Monday, March 14, 2005 | 10:38 a.m.
While everybody else watched the final laps of Sunday's race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, those in the Traffic Command Center watched the parking lot.
They worked with binoculars and radios from some of the best seats at the track to manage the impending exodus of an estimated 30,000 vehicles.
"It's going to take a while," said speedway Vice President of Operations Dave Stetzer. "No matter what you do it's going to take a while."
Stetzer was joined in the center by representatives from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada Department of Transportation, Clark County Public Works, Metro Police, Nevada Highway Patrol, Regional Transportation Commission, CAT, and private parking and traffic control companies.
Stetzer said managing the traffic was a concerted effort with eight months of planning. He tapped on a stack of maps and traffic flow diagrams. "Our goal is to make this happen," he said.
In the vast and glittering parking lot people were just beginning to leave the race early and return to their cars.
The UAW-DaimlerChrylser 400 drew an estimated crowd of 156,000 to the track Sunday. They arrived and left via two main roads, Interstate 15 and Las Vegas Boulevard.
"I'll tell you, it's rough. It's more people than we expected" Trooper Angie Chavera, highway patrol spokeswoman, said Sunday close to the 12:05 p.m. start of the race. "We got out here at 5:30 this morning. I kid you not, they were already lining up at the gate."
By 8:30 this morning, troopers working in the valley had responded to 12 DUI-related crashes, four crashes with injury and another four that caused property damage, Sgt. Mike Nihei, an NHP spokesman, said.
The highway patrol is responsible for managing traffic along the interstate and at the speedway's entrance roads. Metro is responsible for the remaining surface streets. The speedway pays the overtime for the event, officials said.
Chavera said the day is always a long one for troopers who commonly remain at the track until around 8 p.m. It is the largest traffic detail highway patrol works all year, she said, and sometimes a dangerous one. About 30 troopers worked the race Sunday, an unusual convergence given the longstanding shortage of troopers in Southern Nevada.
The highway patrol has long faced challenges luring new troopers to the Southern Nevada assignments, as lower pay than police departments and a strict screening process often reduce the field of qualified candidates. According to the agency, there should be 133 troopers patrolling Clark County highways, but only 64 are on the the streets.
On Sunday, troopers worked along and in the roads conducting traffic, looking for drunk drivers, and dodging cars and side mirrors.
Trooper Ted Kocur's duty as traffic left the race and started onto I-15 was to stand in the median and reminded drivers to put on their seatbelts. As cars pulled up with windows down, some people thanked the troopers and a few asked for directions.
Kocur asked a motorist if he enjoyed the race.
"Yeah, but I'm not enjoying this race," the man replied.
"It's not a race," Kocur said.
Traffic arriving to the race had moved along thanks to plenty of people getting to the speedway early. Just about all of the spectators' vehicles were in the parking lot at least 45 minutes before the green flag waved, event organizers said.
Patrick Kosmicki of Henderson was surprised at how quickly he able to arrive at the speedway before the noon race.
"We left the house at 11 o'clock. There was no traffic. We got right in," Kosmicki said. "It was incredible. The traffic control guys did great."
The drive was longer for Jim Sime and his friend Edie Martin. They said it took them under five hours to reach the track from Southern California.
"It was quite easy," Sime said.
He and Martin planned to wait and stay another day in town rather than go back to California immediately.
"We're not stupid. It's going to be a mess," Martin said. "We're leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Traffic was somewhat more of a mess for motorists after the race. Multiple accidents on Las Vegas Boulevard compounded problems.
Chavera said six people were arrested for DUI Saturday and another six Sunday as they left the speedway.
Chavera and other troopers conducted traffic as it first left the speedway. Drivers waved and cheered as they left.
"This is a good group because they're out of here quickly," Chavera said. "In a little bit it'll get nasty."
Chavera added that most of the race fans are great and cooperating. There are only the few who get out of control.
"The names they call state troopers are unbelievable," she said.
As the sun set, I-15 more resembled a parking lot in both directions. Traffic in the actual parking lot was often at a standstill.
And amid the car exhaust was the smell of barbecue by those who chose to wait it all out.
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