Luckily IndyCar won’t be returning to dangerous Kentucky track

At one time the 1,5-mile oval made sense for IndyCar, but with dwindling attendance and now many more grandstand seats, it only serves to make the series look like losers

Since last year, Kentucky Speedway's pit road has been moved 200 feet closer to the front grandstands, an effort to please the fans. But the IndyCar drivers aren't pleased, particularly with the exit.

"Dangerous," Dan Wheldon said.

"Bumpy, blind, slippery and narrow," Dario Franchitti said.

"Dreadful," Tony Kanaan said.

And those were the nice words.

Pit road funnels down to one lane on an exit that runs alongside the normal racing groove. If there's a problem leaving pit road under green, there will be no place for those trailing to escape. The wall looms to the left.

"You'll have to go (to) caution," Kanaan said.

The part about the corner being blind concerns drivers the most. It's a similar situation on entry, with a slight kink in the path. Plus, in a rarity for pit roads, this one arcs through the dogleg.

"Brilliant," driver Scott Dixon said sarcastically. "You've got to be a complete idiot to come up with something like this.

"Pit road itself is fine because it's so wide (42 feet), but you can't see around the corner (on exit). If you started with a clean sheet of paper, why would you do that?"

Mark Simendinger, the track's executive vice president and general manager, said he was surprised to hear complaints of a bumpy surface, but he knew the reconfiguration wasn't ideal for IndyCar drivers. Indy Star

[Editor's Note: With the added grandstands for their Sprint Cup race this is yet another oval event that will make IndyCar look like a loser series with their small crowd. And now with the added danger, who needs it? IndyCar wants to keep 50% ovals on the schedule, but if they make you look like a loser it only damages the series and all involved. They should only race on ovals where it works and not force themselves into a lose-lose situation.]