I'll be gone all this week working at the NASCAR race in Talladega, Alabama. I've been tasked to make sure that the extensive deployment of NEXTEL equipment to cover the 250,000 people coming to the race does not affect the very critical Public Safety communications.
I'll be working with Southern Linc, Alabama State Patrol, various Fire Department and EMT groups and the many TV and radio broadcasters covering the event.
I've never been a NASCAR fan but being at the track today gave me a new appreciation of the enormous scale of racing. The track area is easily the size of 25 football stadiums. The grandstands and infield provide a temporary home to almost 170,000 people! The banked turns are impressive... they look more like walls than roadways.
Once all the preparation and testing is complete, race day should be uneventful. The Sprint NEXTEL entourage is a group of about 20 and we'll have a pretty spectacular view of the race from about 30 yards from the back straight away. The company has a number of RVs set up in our 'compound' for the overnighters (like me) to crash, get a shower, eat (catered for each meal) and even watch TV.
If you are a NASCAR fan and plan on watching the race... watch for me.. I'll be the guy with jean shorts and a Braves' cap on probably with my fingers in my ears and a grin on my face! LOL!!
Be back on Sunday evening or Monday morning!
