Thousands of race fans at Michigan International Speedway are annually touched by the Olympic Games and they probably don ‘t even know it. With Opening Ceremonies held Friday, officially kicked off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, speedway Guest Services Director Tim Booth proudly reflects on the legacy the Games have had on Michigan International Speedway. Much of the speedway’s tram fleet was used during the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Shortly after those Olympic Games, MIS officials purchased the trams to transport race guests around the 1,400-acre facility. The speedway’s full fleet of double-trailer trams, ‘nomads’ and golf cars moves about 70,000 race fans and employees throughout a NASCAR event weekend. It’s a big task, considering recent surveys suggest more and more fans are hitching a tram ride. Booth is always examining the wait time at tram stops, comfort of trams, safety of trams and enjoyment of the ride. As a result, the speedway has invested in building two giant tram plazas in Turn 1 and Turn 4 to efficiently queue guests waiting for a tram, developed an electronic system to track tram stop wait times and installed PAs on the trams. Soon, guests on the north side of the property will notice a significantly less wait time in line and on the tram with a new route that has been created through a stretch inside the MISCamping.com Tree Farm Campground. Other guests will notice a shaded Tram Plaza. All race tickets are on sale at MISpeedway.com or by phone at 800-354-1010.(MIS)(7-30-2012)
