KANNAPOLIS — Officials providing security and traffic control for a Dale Earnhardt memorial service at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium on Sunday say they might have to turn away thousands of people.
With publicity about the Kannapolis native’s memorial in newspapers and television reports nationwide, law enforcement and emergency officials, led by Rowan County Sheriff George Wilhelm, say they’ll try to avoid being overwhelmed by traffic and crowds when they begin allowing cars to enter the stadium grounds at 4 p.m.
One measure they’ll take is to close off roads around the stadium — including exits off Interstate 85 — once the parking lot is full.
City officials have fielded calls from NASCAR and Earnhardt fans all over the United States and other countries. One county in Florida wanted to bus in 600 people.
Some officials fear that thousands could drive to Kannapolis from Rockingham, where a NASCAR race will end a few hours before the memorial starts here.
Mayor Ray Moss blames widespread media exposure for turning what began as an intimate service for people from Earnhardt’s hometown — originally set for 1,900-seat A.L. Brown High School auditorium — into a major event.
“We didn’t want to create a monster, just a memorial,”Moss said Friday. “We didn’t design this to be a NASCAR event, we designed it to be a memorial to our hometown hero.”
Seating capacity at the stadium is 4,700. Kannapolis officials hope to create seats for 5,500.
Forecasts for storms moving through the area on Sunday are being tracked. Heavy rains could diminish the turnout. Officials say they’ll wait until Sunday afternoon to decide whether rainfall would cancel the event.
Officials from area law enforcement and emergency agencies met Thursday and Friday to develop plans for security and traffic control at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium off I-85 just inside Rowan County.
The Rowan Sheriff’s Department has 20 deputies assigned to handle security and deal with parking at the stadium that is jointly owned by Rowan County and the city of Kannapolis.
“We’re planning for a safe environment for the memorial service,” said Rowan County Chief Deputy Steve Schenk.
Other agencies including the N.C. Highway Patrol, the Kannapolis Police Department and the Cabarrus Sheriff’s Department will provide officers to work traffic outside the park on the adjacent streets, Lane Street and Moose Road, as well as I-85.
Kannapolis Police Chief Paul Brown said his department will provide “practically everybody we have on staff.” Aside from officers patrolling Kannapolis, Brown said most of his 80 officers will be on hand.
Brown said potential attendance is unpredictable, since the city has never held a similar event. He said a crowd much larger than planned “could easily overwhelm the existing space we have to deal with.”
Brown noted, however, that Lane Street is a four-lane road, and police can keep traffic flowing on two lanes while using two others for stadium traffic. And he said he’s not concerned about security.
“I don’t really have any concerns about security,” he said. “Most of the fans coming are coming out of respect.”
Authorities plan to close the stadium parking lot today and re-open it to the public at 4 p.m. Sunday. That’s two hours before gates open and 312 hours before the service starts.
“Once the parking lots are full, no one else will be let in,” said Schenk. He said that will also include anyone attempting to walk in to the area.
The parking lot has room for about 1,000 vehicles. Officials encourage people coming to the event to carpool.
Wilhelm will be in command of the security. The command post with representatives of the various agencies will be in the press box, which Schenk said will provide a good view of the entire crowd.
Rowan Emergency Services Director Wayne Ashworth said one EMS unit and two Rowan Rescue Squad ambulances will be at the park.
Participating agencies have agreed on a traffic flow for major roads as follows:
- Northbound traffic exiting off I-85 Exit 63 will route right on Lane Street to Turkey Road to the Moose Road stadium entrance.
- Southbound traffic exiting off I-85 Exit 63 will turn right and enter through the Lane Street entrance.
- When the stadium reaches capacity, I-85 exits and other roads around the stadium will be closed.
Fans are asked not to camp out in the area before Sunday’s memorial. Vendors won’t be allowed and Moss said no concessions or souvenirs will be sold.
The mayor said that publicity for the service has spiraled out of control, but he won’t let the service itself follow suit.
“We planned it for the community and it got media-driven, but our service has not changed,” he said. “It’s not going to be sensationalized. I’m in charge of it, and I’m not going to let that happen.”
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