It looked maybe very slightly better than last year, but not anywhere remotely near the announced 50K for the weekend.
I went Thursday too. I went all over, + the paddock & never saw anyone checking tickets anywhere. Heard a lot of people complaining about having bought tickets and never having been told they could come out on Thursday.
Didn't EMS use the track to transport to the helo? I know they often do. Re: the inner roads and pedestrians, I'm amazed as COTA continues to use fewer and fewer temporary personnel to man these areas controlling traffic, etc. This race had the fewest people on site that I've seen yet. Apparently they're in ever-increasing cost-cutting mode. My boy and I were out at T7 when the rain hit. We went under the just-erected Bier Garden tent for shelter with all of about 40 other people who were out along the esses from about T3-9. Natured called, so we started searching for a porta-potty for him to use. Turns out there wasn't a single fan-accessible porta-potty on the entire east side of the race track. The only facilities available were the permanent restrooms in the Main GS and at T1, and the porta-potties in the Grand Plaza. Agree also re: the grounds. They're already starting to fall off and nothing has been done in the way of improvements.
A little late, but I finally got through my Friday WEC/Tudor pics...Better ones from Saturday's racing are on the way also. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.916308115050401.1073741983.157330087614878&type=1
yeah, no way they had 50k there for the weekend. agree. everything except the vendor village/amphitheater area looked much shabbier this year.
Here are the Saturday COTA Tudor/WEC racing pics I promised. Sorry so late! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.917130681634811.1073741985.157330087614878&type=1