We are attending the inaugural Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday. We bought tickets months ago with great anticipation of experiencing a new track instead of the Brickyard as we usually do in July. The excitement was greatly tempered about a month ago when I learned we could not take a cooler into the track. The Speedway contends that no coolers are allowed because Kentucky law does not permit alcohol brought into the track. I have no problem complying with that law. However, being limited to one 20-ounce bottle of water carried in is ridiculous. I want to be able to have access to water and Gatorade DURING the race without leaving my seat (for which I paid $110) and without paying $4.00 for a bottle of water. I deal with a severe electrolyte imbalance during summer heat and have been hospitalized three times. I now combat this problem with Gatorade. I called the track to arrange a solution for my medical need. First number I called the person was clueless as to where to direct my call. I persisted and she spoke with someone at the track. Her response to me then was "we don't really have a policy in place to deal with someone like you." When I posted this on Twitter I was given a different number to call. The response then was to call back in another week or two after a meeting to discuss the race weekend. She surmised that I would have to leave my cooler at first aid and then personally go there to consume the Gatorade during the race. I asked if my husband could get the drink and bring it to me in the stands. She said "no, the other fans just would not understand that." Another alternative suggestion was to return to my car DURING the race as often as I wanted to drink water or Gatorade if I did not want to pay $4 a bottle for water. I did not call back. This week I received several DMs from Kentucky Speedway telling me the procedure: call a number when I got to the gate, be met by someone from First Aid who would confiscate my cooler, personally go to the First Aid Station DURING the race to consume the liquids. Apparently the fact that I am not to exert myself in the heat eluded them. This 'solution' requires me to go up and down the stairs in the heat to drink a bottle of Gatorade. Complicating this 'solution' is the fact that I am a polio survivor (yes I am that old). Just getting to my seat the first time is enough of a challenge. I cannot effortlessly traipse up and down the stairs in the best of times, much less in the July heat. I would like to propose a true solution for Kentucky Speedway. Issue me a very large, very official looking tag to attach to my cooler that explains my medical need so the other fans can "understand." That will never happen so I am paying a fortune for bottled water at the track and using Gatorade packets. While I have more of a need for liquids than some, all fans should have access to water and Gatorade during the July heat. I will never return to Kentucky Speedway unless the cooler policy is changed.
There is an additional reason why I want to take a cooler into the track. I am a celiac which means I cannot eat anything with wheat, barley or rye. I challenge you to find something at the track that is not harmful to me. I always take in my own safe food and the cooler keeps it from spoiling.