A walkway put in place at Talladega Superspeedway during the fall will help ease crowd congestion during the race. Bob Crisp
However, he never made it back home.
Cunningham was killed around 2:25 a.m. on April 25, 2009, when he was hit by a car while walking across Speedway Boulevard. He had been camping with some friends to get the full race weekend experience.
Cunningham had recently moved from his hometown in Olympia, Wash. He was advancing in his sales career with the Spider division of SafeWorks and had purchased a house in Georgia just a few weeks before his death.
He left behind a 6-month-old daughter, Adeline, and his fiancee, Jennifer.
“He had such a promising future,” his mother, Jeanne Cunningham, said.
Cunningham’s story is a tragic one, but not unique. As the area surrounding the speedway becomes overcrowded with race fans and partiers, accidents can be an inevitable factor.
Talladega Superspeedway and law enforcement officials make it their goal each year to ensure the crowds’ safety as best they can.
“Over the weekend we become one of the largest cities in Alabama,” said the Talladega County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Jimmy Kilgore. “When you have that many people get together things are going to happen.”
These increased crowds come with increased traffic. This combined with other factors such as rushing or alcohol can make the roads particularly dangerous.
“Please be patient because you will experience delays,” Kilgore said. “We’re trying to get everyone moved along in an organized manner.”
During race weekend Talladega Superspeedway will be monitored by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Department while the surrounding areas will be watched by the Alabama State Troopers.
These law enforcement agencies have increase their manpower to make sure the fans’ protection is well-covered.
Kilgore said extra personnel have been commissioned as deputy sheriffs for this weekend. He said officers will be assigned to overnight parks and the track.
“We’ll maintain a high visibility,” he said.
The sheriffs will work closely with Talladega Superspeedway’s security force.
Alabama State Troopers will keep 24-hour watches over surrounding roads, such as Speedway Boulevard, Jackson Trace, I-20 and Alabama 77, Friday through Sunday. Extra Troopers will be brought in from other jurisdictions to help. They will be stationed nearby in case they’re needed overnight.
Troopers will also return Monday to assist RVs and campers that are leaving.
“Follow all traffic rules and work with the State Troopers,” Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch advises.
The speedway has implemented some improvements for the weekend to aid in traffic congestion at the track itself
Allison Grandstand customers will have an express lane that leads to Speedway Boulevard without having to wait on traffic exiting the Gate V9 Infield Crossover. This express lane will be open Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, parking lots 2N, 3N, 10W and 11W will remain closed. Cars may park in lots 1E-4E and 1W-9W.
On Sunday, North Park free camping lots and reserved family camping lots will be held for two hours after the race while traffic exits the Free Day parking lots.
“It’s no easy task bringing over 100,000 people to one facility, but it’s certainly one of our top priorities. We want our race fans to be able to get to Talladega Superspeedway quickly and efficiently and be able to exit in the same manner. The changes we have made should help in both instances,” Lynch said in a press release.
Also to help with entering and exiting traffic, the speedway put up a walkway in the fall that spans the entrance road leading to the North Tunnel. Lynch said the walkway is most efficient before and after the big rushes.
The outside areas and camping spots can be especially important for people to be cautious in, as this is where many fans spend a large portion of the weekend.
Lynch said one problem that occurs frequently in these areas is that of carbon monoxide poisoning.
He warns that people can put themselves in danger by zipping themselves up in tents with running gas heaters or stoves, especially when they’re left on overnight. This can also be a problem with appliances in campers.
One of the biggest safety issues the speedway faces every year is alcohol. Just as alcohol was a contributing factor in Cunningham’s death, it can prove to be so in a number of situations because it is consumed by so many in a concentrated area.
During the race last fall, Alabama State Troopers made 83 arrests for driving under the influence and issued 61 open container citations.
“I want to remind people not to drink and drive and there’s an open container law in Alabama,” said Alabama State Trooper and public information officer Chad Joiner of the Jacksonville Trooper Post.
A special unit of the Alabama State Troopers called Task Force Zero will be on hand. TFZ specializes in DUI detection. It will mostly operate during the afternoon hours but will be available around the clock.
DUI enforcement checkpoints will be in place along the roads.
Kilgore has seen many accidents due to alcohol and urges people to use designated drivers.
Lynch said the speedway staff does its best to regulate alcohol. For example, concession stands are monitored and staff can refuse alcohol to patrons who appear intoxicated.
Stands also stop selling alcohol prior to the end of the race.
He encourages race fans who drink to do so in moderation.
Joiner said people hanging off truck tailgates while riding also put themselves in danger.
“We do have incidents where people have fallen out,” he said.
He added people can even get crushed limbs in the case of car collisions from the rear. He said if riders insist on being in the backs of trucks, they must sit securely with the tailgates up.
Lynch explained another safety precaution. In certain areas near the grandstands, golf carts are prohibited about one hour before the race and then an hour afterward.
Of course, fan safety includes safety from the cars themselves. Talladega Superspeedway has a new 22-foot catch fence along the backstretch to protect spectators and to keep cars on the track. The new fence is equipped with an overhang.
It replaces the track’s previous 14-foot fence.
Kilgore said that among the best advice he can offer for race fans to keep themselves safe is to “be alert of your surroundings” and “expect the unexpected.”
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