More officers, searches part of security

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Come one, come all, say track officials to fans attending this weekend's NASCAR events at Daytona International Speedway. Your safety has been addressed.

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In fact, security procedures at the mammoth facility -- where an estimated 200,000 people will witness Sunday's 45th annual Daytona 500 -- were merely updated in the wake of recent terror alerts.

"What everybody needs to take into consideration and remember is that last year we held this event in the same time frame, but it was right after 9-11," said DIS spokesman Glyn Johnston.

Thus, policies implemented last year were never relaxed, Johnston said. Those include banning any coolers except soft-sided ones no larger than 6x6x12 inches, and permitting fans only one clear, plastic bag no larger than 18x18x4 inches for souvenirs. Also in effect: Inspection of all those bags.

"So what's in place today is no different than what fans were used to last year," said Johnston, citing both NASCAR weekends in February and July, plus last spring and fall's motorcycle and sports car events.

"While last year they may have felt that we should relax those [procedures]," added Johnston of fans, "at this point in time it's actually a positive for us because they're seeing the same thing they saw at least three times last year."

The only significant change is that Daytona officials have beefed up their security force, adding private and law enforcement personnel to their regular event staff, as well as more canine units.

They're also conducting more, and more thorough, searches of vehicles entering the infield tunnel.

Johnston declined to offer specific numbers -- NASCAR officials won't release track attendance and other related figures -- but he did say fans should expect to see more -- and more visible -- security personnel and police dogs. Mounted police aren't used.

"Lots of scooters, though," Johnston said. "We got scooters everywhere."

One security addition was not enacted by track officials. The Federal Aviation Administration mandated a no-fly zone within three miles and 3,000 feet of the facility.

The Daytona International Airport lies just outside the backstretch and was a major factor in the FAA decision, said Johnston, adding that the no-fly zone went into effect Monday.

As for crowds, Thursday's twin 125-mile qualifying races provided the first significant trial for search delays entering the grandstands.

Friday's IROC race and Craftsman Truck Series season opener was the second such trial, and Johnston said crowds moved in and out in record time on both days.

"It's probably better to just talk about it as record time rather than specifics because that changes on a day-by-day, crowd-by-crowd, track-by-track and everything else basis," Johnston said. "But realistically, everybody was like, 'Yep, this works.'"

Saturday's Busch Series season opener should produce a larger crowd, followed by the largest on Sunday for the Daytona 500.

Gates open at 8 a.m., Saturday, with the Busch race scheduled to start at 1 p.m. On Sunday, gates open at 6:30 a.m., with a 1 p.m. start for the 500.

Johnston said fans should arrive early and allow extra time for bag searches. Pre-race entertainment will be available.

"There is a sufficient amount of police, security and others here on site that we feel very confident that this is probably one of the safest arenas in sports events in the country," Johnston said.

Perhaps the most difficult realm to cover is the Daytona infield, where fans can camp out in motor homes, campers and recreational vehicles.

They're allowed to bring in more traditional-type coolers, but all vehicles are subject to search upon entering the tunnel.

All week, security personnel have stopped random vehicles to examine trunk contents, and to run long-handled mirrors underneath chassis.

Johnston said not all vehicles were being searched, but a significant number were.

"In most cases we're trying to look at every one of them," he said. "There are certain areas and everything else that we need to look at on those. We're certainly looking underneath, we're looking in storage compartments and things like that, as well as, in most cases, dogs are going through them."

Track officials also are keeping a tighter eye on the infield area, which encompasses fan campgrounds, NASCAR garages, pit areas and, of course, track entrances.

Johnston said officials were more concerned about the grandstand areas, where there are higher concentrations of people in tighter spaces.

"We've continued that focus, but now we are also expanding into the motor home lots and everything else," he said. "In that general campground area, it's pretty spread out. So it's not nearly as much of a concentration of people in that side of it."

Another 2002 security procedure remains in place where most folks can't see it.

"We used to allow certain kinds of traffic underneath the grandstands and everything else," Johnston said. "That's virtually eliminated now. There are certain service trucks that are allowed under there, but we've eliminated probably 90 percent of that."

As for fan complaints, Johnston says, "We haven't had any. Actually the fans have been very receptive to it.

"The TV stations are running out here and going, 'What do you think about it?' They're going, 'We're used to it, it's not a problem for us now. We know what to expect and they're just trying to protect us.'

"Literally, that's what's going on."