Trams at MIS are an Olympic legacy

Thousands of race fans at Michigan International Speedway are annually touched by the Olympic Games – and they probably don’t even know it.

With Opening Ceremonies set to begin Friday, officially kicking off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, speedway Guest Services Director Tim Booth proudly reflects on the legacy the Games have had on Michigan International Speedway. 

Much of the speedway’s tram fleet was used during the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Shortly after those Olympic Games, MIS officials purchased the trams to transport race guests around the 1,400-acre facility.

The speedway’s full fleet of double-trailer trams, “nomads” and golf cars moves about 70,000 race fans and employees throughout a NASCAR event weekend. It’s a big task, considering recent surveys suggest more and more fans are hitching a tram ride.

But Booth, like any Olympian, is up for the challenge.

“It’s part of our vision here,” he said. “We work very hard to ensure race fans have a good time while they are at MIS and that they experience the very best in guest services. Transporting them to and from areas around the entire property is part of that process.”

Booth is always examining the wait time at tram stops, comfort of trams, safety of trams and enjoyment of the ride.

As a result, the speedway has invested in building two giant tram plazas in Turn 1 and Turn 4 to efficiently queue guests waiting for a tram, developed an electronic system to track tram stop wait times and installed PAs on the trams.

And that’s just the beginning.

Booth and his team of 175 tram drivers, tram ambassadors and guest services staffers are always looking for better ways to move guests.

“We are always trying to figure out the next ‘it’ thing for our tram service,” speedway President Roger Curtis says. “Our guests have high expectations so the challenge always for us is how to continue to deliver on our brand promise and vision ‘to create lasting memories for every person, every time.’”

Soon, guests on the north side of the property will notice a significantly less wait time in line and on the tram with a new route that has been created through a stretch inside the MISCamping.com Tree Farm Campground.

Other guests will notice a shaded Tram Plaza.

So what’s next for trams at MIS?

“We will always strive for something better as long as we have guests who need a ride,” Booth said.

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

MIS PR