Just spoke with Rick Humphrey about the issues of no fan visibility to the hot pit area during the Petit Le Mans. We spoke for about 20 minutes about the situation. He acknowledged that there have been several concerns over the change in paddock layout this year. He indicated that it was IMSA driven but was also reviewed by Road Atlanta staff. The reason for the change was due to a larger car count and support vehicles needed for the WeatherTech cars. It was changed but is now under review. They didn't anticipate the fan feedback they received and are in the process of looking at options for next year.
I was very pleased that he responded to my email by calling me on my cell phone to speak to me personally. He was very understanding and assured me that they would do what they could to improve fan interaction. Not holding my breath, but it was a positive sign and I hope it does prompt for further assessment of the paddock/hot pit area. He also gave me his direct phone and asked me to give him any feedback going on into the future.
NOTE: It's now 367 days 23 hours and nine minutes till the next Petit Le Mans.
