A day at the races is no picnic for state troopers

Jace Radke

Monday, March 4, 2002 | 10:57 a.m.

As the number of laps in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 dwindled Sunday, 36 Nevada Highway Patrol troopers sat in their cars and on their motorcycles waiting for a record crowd of 137,500 to be unleashed on Las Vegas Boulevard and Interstate 15.

"You get a little queasy feeling in your stomach as you sit and wait, because you know it's going to be bad," Trooper Jim Olschlager says as the race cars reach lap 265 of 267. "You know it's going to hit the fan, you just have to wait for it."

Seconds later Sterling Marlin takes the checkered flag, and Olschlager revs the V-8 engine in his Ford Crown Victoria and heads north on Las Vegas Boulevard.

"Let the games begin," Olschlager says as the fans begin flowing out of the stadium at 3:30 p.m.

The Winston Cup race is an annual traffic nightmare for the troopers charged with getting the fans, drivers and workers quickly and safely away from the stadium, Trooper Alan Davidson said.

"There are only two ways in or out of that place," Davidson said. "It turns into an hourglass, and there's only so much sand you can push through there at a time."

Race day begins for the troopers with a 4 a.m. briefing in a dirt lot at I-15 and Speedway Drive. The troopers are working on their day off, and will be paid an overtime wage by the speedway.

The plan is to concentrate about 12 of the troopers at the speedway's entrance to control traffic at I-15, while the remaining troopers are spread out along Hollywood Boulevard and the nine speedway gates on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Four troopers -- two on motorcycles and two in cars, including Olschlager -- are assigned as roving units to help out where needed.

From 6 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. troopers deal with a steady stream of traffic that becomes more congested the closer it gets to race time. Trooper Tom Delaney spends the morning directing traffic at the corner of Las Vegas and Hollywood boulevards.

His arms whirl as he motions cars forward or puts a hand up for them to stop.

"It might not seem like it, but standing out here waving your arms for hours does tire you out," Delaney said as he directed traffic as helicopters ferrying yet more race fans passed overhead. "When I get done out here I'm going to feel like I pitched a doubleheader."

Trooper Eric Kemmer, who is assigned Gate 5 and will supervise Citizen's Area Transit buses being routed through Nellis Air Force Base into the speedway, quickly deputizes two track traffic flaggers to help him get the buses across Las Vegas Boulevard and into the speedway.

"I gave them some junior trooper badges," Kemmer said. "It's like a bus rodeo out here."

Despite some hectic moments, including NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth getting stuck in traffic and needing an NHP escort to make the race, all the fans are in the stadium before the race starts. The troopers take lunch after already putting in an eight-hour day, but the wave of cars, motor homes and tractor-trailers headed their way is cresting.

"It's pretty much mayhem out here once the race is over," Olschlager said. "The people come out of the race and they want to beam home like Star Trek. They don't want to be here anymore, and they don't want us telling them where to go.

"I try to stay calm until they try to run over me, and then I get a little upset."

About 4 p.m. at Gate 8 a motorcyclist refuses to turn left and instead nearly hits a flagger and a trooper and heads south through a skinny piece of desert that bounds Nellis.

Olschlager throws his car in reverse and backs up 100 yards at 30 mph, to slide in front of the motorcyclist.

"What are you doing?" Olschlager yells at the motorcyclist, who at first denies that he almost hit the flagger or the trooper, but later says they were in his way.

The motorcyclist is given a citation. Soon many cars parked in the desert areas along Las Vegas Boulevard begin to follow the motorcyclist's example and try to cut through the desert to escape the clogged traffic flow. Olschlager rolls through the uneven terrain turning the cars around.

"You don't have to look for someone being stupid out here, they'll find you," Olschlager said.

Sure enough a cloud of dust appears in the desert area east of the speedway, and a dirt-biker is putting on a show for the fans who have decided to wait for the roads to clear before heading home. The biker is riding without a helmet, but is soon only walking without a helmet after being ordered to walk his bike home.

By 5 p.m. it is dark again and the troopers are working on a 13-hour shift. Flashlights and light sticks are broken out along with an obligatory "Star Wars" joke, as Olschlager pokes fun at a particularly light saber-like wand that Trooper Guy Davis is using.

The joke doesn't faze Davis, who continues to direct traffic despite being sworn at by motorists fed up with the traffic and the troopers' instruction.

"Thanks for the finger," he tells one motorist.

At 7:30 p.m. most of the fans have left the track and the troopers are taken off duty. There are only two accidents, and no injuries during the nearly 16-hour shift.

"After one of these shifts you either pass out when you hit the pillow, or you're so tired you can't get to sleep," Olschlager said. "I'm hoping to pass out."