kid safe grandstands

[Boneman]

Ok tracks, here is something easy you can do to calm the fears of nervous parents like myself. Make a section of the grandstands at your track "kid safe".

Recently, I had my two youngest boys at Speedworld for an afternoon race. We were sitting high in the stands: the kids loved it, but all I could picture was them fooling around and falling 15 feet to the ground below. The speedworld stands are in pretty good shape, so all it would have taken is the addition of an extra board. Mount it vertically to close off the area from under the seat to the footrest.

Add this board to a section of seating, and then exploit it with a big sign. I can't be the only parent who worries about this.

[ocalasp76]

Hey Boner

Some people use that gap under the seat as a trash depository.
At the Gov. Cup last year I lost my scanner to the 'gap'. When I went down to get it there was all kinds of neat stuff down there.....LOL

You are right though. Have seen some near accidents of small kids due to that gap.
-GYM-

[Andy S]

Speedworld's stands are scary for this because of how high go compared to a lot of tracks, but thankfully they have mich wider walkways and proper entrances all the way along for people to get up and down. It's not just kids having problems though, as I've been there plenty of times with people dropping cellphones and other personal belongings through the gaps. With young kids who can are barely taller than the gaps when bending over to pick something up I can see exactly why a parent would be so scared.

I think the quality of the stands is a real issue at every track I've been to, and probably not helping with new fans going to races for the first time and not knowing what to expect. I know it makes a big difference to my own experience at a track if I can safely get up and down from my seat whenever I want to, and not have to pick my way with no handrail across the seats in front, and across pretty unsteady planks of wood all the way down.

[Jane]

If I am not mistaken Rex, we have had a few kids fall from the stands at Orlando and a few drunks also. Kid Safe stands would be great. I know when my kids were small, I dare not go up high because of just that, I was afraid they might fall thru. It is a great idea of setting aside just one part of the stands and making them kid proof. Then you could have family stands, drinking stands, kid proof stands, smoking and non-smoking stands, so on and so on.

[Bigbuck]

This is BAD!!

Ok tracks, here is something easy you can do to calm the fears of nervous parents like myself. Make a section of the grandstands at your track "kid safe".

Recently, I had my two youngest boys at Speedworld for an afternoon race. We were sitting high in the stands: the kids loved it, but all I could picture was them fooling around and falling 15 feet to the ground below. The speedworld stands are in pretty good shape, so all it would have taken is the addition of an extra board. Mount it vertically to close off the area from under the seat to the footrest.

Add this board to a section of seating, and then exploit it with a big sign. I can't be the only parent who worries about this.

TWICE in 2010 I agree with you! Whats goin on?? Seriously, you are 100% right Boneman.

[Boneman]

No worries Tuna, we can argue the rest of the year!

[flraceguy]

This would be a good thing for the tracks to do... In addition they could use the "kid safe" stands as part of their advertising... .It wouldn't have to be a big thing, just a little blurp that states the track has a kid safe section of stands...

Now Boneaman and Tuna.... Come on now... Why wait for the upcoming year.... LOL...

Have a great day all...

[MOE #15]

Lets do it [ORLANDO] the sign could say CRASH A RAMA SERIES with the date and the boneman ministock section.

[flvideo]

Its not only falling thru!

Twice last year I had instances in the stands at 2 tracks. Once at CCMP I had a Step break and I fell thru and I managed to catch my self with my left leg. That was on the very top coming out of the press tower. The second time was at Citrus at the 100 lap Mod Mini race . When i was coming down the stands after the race headed for victory to tape the post race interview, in a hurry, a board broke 1/2 way down. This time I almost dumped a fan. He was a large gentleman and it took some doing to get him up but it scared the dickens out of him. The point is some of our tracks have stands that are getting old like me and they just give up the ghost. That's scary for children as well.Bob...

[Old Sunshine Fan]

Some of the tracks are in very bad shape (stand wise)... its scary to climb those stairs and then the weak boards leading to the seats (I guess the track owners never go there / or let their familys travel these dangerous stands). I guess they think they will never get a lawyer knocking of their door (but when it happens, all the lawyers need is a few copies of what's been said to prove the owners had / should have had knowledge).
I have found the best thing for me is to hire a boom rig to lift my big butt up/place me in my seat and come back for me after the race... if you notice, once I make it safely to my seat, I stay there the entire race (often have to call Pappa Johns for a delivery, but I don't get out of my seat).

[flvideo]

I wasn't gonna go there!

OSF I really wasn't going to go there but,it was suggested last year that it may be the weight. I was also told I should think of a stand testing business. Bob...

[georgep]

Florida is not the ONLY place that has bad stands due to age. Since I got hurt in 1999 I do not climb any stands unless they have a handrail and walkway. The days of seat stepping are over for me and a lot of other older folks also.
Track in Ga has a rope to keep you out of a broken section, good idea but that has been two years.
I agree the bottom feeders would jump all over an injury like that.
Stay safe in 2010.

[ocalasp76]

OK....

I have found the best thing for me is to hire a boom rig to lift my big butt up/place me in my seat and come back for me after the race... if you notice, once I make it safely to my seat, I stay there the entire race (often have to call Pappa Johns for a delivery, but I don't get out of my seat).

That explains that big coffee can you carry with you too. Never walk 'under' the stands where OSF is sitting. You may think it's raining acid rain......
-Ge UMM-

P.S. Hey Bob, please note the new avitar now, not a month from now..LOL

[Old Sunshine Fan]

SHHHHHHHH-IT, Jim, I noticed that thing yesterday. I followed the arrow for a while but never saw nuttin - wats up wid dat?

[Andy S]

if you notice, once I make it safely to my seat, I stay there the entire race

I'm exactly the same on those old stands where you have to walk up the seats themselves. Once I'm finally up there it's going to take a lot to get me to come down while there's people on them, and I think if I had young kids I'd think twice about going if I knew we had to risk taking them up there. I'm thankful that OSW and NSS both have proper walkways in their stands as that kind of convenience makes a much bigger difference to enjoying your night at the races than you would think.

I wonder how much the tracks lose in concessions income from people who settle in the stands and won't move once they're in there?