Pepsi 400: Operations

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Controlled chaos does not even begin to describe the juggling act that goes on behind the scenes at a NASCAR Winston Cup Series venue, such as Daytona International Speedway, on race day.

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But successfully balancing the disarray with well-thought, deeply considered but quickly executed decisions can be the difference between dozens -- if not thousands -- of guests having an acceptable experience at an event, or deciding the race was their last.

Bill France, the chairman of the board of NASCAR and of International Speedway Corporation, its sister company that operates a dozen race tracks from coast to coast of the United States, understands very well the importance of assembling a competent team to conduct both day-to-day business as well as special events, such as Saturday night's Pepsi 400.

In the behind the scenes scheme of things, France depends on a man he's known since childhood and who's spent the better part of his adult life as an integral part of the staff of Daytona International Speedway.

	Credit: Autostock

The guy is as assuming as an individual could be. But don't let his low-key, self-effacing manner fool you.

"My name is Jim Bockoven, but most people call me Bocky," Bockoven said. "I'm director of race operations, whatever that is."

Bockoven is the director of a small control center connected to the rest of the facility and dozens of inspectors, medical workers and other staff by radio and telephone communications.

On a race or testing day at the speedway, Bockoven has his finger on the pulse of the "World Center of Racing."

"On race day, I direct all the fire trucks, ambulances and wreckers that are in action during the event," said Bockoven.

	David Hoots

When an event such as the Daytona 500 or the Pepsi 400 is going on, Bockoven is one of the critical members calling the operational shots.

Bockoven is quick to crack a joke or poke a little fun at a visitor -- or to even direct it at himself -- but at the flick of a switch, he's all business.

His dark eyes are piercingly intense as he surveys his kingdom from the NASCAR control tower, 14 stories above the start/finish line at the speedway.

The commotion in the NASCAR control tower begins 30 minutes before the race. Phones are ringing, radios tested, replay monitors checked and rechecked. When all the equipment is working, the command is given for the National Anthem to begin.

Shortly thereafter, it's time to race, and Bockoven is a study in intense concentration.

	John Darby

"David Hoots, the race director for NASCAR, is worried about getting the pace car out on the track in case of a caution," Bockoven said. "As soon as he gets the pace car out and the field of cars slowed down, I direct the ambulances, fire trucks and safety vehicles to where they need to be."

The trio of elements directly under Bockoven's control is just one small segment of the special services area that is in operation at the speedway. Everything from security, to maintenance and trash pickup, to a transportation department that does nothing but run errands, every base is covered.

And key staff is in place when the inevitable happens.

"As far as the race track, we handle any fire or EMS situation out there," assistant Daytona International Speedway fire chief Ken Kasten said. "We have full capability of doing any extrication from the car.

"If the driver becomes entrapped or in the incident becomes unconscious, we have the full capability of taking apart the race car to protect the driver or to remove him from the car.

"We have a full EMS Staff on property and a doctor to respond to the incident as we need them out there. We have a fully-staffed care center and a Level 1 trauma center, Halifax Medical Center, is within sight of the speedway, right across the street."

Bockoven said maintaining a level of concentration necessary to conduct a consistent operation is difficult, but unquestionably inevitable.

"It gets pretty hectic, as far as people hollering 'Why is that fire truck going that way?' Or, 'What is the situation here?'" Bockoven said. "You can't second-guess.

"You can't wait until Monday to make a decision. You've got to do it right now. You've got a 50 percent chance of being right, but you've got to do it and hope it's the right one."

More often than not, Bockoven's made the right decisions.

"Sometimes I'll try to run them around the race track the right way," Bockoven said. "But if a car is sitting right down over here and it will take a half-hour to take him around the right way, well, we might have to move him the wrong way. It's just something you have to do."

Through the years, Bockoven has had to deal with a number of elements that would rate as special even in terms of a unique special event such as the Daytona 500.

Two United States Presidents have visited the speedway -- George W. Bush before he was elected in 2000 -- but Ronald Reagan served as the Grand Marshal of the 1984 Pepsi 400, when Richard Petty won his 200th career race and Reagan was the chief executive of the country.

"Dealing with a visit like that and everything that goes with it is certainly a challenge, and certainly interesting," Bockoven said. "There is a raft of secret service agents everywhere, sealing manhole covers, and limiting access in a lot of ways to provide better security.

"But, that's just something we have learned to deal with and to roll with, just like something as unpredictable as the weather.

"You just try to use the experience as something that you can use to make the end result of the event work even better in your favor."

That's when the teamwork evident at Daytona International Speedway is shown to its best effect.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.