The National Hot Rod Association advertises itself as a family-friendly form of entertainment.
While it indeed might be family-friendly, it certainly isn’t stroller-friendly, at least not at Route 66 Raceway.
That’s what Daniel E. Albert, a stay-at-home dad and realtor from nearby Oswego, Ill., said he learned this weekend as he attempted to attend the United Association Route 66 Nationals with his two young sons.
Just how family-friendly is Route 66 Raceway? One fan says not at all
The National Hot Rod Association advertises itself as a family-friendly form of entertainment.
While it indeed might be family-friendly, it certainly isn’t stroller-friendly, at least not at Route 66 Raceway.
That’s what Daniel E. Albert, a stay-at-home dad and realtor from nearby Oswego, Ill., said he learned this weekend as he attempted to attend the United Association Route 66 Nationals with his two young sons.
“I’ve been going to Route 66 since it opened in the 1990s,” Albert said, “and in that time I went to both the fall and spring races. I went there last year with my oldest son, who is now two-and-a-half. Now that I have my 11-month-old, we go on Thursdays since it isn’t too loud.
“We just enjoy the cars,” Albert said.
He soon discovered a number of things he didn’t enjoy.
Armed with a day’s supply of diapers and formula for the baby and a stroller, Albert was about to walk through the track gate when he spotted a sign bearing a list of prohibited items. To his surprise, baby strollers were on the list.
“I don’t know why I read it — I just did,” Albert said. “I understand not allowing umbrellas and coolers.” (With continual — and traditional — rain delays at this 13th annual spring race, umbrellas seemed almost a requirement.)
Albert said he asked one of the gate-checkers if it were true he couldn’t bring in a stroller. The worker replied that he didn’t know why strollers were prohibited, saying it simply is a track policy. Albert then was referred to the ticketing office.
“I told them I wanted to buy a ticket but couldn’t understand why I couldn’t have a stroller,” Albert said. “I told them it didn’t make sense to me.”
Albert was referred to the management offices at Route 66 Raceway. Ironically, as he was walking there, he met another father with a four-year-old in a stroller.
“The man was just as astonished as I was,” he said. Albert said he told the man he was on his way to discuss the issue with management.
“I walked into the office, and I started out friendly, as friendly as a man could be for having walked across a field with two kids,” Albert said. “I wanted to ask them if I couldn’t bring in my stroller, if I could at least rent one. I really wanted to know why I couldn’t bring mine in. I presented my case to a nice lady, who listened to me and eventually went to another member of the management team. This person didn’t even know what their policy was.
“This person then went to someone who was higher up and they just simply said, ‘It’s our policy.’ I just wanted to know why that was their policy and no one could provide a satisfactory answer,” he said. “Then the person got snooty with me.”
Albert said he requested to speak with someone higher up in the management chain and was told they were in a meeting and didn’t have time to speak with him.
“I was fed up and walked out,” Albert said, “and as I walked out – I’ll admit it — I called the place a ‘f-ing gyp joint’ and said it would close down in a few years with policies like that. Then a person told me (he) didn’t like my language and by this point, I told (him) I didn’t really care. There was a Joliet police officer standing right there, and he even rolled his eyes as I was explaining the whole thing. He wasn’t going to do anything, it was as if he was in agreement that these people were nuts.”
Albert made his way back through the field and was befriended by someone in the pits who witnessed the initial incident at the gate. The person presented him with a free pass into the track.
“I’ve made my mind up, unless something changes, I won’t be back — and neither will my friends,” Albert said. “They (the track personnel) just didn’t care.”
Albert went into the track Thursday and did so for two reasons.
“No. 1, I had a free ticket, and No. 2, my two-and-a-half-year-old knows the difference between a Funny Car and a dragster,” Albert said. “He just wanted to see the Funny Cars. That’s all he wanted to do. Instead of getting pushed by his dad in a stroller, he had to walk all the way through the field, around the horseshoe and through the pits.”
Albert said he was there for a little more than two hours.
“He made it, but I was lucky I had one of the over-the-shoulder harnesses for the infant,” Albert said. “This kid weighs 27 pounds. I went in this day for my kid, not for the NHRA or Route 66. I talked to track officials and even cleaning people, anyone who would listen, and no one could believe it.” In addition, he said, “A few times, my kid was nearly clipped by crew members riding scooters.”
Albert still didn’t give up his cause. He said he went home and called the Route 66 management and spoke with a gentleman named Scott.
“I just had to satisfy my curiosity,” Albert said. “He followed the company line, even though I pointed out I was buying reserved seating, paying for my parking, and buying our refreshments. And I asked him, ‘Are you going to tell me I can’t come in with a stroller?’ “
Albert said the man responded, “Yes, that’s what I am going to tell you.” Albert said, “I was going to go back on Sunday with my friends. Now none of them are going to go. Route 66 now isn’t that important to me.”
Albert’s decision to write the track out of his future plans was sealed, he said, by “Scott’s” response to him. He asked how he was supposed to bring his children to future races.
“You made accommodations for today, didn’t you?” he said “Scott” replied.
“That’s what he told me,” Albert said. “Then he told me to bring a wagon, to which I reminded him that his policy didn’t allow for wagons. There was silence on the other end of the phone. He even alluded I should try a babysitter.
“All they talk about is how drag racing is a family sport, a family atmosphere, and how they want to make kids drag racing fans. Well they have just lost two of them. They have ruined my kid’s experience.”
But Albert said the issue cuts deeper.
“I really believe the policy is discriminatory,” he said. “What about the people in wheelchairs? And those who have to push them around?
“I even told him that if he wanted to nickel-and-dime people, they could make sure there were strollers on the grounds. He was being a smart-aleck when he told me that would be a great idea.”
Said Albert, “They tried to tell me the policy had been in effect for over a year, and I know that isn’t true because I have time-stamped photos showing us here last year with a stroller. Then they tried to say I slipped through and that’s not true. They stopped me before I bought a ticket.”
Albert said he spoke to the NHRA and was told individual racetracks establish their own policies.
NHRA media representative Scott Smith, who has been operating the press room at Route 66 Raceway during this event on loan from O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, is not the “Scott” whom Albert referred to. But Scott Smith said ORP’s policy allows strollers but stipulates that the owners place the strollers beneath the grandstands when they are seated.
Smith said the NHRA and members tracks have been working to develop a uniform policy regarding baby strollers.
The public relations department for Route 66 Raceway said the staff at the track will revisit the policy once the event is over.
“I think the main concern is that the fans who contacted you feel as if their concerns were not heard. I can assure you that is not true,” said Lachelle Seymour, PR manager, Route 66 Raceway. “Our staff talks through every concern that reaches us and the administration team then decides what is best for all of our fans. Now, every policy comes about for a reason, so our staff will need to chat about the reasons that spurred the policy in the first place. Then they’ll decide what is best for the future.”
