-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Sprint Cup
CUP: The Race After The Race Featured Large Packs, Too
Prominent members of the NASCAR community quickly left Talladega and boarded planes to get home for Halloween night...
Team owner Roger Penske was one of the first members of the NASCAR community to arrive at the airport after Sunday's race at Talladega. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Article by Jeff Hood, RacinToday.com
Minutes after the checkered flag waved to signal the end of Sunday's Amp Energy Juice 500, the other race was just beginning.
There were no Sprint Cup points on the line for this particular race. But there was the incentive of quickly boarding a jet and arriving back home just in time to take the kids trick or treating tonight.
As the 100,000-plus fans in attendance jumped into their vehicles and began the slow procession toward Interstate 20, drivers, team members, car owners, television personalities, sponsors and anyone else who can afford private aviation made a mad dash for the tiny airport located about a mile behind the backstretch at Talladega Superspeedway.
Shhhhhh…..but their escape path out of the infield is the tunnel that runs underneath Turn 2.
The gate fronting the tunnel inside the track was actually closed seconds after race winner Clint Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick led the field across the finish line in a thrilling finish. I know this because I sat in my car in the infield next to the tunnel and watched the final 10 laps unfold. I was the last person through the tunnel before a female track worker swung that gate shut.
Attention race fans: your weekend stay in the massive infield just got extended by an additional two hours. Beer anyone?
Needless to say, if you were flying out of the municipal airport today you have the proper credentials to get through that tunnel. Or at least you should have been handed the proper credentials at some point during the weekend.
It’s your own fault if you misplaced them. But that problem could easily be remedied with a good sharpie and someone famous in your vehicle.
Once you get out of the infield, the next hurdle is to make certain you shoot straight ahead to the gate guard by a security officer. That will ensure you that you’re on the right, or correct, side of the fence.
Turn left and any chance of making it back home to see some ghosts and goblins tonight is shot.
The Talladega airport consists of a relatively small building with a Pepsi and vending machine. There’s also a makeshift rental car counter to leave the keys for the set of wheels you rented for the weekend. The Minnesota Vikings/New England Patriots game is playing on a television.
The Federal Aviation Administration has someone on site inside the building doing, well, whatever it is they do.
I don’t see any metal detectors.
The first NASCAR personality to walk through the door is team owner Roger Penske. The Captain, with some corporate executives alongside, makes his way through the building in nothing flat about 15 minutes following the race.
The first driver to pass through the airport is Elliott Sadler. He narrowly edges out Greg Biffle for the “first NASCAR driver who didn’t crash today to walk through the airport award."
Biffle brought along three of his dogs for the plane ride back to North Carolina. This would be a really cool place for a photo to go in his next pet calendar.
There are two restrooms in the building, both the single-unit variety. The line for the men’s room is relatively long.
So who could blame the Biff for ducking into the empty ladies room?
Minutes after the checkered flag waved to signal the end of Sunday's Amp Energy Juice 500, the other race was just beginning.
There were no Sprint Cup points on the line for this particular race. But there was the incentive of quickly boarding a jet and arriving back home just in time to take the kids trick or treating tonight.
As the 100,000-plus fans in attendance jumped into their vehicles and began the slow procession toward Interstate 20, drivers, team members, car owners, television personalities, sponsors and anyone else who can afford private aviation made a mad dash for the tiny airport located about a mile behind the backstretch at Talladega Superspeedway.
Shhhhhh…..but their escape path out of the infield is the tunnel that runs underneath Turn 2.
The gate fronting the tunnel inside the track was actually closed seconds after race winner Clint Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick led the field across the finish line in a thrilling finish. I know this because I sat in my car in the infield next to the tunnel and watched the final 10 laps unfold. I was the last person through the tunnel before a female track worker swung that gate shut.
Attention race fans: your weekend stay in the massive infield just got extended by an additional two hours. Beer anyone?
Needless to say, if you were flying out of the municipal airport today you have the proper credentials to get through that tunnel. Or at least you should have been handed the proper credentials at some point during the weekend.
It’s your own fault if you misplaced them. But that problem could easily be remedied with a good sharpie and someone famous in your vehicle.
Once you get out of the infield, the next hurdle is to make certain you shoot straight ahead to the gate guard by a security officer. That will ensure you that you’re on the right, or correct, side of the fence.
Turn left and any chance of making it back home to see some ghosts and goblins tonight is shot.
The Talladega airport consists of a relatively small building with a Pepsi and vending machine. There’s also a makeshift rental car counter to leave the keys for the set of wheels you rented for the weekend. The Minnesota Vikings/New England Patriots game is playing on a television.
The Federal Aviation Administration has someone on site inside the building doing, well, whatever it is they do.
I don’t see any metal detectors.
The first NASCAR personality to walk through the door is team owner Roger Penske. The Captain, with some corporate executives alongside, makes his way through the building in nothing flat about 15 minutes following the race.
The first driver to pass through the airport is Elliott Sadler. He narrowly edges out Greg Biffle for the “first NASCAR driver who didn’t crash today to walk through the airport award."
Biffle brought along three of his dogs for the plane ride back to North Carolina. This would be a really cool place for a photo to go in his next pet calendar.
There are two restrooms in the building, both the single-unit variety. The line for the men’s room is relatively long.
So who could blame the Biff for ducking into the empty ladies room?
Shake and Bake: Recent Posts
-
Race Day Blog: Sights and Sounds From the Sprint All-Star Race »
-
Daryl Wright Breaks It Down With Pit Road Rapper Kenyatta Houston »
-
Daryl ' Vodkatime ' Wright Takes To Charlotte Motor Speedway »
-
Brad Keselowski's All-Star Car Features Awkward Kyle Busch Photo »
-
Kyle Busch Kicks Off All-Star Weekend With Trucks Win »
-
Dale Earnhardt Sr., Father of the All-Star Paint Scheme »
-
Charlotte Television Schedule: Sprint All-Star Weekend »
-
Trickle Was A Legend »
Kansas Speedway
LATEST HEADLINES: NASCAR
-
CUP: All-Star Power Rankings
Jimmie Johnson moves back to the top of the FOXSports.com/SPEED.com… -
CUP: Johnson Destroys Another Format
For a record fourth time, Jimmie Johnson rolls home first in Sprint… -
CUP: Busches Falter In Final Shootout
Kyle, Kurt Busch lose top spots on pit road prior to 10-lap finale…… -
CUP: Johnson Sets Record With All-Star Win
Jimmie Johnson is now the only four-time winner of the Sprint All-Star… -
CUP: Saturday Charlotte Notebook (UPDATE 14)
Jimmie Johnson wins the the All-Star Race... -
CUP: McMurray, Stenhouse Advance To All-Star
Jamie McMurray dominates Showdown to move into All-Star field with… -
EXCLUSIVE: Kahne Says He And Kyle Busch Are Cool
Kasey Kahne spun out racing Kyle Busch for the lead at Darlington… - More News
