay for the growth Others complain that the track disrupts the area's pastoral lifestyle is forcing out lifelong land owners and will create horrendous traffic jams around the track near Interstate 35W and Texas 1 14 Speedway officials say the criticism isn't fair because they will still pay millions in taxes on part of the speedway development They also say spinoff businesses will help bring needed services to residents But speedway officials also said yesterday's traffic backups were an indication of things to come Gossage said that by late afternoon cars were "still backed up to Roanoke" on Texas 1 14 "There were some problems but that was to be expected" said Maready "Maybe it takes something like this to show local officials we need some help" By help she said she means more roads and other construction to help cope with crowds and traffic Yesterday's $5 admission will go to Speedway Children's Charities a new charity organized by the developers and headed by Betty Rutherford wife of famed Fort Worth race car driver Johnny Rutherford officials said Betty Rutherford said the charity will award grants to any registered area nonprofit group helping children The group is tied to a national charity based in North Carolina founded by Smith she said "They fund everything from Boy Scouts to Camp Fire to Juvenile Diabetes" Rutherford said The charity took in $15000 yesterday from an auction of racing memorabilia including signed helmets and an autographed wing off an AJ Foyt Indy car officials said 1 Meanwhile other fans screamed and whooped wildly and jumped out of their seats while watching TV coverage of the Brickyard 400 race from Indianapolis "It's not like any other professional sport" said JD Barnes' a Fort Worth native who began going to stock car races with his brother at age 5 and later worked as a racetrack announcer "You don't have prima donnas" Barnes said "You'd walk out to Richard Petty in the pits and he'd talk to you" I i SALE I' iSM' I mC7 1 2990 -0913 I 553 -05 550 505 I AB Lf ZZ2 FIT I daTS BASIC JEANS I bagcy jians I 1 I "SALE I REG 3299 I REG 41 2999 J44CD wl iJL i ii ui-f tt'am 'a 'wy mj-itf'mwua i i i onces are oeftng prc ontv and mavfci" --i aFiaDte at these or similar sate onces upc- ilLcY I ymi iiiiiHgi.